Tile roofs are less common around Kansas City than shingles, so finding someone who knows how to work on one can take some looking. Maybe you have a clay or concrete tile roof that came with the house, a few tiles have cracked, and you’re not sure who in town actually knows how to work on it. Or you love the look of tile and want to know whether it makes sense in a place with hard winters and spring hail.
Tile roofing in Kansas City can work well, but it asks more of the material and the installer than it does in a warm, dry climate. Freeze-thaw cycles, hail and the weight of the tile itself all need to be planned for. You deserve a straight answer about your roof, from someone who works on tile and isn’t guessing.
APC Roofing is a GAF Certified contractor, in business since 2017, licensed and insured, with an office in Shawnee, Kansas. We repair and install clay and concrete tile roofs across the metro, and your roof evaluation is free.
What Kansas City weather does to a tile roof
Freeze-thaw is the biggest test. Any roofing material that soaks up water can be damaged when that water freezes and expands inside it. Clay tile that’s been fired properly absorbs very little. Concrete tile absorbs more, and over many winters the surface can start to flake or crack. Tile sold for cold climates is tested and rated for this kind of weathering, and that rating matters more here than the color or profile.
Hail can chip or crack tile, especially older or thinner pieces. A cracked tile leaves the underlayment beneath it facing the weather, and that layer was never meant to take sun and rain on its own.
Snow and ice add weight and can slide off a tile roof in sheets once it starts to melt. On some homes, snow guards above doors and walkways are worth considering.
Clay or concrete tile?
Both are long-lasting, heavy and handsome, and they behave differently in our climate.
Clay tile is fired in a kiln, so its color goes all the way through and it holds up to sun with little fading. Good clay tile absorbs very little water, which helps a lot through freeze-thaw. It tends to cost more and can be brittle under impact. Read more on our clay tile roofing page.
Concrete tile is made from sand, cement and water and cured rather than fired. It’s often less expensive and comes in many profiles, including flat styles that look like slate or shake. It absorbs more water than clay, so choosing a product rated for freezing weather is important here. See our concrete tile roofing page for details.
Can your house carry tile?
Tile weighs several times more per square foot than asphalt shingles. A house built with tile in mind has framing to match. A house switching from shingles to tile may not, and putting that weight on rafters that weren’t designed for it can cause sagging over time. Before a conversion, an engineer should confirm what the roof structure can carry. Lightweight concrete tile can sometimes make a conversion possible where standard tile wouldn’t be.
The part of a tile roof that wears out first
This surprises a lot of tile owners. The tile itself can last a very long time, but the underlayment beneath it does the real waterproofing, and it wears out well before the tile does. When a tile roof starts leaking, it’s often the underlayment, the flashing or a cracked tile at a valley, not the field tile as a whole.
That changes the repair conversation. Sometimes the fix is replacing a few broken tiles. Sometimes the tiles need to come off a section so new underlayment can go down, and then the same tiles go back on. Only when tiles are failing across the roof does full replacement make sense. Our tile roof installation page covers new roofs and full relays.
Why tile repair takes care
Tile cracks when it’s walked on the wrong way, so a roofer who doesn’t know tile can do more damage getting to a leak than the leak itself caused. Weight has to go on the right part of each tile, and broken pieces have to come out without disturbing their neighbors.
Matching is the other challenge. Older profiles and colors may no longer be made, so replacements sometimes come from salvage or the closest current product. We’ll show you the match before the work starts.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free roof evaluation. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online. If you’d like a general look at the whole roof first, our roof inspection in the Kansas City metro page explains what’s included.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. You’ll see photos of the tile, flashing and any exposed underlayment, and hear whether you need a repair, a partial relay or a new roof.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Tile jobs take longer than shingle jobs, and you’ll get a realistic timeline with your estimate. Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
If hail cracked your tile, you file the claim with your insurance company and pay your deductible. We document the damage, write the estimate and work with your adjuster.
Tile roofing questions from Kansas City homeowners
Is tile a good choice for Kansas City winters?
It can be, if the tile is rated for freeze-thaw weathering and installed over a strong underlayment with good flashing. Clay generally handles freezing better than concrete.
Can you replace a few broken tiles?
Yes. Broken tiles can usually be replaced one at a time, as long as the underlayment beneath them is still sound.
My tile roof leaks, but the tiles look fine. Why?
The leak is most likely coming from worn underlayment, flashing or a cracked tile you can’t see from the ground. An evaluation will find the source.
Can hail damage a tile roof?
Yes. Hail can chip or crack tiles, and older tiles are more vulnerable.
Book a free evaluation for tile roofing in Kansas City
Call 913-398-5020 or start your estimate online. You can see everything else we do on our Kansas City metro area page.
You’ll end up with a tile roof that keeps its good looks and keeps the water out, winter after winter, and a clear plan for what it needs next. Your satisfaction is our reputation.
