You’re thinking about a tile roof. Maybe the old one is worn out underneath, maybe you’re building, or maybe you’ve always liked the look and you’re finally ready. Then the questions pile up. Can the house hold the weight? Will tile survive a Missouri winter? And how do you tell whether the crew you hire has ever installed one?
Tile roof installation in the Ozarks is less common than shingles, so those questions are fair. A tile roof can serve a house for decades, but only if the parts you never see after the job are done right.
APC Roofing installs clay and concrete tile roofs. We’re GAF Certified, licensed and insured, with an office in Springfield, and your estimate is free.
Step one: make sure the house can carry tile
Tile is heavy, several times the weight of asphalt shingles. A house that was built with tile has framing sized for it. A house built for shingles may not.
If you’re switching from shingles or metal to tile, the roof framing should be checked by an engineer before anything is ordered. Some houses need extra support added. Others are better suited to lightweight concrete tile. This step costs some time up front and saves you from sagging rafters later.
Choosing tile for an Ozarks roof
Clay and concrete both work here, but the choice matters more than it would in a warm, dry climate. Winters in southwest Missouri bring repeated freezing and thawing, and tile that absorbs water can flake over the years. Whichever material you choose, ask for tile that’s rated for freeze-thaw exposure.
Clay is fired, the color runs all the way through, and it absorbs very little water. See clay tile roofing in the Ozarks.
Concrete comes in more profiles, usually costs less than clay and often has its color near the surface. See concrete tile roofing in the Ozarks.
Profile matters too. Barrel and S-shaped tiles look classic but collect leaves in their channels, which is worth thinking about on a wooded lot. Flat tiles shed debris more easily.
What goes into a tile roof installation in the Ozarks
The tile is the part everyone sees. These are the parts that decide whether the roof stays dry.
A sound deck. The old roof comes off down to the decking, and any soft or rotted boards are replaced. Tile can’t fix a weak deck.
The underlayment. This is the real waterproofing on a tile roof. Some water always gets under tile in a driving storm, and the underlayment carries it down and out. In a climate with ice and freeze-thaw, many roofers use a self-adhering membrane at the eaves and in the valleys, where water and ice tend to back up.
Attachment. Depending on the tile and the manufacturer’s instructions, tiles are nailed or screwed to the deck, hung on wood battens, or set with a roofing foam adhesive. Edges and corners, where wind pulls hardest, get extra attachment.
Flashing. Valleys get metal pans wide enough to carry water past the tile. Chimneys and walls get flashing that turns up the wall and a counterflashing that laps over it. Plumbing vents get flashing shaped to the tile, since the rubber boots used on shingle roofs can’t seal over curved tile.
Ridge, hips and eaves. Ridge and hip tiles are fastened down, and closures at the eaves keep birds, wasps and wind-driven rain out of the openings under curved tile.
Relay: a new tile roof without new tile
If you already have a tile roof and the tile is in good shape, you may not need new tile at all. In a relay, the existing tiles come off by hand and get stacked, the deck is repaired, new underlayment and flashing go down, and the original tiles are reinstalled. You keep the look and get a fresh waterproof layer. Some tiles break along the way, so a few replacements are part of the plan.
How long a tile installation takes
Tile goes on slower than shingles. Every piece is set by hand, and flashing details take time. Your estimate will include a realistic timeline for your roof, and the crew keeps the site picked up as the work goes and cleans up at the end.
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 look at the roof and the attic, talk through materials and whether an engineer’s check is needed, and give you a written estimate.
- Your roof gets done and the site gets cleaned up. The tile goes on to the manufacturer’s instructions, and the crew cleans up before leaving.
If you’d like to spread out the cost, financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
Tile roof installation questions
Can you put a tile roof on a house that has shingles now?
Sometimes. The framing has to be checked first, because tile is much heavier. Some houses need reinforcement, and some are better off with lightweight tile.
Is tile worth it in a cold climate?
It can be, with freeze-thaw rated tile and good underlayment. It costs more up front than shingles, and it isn’t the right roof for every house.
Do you reuse my existing tile?
If it’s sound, yes, that’s what a relay is. We’ll tell you honestly whether your tile is worth keeping.
Will you need to remove my gutters?
Sometimes gutters or downspouts have to be loosened to work at the eaves. We’ll go over that with your estimate.
Start with the right information
A tile roof is a long-term decision, and the expensive mistakes happen before the first tile goes on: skipping the weight check, picking tile that isn’t rated for the weather, or skimping on underlayment.
Call 913-398-5020 to book your free inspection. You’ll know whether tile fits your house, what it’ll take, and you’ll end up with a roof that looks the way you pictured and keeps the house dry. See all our tile roofing in the Ozarks services, or our page on tile roof repair in the Ozarks if your roof only needs fixing.
