How to Adhere Cement Roof Tiles

Cover the roof with a layer of asphalt-saturated felt to serve as an underlayment for the tile as well as a waterproofing covering for the roof. Attach the felt to the roof using plastic caps to secure it in rows across the roof’s length. Cut off each row of felt at the end with a utility knife, and then overlap the next row across the roof by 2 inches along the row’s edge.

Lay the felt onto peaked roof one side of the peak at a time. Lay the last row of underlayment on the first side of the peak right up to the peaked edge, and then start the other half of the roof along the eaves, and lay each successive row of felt up to the peak. Overlap the peak with the last row of felt on the second roof side, and over 2 inches of the first side’s felt covering before nailing it into place with the caps.

Cut wood battens using 1-by-4 inch planks extending the length of the roof horizontally. Butt the ends of the battens together tightly as you place them along the rooftop, and cut them into 4-foot lengths using a circular saw, cutting the final batten in the row to fit as an end piece. Nail the rows of battens into place, spacing them 6 inches apart, except the first rows along the eaves positioned 10 inches from the edge of the rooftop. Use 8d nails every 24 inches along the batten.

Attach the tiles to the battens using a concrete tile adhesive spread along the batten with a paintbrush. Press the tiles into place, locking the edges together using the water channel running through the tiles to slide the edge of a new tile into that of one already in place.