Tile roofs aren’t the norm in southwest Missouri, and that’s exactly what makes owning one tricky. A hailstorm cracks a few pieces, or a ceiling stain shows up near the chimney, and you start calling around only to find that a lot of roofers would rather not touch tile at all. If you’re looking for tile roofing in Springfield, MO, whether for a repair or a whole new roof, you want someone who knows how these roofs actually work.
You also want to keep the look you paid for. A clumsy repair on a tile roof can break more pieces than it fixes.
APC Roofing works on clay and concrete tile roofs. We’re a GAF Certified roofing contractor, licensed and insured, with an office in Springfield, and your inspection is free.
Is tile roofing a good fit for a Springfield, MO home?
Tile roofs last a long time and look great on the right house, especially Spanish, Mediterranean and some custom homes. They don’t burn, and they stand up to sun better than almost anything else.
They also ask more of the house. Tile weighs several times what asphalt shingles do, so the roof framing has to be built for it. They cost more up front. And in a climate like Springfield’s, with hail in the spring and freeze-thaw all winter, the tile you choose matters more than it would in Florida or the desert. We’ll give you the honest pros and cons for your house, and you decide.
Clay vs. concrete tile
The two types look similar from the street, but they behave differently.
Clay tile is shaped from natural clay and fired in a kiln. The color goes all the way through, so it holds its look for decades, and well-fired clay absorbs very little water. Our clay tile roofing in Springfield page goes deeper on it.
Concrete tile is made from sand, cement and water, pressed into shape and cured. It’s usually heavier and less expensive than clay, and it comes in many profiles, including flat styles that look like slate or shake. The color on many concrete tiles is only on the surface, so sun-facing slopes can fade over time. See concrete tile roofing in Springfield for more.
What Missouri weather does to a tile roof
Freeze-thaw is the big one. Concrete tile soaks up more water than fired clay, and in a Springfield winter, water inside a tile can freeze, expand and slowly flake the surface. Manufacturers test and grade tile for this kind of exposure, so if you’re choosing tile here, ask about the freeze-thaw rating.
Hail is the other. Small hail usually bounces off tile without a mark. Large hail can crack tiles outright, and a cracked tile lets sunlight and water reach the layer underneath. After a serious storm, it’s worth having a tile roof checked even if nothing looks wrong from the ground.
Leaves matter too. The curved channels on barrel and S-shaped tile catch leaves and twigs, which hold moisture against the roof. Keeping overhanging limbs trimmed helps on two fronts: less debris, and fewer branches dropping on the tile.
The layer that actually keeps your house dry
Here’s something many tile owners don’t know. The tile isn’t the waterproof part of the roof. It sheds most of the rain and protects what’s below from the sun. The real waterproofing is the underlayment beneath the tile.
That’s why one broken tile rarely causes an instant leak, and why a leak on a tile roof can show up far from where the water got in. Water that gets past a torn underlayment can run down the roof boards several feet before it drips through.
Underlayment wears out long before good tile does. When it does, the tile doesn’t have to be thrown away. On many roofs, the tiles can be taken off by hand and stacked, damaged decking replaced, new underlayment installed, and the same tiles put back. From the street, your house looks exactly the same. Some old, brittle tiles will crack in the process, so replacements get matched as closely as possible.
Tile roof repair in Springfield
Most cracked tiles have a simple cause. Someone walked on them. Satellite installers, chimney sweeps and painters break a lot of tile, and so does a ladder leaned against the bottom edge. Falling branches and big hail do the rest.
Repairing tile takes patience. Each tile is held by nails, screws, foam adhesive, mortar or clips, depending on how the roof was built, and pulling one loose carelessly breaks its neighbors. The replacement has to lock into the tiles around it, so profile and color matching matter. If your tile has been discontinued, salvaged tile or the closest available match fills the gap. Learn more about tile roof repair in Springfield.
Can your house carry a tile roof?
If your home was built with tile, the framing was sized for it. Switching from shingles or metal to tile is a different story. That much added weight needs a structural engineer to check the rafters first, and sometimes the framing needs strengthening. Lightweight concrete tile can be an option for houses that can’t carry standard tile.
How it works
- Book your free inspection. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We’ll check the tile, the flashing and, where we can, the underlayment, then give you photos and a written estimate.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Broken tile and debris are hauled off before the crew leaves.
Tile roofing questions from Springfield homeowners
Can I walk on my tile roof?
It’s best not to. Tile can crack under a single misplaced step. If you need to see something, binoculars from the yard are safer, for you and for the roof.
Can you match my existing tiles?
If the profile is still made, usually yes. If it’s been discontinued, we’ll find salvaged tile or the closest match and show you before we install it.
Is a cracked tile an emergency?
Usually not, since the underlayment is still doing its job. It should be fixed soon, though, because sunlight and water break down that underlayment quickly once the tile above it is gone.
Do you install new tile roofs, or only repair them?
Both. We install and repair clay and concrete tile roofs.
Keep your tile roof doing its job
Good tile lasts a long time, but only if the layers underneath are in good shape. A small crack left for a few seasons can mean replacing roof boards along with the underlayment.
See everything else we do on our Springfield roofing page, or call 913-398-5020 to book your free inspection. You’ll have a tile roof that looks the way it should and a house that stays dry under it.
