Tile roof repair in Long Beach, CA

A tile roof is really two roofs. The tile on top sheds most of the water and blocks the sun. The underlayment underneath, usually felt on older Long Beach homes, catches whatever gets past the tile and carries it out at the eaves. Clay and concrete tile can last many decades, but that felt often dries out and fails after 20 to 30 years. When it does, the roof leaks even if every tile is intact.

Our roofers repair both layers. We replace cracked and broken tiles with matching profiles, reset slipped rows, rebuild loose ridges and hips, and lift sections of tile to replace worn underlayment and flashing before relaying the same tile. We also know where to step on tile so the repair does not create new cracks.

Clay barrel, concrete S-tile and flat tile

Long Beach has every common profile. Older Spanish Revival homes in Bluff Park, Los Cerritos and California Heights often have two-piece clay barrel tile, with pan tiles below and cover tiles above. Newer homes and many re-roofs use one-piece concrete S-tile. Some homes have flat concrete tile that looks like shake or slate.

Each needs a different repair technique and matching replacement. We keep common profiles on hand and source salvaged or close-match tile for older or discontinued ones. Where an exact match is not possible, we can move tiles from a hidden slope to the visible one and put the close match where nobody sees it.

• Two-piece clay barrel tile
• One-piece concrete S-tile
• Flat concrete tile
• Mortar-set ridge, hip and rake tiles

Lift and relay when the underlayment fails

When the felt under the tile has failed in one area, we remove the tiles there, stack them carefully, tear off the old underlayment, check and replace any soft decking, then install new underlayment and new flashing. The original tiles go back on, with broken ones replaced, and each is fastened as the roof requires.

A partial lift and relay fixes a leaking section without the cost of a full roof. If the felt is failing everywhere, we will tell you, and a full lift and relay of the whole roof is usually far less than buying new tile, because most clay and concrete tile can be reused.

Why tile breaks and how we prevent more

Most broken tile we see was broken by feet: satellite installers, painters, solar crews or a homeowner cleaning gutters. Tile is strong where it is supported and weak across the unsupported curve. Our roofers step on the lower third of the tile, over the batten or the tile below, and use walk pads where needed.

Earthquakes and wind also loosen tile, especially on older roofs where tiles were simply laid in place. When we repair a tile roof, we check that tiles around the repair are fastened properly so they stay put the next time the ground shakes or the wind kicks up.

When to call about tile roof repair

Tile roofs in Long Beach's older neighborhoods

Clay tile is part of the look of Long Beach. The Spanish Revival homes of the 1920s and 1930s in Bluff Park, Los Cerritos, Bixby Knolls and California Heights carry some of the oldest tile roofs in the city. Many of those houses sit inside historic districts, where visible changes to the roof can need extra review. Repairing with matching tile keeps the roof looking original and usually avoids the question altogether.

Near the coast in Belmont Shore and Naples, salt air rusts the old nails and wire ties that hold tile, and tiles start to slip. Inland, the sun dries out exposed felt between tiles. Either way, the tile itself is rarely the weak point. Our crews from the downtown office handle these repairs across the city every week.