Tile flashing
Every penetration and wall joint is flashed which is where tile roofs usually leak.
Tile Roofing
Tile Roof Installation Tenafly, NJ
A Tenafly tile roofer can help choose between clay and concrete, flat or curved profiles, and install the full system beneath the tile. Dial (551) 355-3330 to talk with a local roofer about a new tile roof.
The first decision on a tile roof has nothing to do with color. A tile roof weighs several times as much as asphalt shingles, and a home built for shingles may need an engineer to check the rafters or trusses before switching. On new construction, the framing is sized for tile from the plans onward.
Then comes choosing the tile itself. Clay tile is fired, keeps its color for a very long time and is lighter than most concrete tile, while concrete tile comes in many profiles and slowly fades as its surface weathers. Profiles run from flat tiles that look like slate or shakes to S-shaped tile and two-piece barrel tile.
A tile roof is only as good as the underlayment and flashing hidden beneath it. Most tile needs a slope of at least 2.5 in 12, and building codes call for a doubled underlayment on slopes below 4 in 12. Picking a durable underlayment at the start pushes the first relay decades down the road.
Tile Roof Installation is often paired with tile roof replacement and roof installation, depending on the cause.
Dealing with this in Tenafly, NJ right now? Call (551) 355-3330 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
How tile roof installation works
Each layer of a tile roof has a job, and the order matters.
Check the structure
The job starts with the structure: span tables or an engineer confirm the framing, and the building permit is secured. It is smart to keep a stack of spare tile from the same batch for future repairs.
Dry in the roof
Decking is checked and fastened, drip edge goes on, and the deck is covered with the chosen underlayment, with self-adhered membrane in valleys and at eaves where ice or wind-driven rain is a concern. This is the layer that handles every drop of water that slips past the tile.
Set the battens
Horizontal battens give each row of tile something to hang on and set the exposure of every course. The gap under the tile also helps heat escape before it reaches the deck.
Flash every penetration
Valley metal, wall and headwall flashing, chimney flashing and soft metal flashing for vent pipes go in before and during tiling. Flashing for tile is built for the depth of the tile, which is why shingle flashing details do not carry over.
Lay the tile
Starting at the eave with a bird stop or eave closure, the roofer lays each course up the roof, fastening tile with nails, screws, clips or tile adhesive as the wind rules require. Small cut pieces at hips and valleys get extra attention.
Finish the ridge
Hips and ridges are capped, often with a mechanically fastened system that allows ridge ventilation. The roof is cleaned, broken pieces are replaced and spares are left with the owner.
What is included
Parts of a tile roof installation
Eave closures
Bird stops close the eave and caps seal the ridge so birds and wind-driven rain stay out.
Tile attachment
Battens or direct fastening hold every course in a pattern set by the tile profile.
Load check
An engineer or span check confirms the structure especially when replacing shingles.
Underlayment system
The deck is covered with underlayment suited to the slope lapped to shed water to the eaves.
Related service
Barrel Tile Roof Installation Tenafly, NJ
Barrel tiles go on in pairs, with pans forming the water channels and rounded covers overlapping the gaps. Their tapered shape and deep profile create the rolling texture that defines the style. That depth means the open ends at eaves and ridges have to be closed with bird stops, mortar or formed closures.
For barrel tile installation on a Tenafly home, each cover tile is secured with nails, wire ties, clips or foam adhesive, depending on the slope and wind rules. Pans and covers have to run in straight lines with even exposure, which takes careful layout before the first pan goes down.
Related service
Spanish Tile Roof Installation Tenafly, NJ
Spanish tile, also called S tile, merges the curved pan and cover into one interlocking piece. Both clay and concrete versions are made, in solid colors or blends from deep red to earth tones. Its interlocking side laps shed water well, but the curved ends at eaves and ridges still need closing off.
Spanish tile roof installation in Tenafly follows the same system as any tile roof, from structure check to underlayment, flashing and tile. The curves make flashing tricky, so roofers use shaped metal or flexible flashing that conforms to the tile. With a color blend, tile is drawn from several pallets as it goes up so no area looks patchy.
Local help
Tile Roof Installation Near Me
Tile roofs in Tenafly go onto newer homes built for them and onto older homes where owners are switching from shingles. In Tenafly and neighboring communities including Cresskill, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs and Demarest, the biggest variable on a conversion is whether the existing framing can carry tile, and local wind requirements decide how each tile has to be fastened.
Searching for tile roof installation near me from Tenafly or Cresskill, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs and Demarest? Call (551) 355-3330 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
Roofs in this climate
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Tenafly, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why not wait
Drier ceilings
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Tenafly and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Tile Roof Installation questions
How long does it take to put on a tile roof?
A typical home takes longer than a shingle roof, often one to a few weeks depending on size, complexity and weather. Complex rooflines and framing work before tiling can stretch the schedule. Once the underlayment is down, the house is protected from rain while tile goes on.
Should I choose clay or concrete roof tile?
The choice comes down to priorities. Clay keeps its color through the tile, is lighter than most concrete tile and can last for generations. Concrete tile comes in many profiles and finishes, but it is heavier, absorbs more water and its color fades over time.
Can tile be installed over an existing roof?
Tile goes onto a clean deck, so the old roof comes off first. Removing the old roof also takes weight off the framing, which matters with a material this heavy.
Can my house hold a tile roof?
Clay and concrete tile are among the heaviest roof coverings, several times the weight of shingles. Homes built for tile carry it fine, but a house framed for shingles may need an engineer to check the rafters or trusses and add reinforcement. Lightweight concrete tile is an option for some homes that fall short of the load for standard tile.
What underlayment goes under a tile roof?
Options include heavy felt, synthetic sheets and peel-and-stick membranes, often doubled on lower slopes. The underlayment usually wears out long before the tile, so a durable one delays the first relay. Codes call for two layers on slopes from 2.5 in 12 up to 4 in 12.
More questions? Call (551) 355-3330
Often needed together
Tile Roof Replacement
Tile roof replacement that strips the roof to the deck, renews the underlayment and flashing and puts sound tile back on, with salvage of good tile wherever it makes sense.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Installing a new roof layer by layer, from drip edge and underlayment to flashing, vents and the finished roofing, with ventilation and flashing planned in from the start.
Learn moreTile Roof Inspection
A close look at the tile, underlayment, flashing, valleys and attic of a clay or concrete tile roof, without breaking tile in the process.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Roof ventilation work that keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Tenafly roofer about tile roof installation
Call (551) 355-3330 for a local roofer in Tenafly and nearby towns.