How to Care for a Barrel Tile Roof

Barrel roof tiles are durable, yet fragile.

Manufacturers mold traditional barrel tiles for roofing from clay. Some manufacturers dye and mold concrete to resemble the traditional look of barrel tiles. Barrel tiles have a classic half-round shape with each tile interlocking to create a sturdy roof covering. Barrel tiles are heavy, fire-resistant and last for many years, making the investment worthwhile. Periodic maintenance is necessary to identify minor problems, address them and prevent small problems from turning into major issues.

Things You'll Need

• Binoculars
• Ladder or scaffold
• High-pressure nozzle
• Garden hose or power washer
• Broom
• Moss and algae killer
• Wood shims
• Ball-peen hammer
• Barrel tile clip
• Caulking gun
• Roofing caulk
• Barrel tile

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Instructions

1. Examine the roof from the ground with binoculars, or lean a ladder against the house and look over the roof for cracked or lifted tiles, debris or moss.

2. Attach a high-pressure nozzle to a garden hose, or use a power washer to wash debris off the barrel roofing tiles. Push large branches off the roof with a long-handle broom. Stand on the ladder or on scaffolding to avoid walking on the roof.

3. Twist a bottle of moss and algae-killer onto the end of a garden hose, and spray the areas of the roof that have moss and algae. Moss and algae killer comes as a concentrate that mixes with water from the hose and dilutes it to kill the existing growth. Typically, no rinsing is necessary.

4. Insert wood shims under the barrel tiles on the row above a broken or cracked tile. Place one wood shim directly above the damaged tile, and a shim to the upper right and upper left tiles to provide adequate workspace.

5. Strike the broken tile with a ball-peen hammer to break the damaged tile into removable pieces. Use care so you don't damage the surrounding tiles.

6. Pick up large pieces of the broken barrel tile by hand. Sweep away small bits with a small broom. Remove the old roof clip by pulling the nails that hold the clip to the roof support.

7. Fasten a new barrel tile clip to the roof support. Drive the nails through the clip into the existing nail holes.

8. Load a caulking gun with roofing caulk, and squeeze caulk over the replaced nail to seal the edges and protect against water leaks.

9. Attach the new barrel tile to the clip and carefully push the tile in place. Remove the wood shims from the row above the repair.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety glasses and gloves when working on a barrel tile roof.

• Do not perform maintenance on a barrel tile roof when it's raining or if the roof is wet; tiles are slippery when wet.

• Avoid walking on a barrel tile roof unless it's absolutely necessary. Walking on barrel tiles causes the tiles to crack and break.

References

• "Home Repair and Improvement"; Creative Homeowner Editors; 2006
• ”The Book of Skills and Tools"; The Family Handyman Magazine Editors; 1993