How to Safely Inspect Your Tile Roof

in Phoenix, Arizona

A storm recently hit your house, and you’re afraid it damaged your roof. But then, you don’t want to pay roofers to inspect your roof when you can save money by doing it yourself. So, how can you safely inspect your tile roof in Phoenix, Arizona?

There are three general rules for safely inspecting your tile roof. First, don’t attempt to walk on the tiles. Second, use a ladder and binoculars as needed. Third, when in doubt, contact a roofing company for help.

Remember, it’s always better to spot potential tile roof damages early on. The earlier your roof problem gets fixed, the less money you’ll spend.

Safely Inspecting Your Tile Roof

To inspect your tile roof in Phoenix, grab some binoculars. From below, you can look at your roof and try to spot signs of trouble.

However, if your tile roof has unreachable areas or hard to see spots, bring in a ladder to help you out. You can step on the ladder to get close to your roof and either use the binoculars or simply closely look at your tiles.

Walking on your tile roof is highly discouraged. Tile roofs break easily when people step on them without care or training, and even professional roofers avoid walking on tiles due to the risks.

At present, four problems are prevalent among tile roofs in Phoenix, and all of them can be identified with a proper visual inspection.

Common Roofing Problems in Phoenix

1. Some of your tiles are broken, missing, or damaged.

Tile roof breakage and damage is common in Phoenix. Most of the time, you’ll easily see it upon inspection. However, there are times when you have to closely look at your tiles before you notice that some of them are broken in some places.

When your roof has broken, missing, or damaged tiles, it’ll be prone to erosion. Specifically, the layer of your roof that’s supposed to be waterproof and tasked with protecting you from wetness will eventually give way.

It’s called the roof underlayment, and it’ll be exposed and under the mercy of the elements, such as the sun, wind, water, and animals that can wear it out.

2. Organic debris is stuck between your tiles.

The storm may have covered your roof with leaves, twigs, and other things. Alternatively, you may notice that your tiles are growing moss between them. If any of this is the case, you’ll need to avail of a professional roofing maintenance service.

It may not seem like a big deal, but the organic debris stuck between your tiles will accumulate over time and damage your underlayment. So, as soon as you spot them or when you notice that they’re growing in number, cleaning or some maintenance service should be done.

Likewise, keep in mind that most companies will void your roof’s warranty because of this.

3. Parts of your tile roof are sagging.

Sagging on your tile roof in Phoenix will be easy to spot. It’ll stand out and it’ll be bothersome.

Roof sagging usually happens due to a heavy roof or weak roof materials. So, when this happens, it’s best to reach out to a roofing company as soon as possible. Often, you’ll be asked to work with a structural engineer, too. The engineer is in charge of correcting your roof’s structure.

4. Water damaged your fascia boards.

To spot this, you’ll need to look at the lower edge part of your tile roof. The fascia boards are boards that are placed there. If you see discolorations and cracks, that means they’re damaged.

You need to contact a roofing company if you find that water damaged your fascia boards. Damaged boards will eventually rot, so it’s better to have them fixed while it’s still early.

Why You Can’t Walk on Your Tile Roof

Your roof protects you from the elements. It endures for years and withstands quite a lot of damage. So, why would a human walking on a tile roof destroy it?

Tile roofs aren’t made to be stepped on. They’re made to protect houses from the elements, but not to withstand human weight. However, there is an exception to when people can actually walk on tile roofs.

Professional roofers avoid treading through tile roofs because they’re risking damaging your roof and even voiding its warranty. But then, an exception can be made when it’s absolutely necessary to step on the tiles.

If your roof can’t be fixed or properly inspected without walking on the tiles, that’s only when an exception can be made. Otherwise, for all the other times, you shouldn’t tread on your tile roofs in Phoenix.

Hiring a Roofing Company

If you’re done with safely inspecting your roof in Phoenix, Arizona, and you found some issues that need to be fixed, the next step is to hire a roofing company. The best way to pick a roofing company is to contact them, tell them about your problem, and ask for estimates.

Likewise, keep an eye out for roofing companies that offer free inspections. Stradling Roofing actually offers free inspections, so please feel free to reach out if you need one done.