How to Repair Clay Tiles

Clay tiles’ distinctive shapes and earthy hues add authentic style to residential roofs. Although clay roof tiles are capable of withstanding a century or more of wear, they occasionally experience damages that require repairing. Cracks and holes resulting from severe weather, temperature fluctuations and inadequate roof drainage are common in clay roofing tiles. While broken and severely cracked clay tiles require complete replacement, tiles with minor cracks and holes are restorable and require only basic repairs. Promptly repair clay tiles before the underlying roof sheathing begins to rot or leak.

Work gloves
Safety glasses
Slip-resistant shoes
Sturdy ladder
Plywood sheets
Rigid foam tape
Wire brush
Plastic roof cement
Putty knife

Instructions

- 1
  Wait for the tiled roof to fully dry if rain has moistened the clay tiles.
- 2
  Prepare yourself for the clay tile repair before even accessing the roof. Put on work gloves for hand protection, safety glasses to guard your eyes, and slip-resistant shoes to avoid slipping on the roof or ladder.
- 3
  Hook a sturdy ladder to the roof’s ridge for support. Access the damaged tile from the ladder, if possible, or distribute your weight on 2-by-2-foot plywood sheets. Coat the undersides of the sheets with rigid foam tape to prevent them from sliding off the roof.
- 4
  Clean the cracked or pitted clay tile to provide a smooth surface for the roofing cement. Scrub all foreign matter off the roof tile using a wire brush.
- 5
  Scoop ready-to-use plastic roof cement out of its container with a putty knife and spread a 1/8-inch thick coat of the cement across the injured tile, using the knife to push putty into the crack or pit. Thoroughly fill the holes or cracks with the cement.
- 6
  Feather the cement 2 to 4 inches onto the undamaged clay surrounding the damaged region using the putty knife. Smooth the roof cement until the patched section of the tile is smooth.
- 7
  Allow the patched clay tile to dry for two to three days. Plastic roofing cement cures best at 65 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, 40 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit in the spring and fall, and 24 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter.

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