Mr. Dan.....you have saved me thousands of dollars over the years.....your excellent tutorials have allowed me to delay total roof replacement for years. Where can I send you a $100 check to at least buy you a nice steak dinner? We should all be sending this man $100 checks.....my neighbor just paid $1,600 for a small roof repair that I could have taken care of (thanks to your videos) in 2 hours!!!!!
What an encouragement to me! You just confirmed what I’ve always believed… that making videos to help others is totally worthwhile. It would be a blessing to take my wife out to dinner. If you’re serious about it, we’d deeply appreciate it! Send thanks to PO Box 309 Bradley, SC 29819 I’m super happy to be such a help & thanks for watching.
Hello: My apologies.....haven't tuned in to your channel for a while....yes, I was dead serious: I dropped your check in the mail today....you should get it in a few days! Thanks again!
Mr. Dan! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the top of our roof! You saved my cousin's home, doing repairs on her home during this COVID-19 Pandemic. She is about 90 and have been stuck in self quarantine for over 4 months now so the least I could do is visit and do some repairs as I keep her company. WOW your tutorials helped to save her many dollars and made her very happy to know the proper way to efficiently for longevity in making these repair. GOD BLESS and stay safe up there and down on the ground during this Pandemic. Thank you again, respectfully, Keith & Juanita
You’re very welcome Keith... Glad to help. We need to care for & help one another cause Lord knows there are enough people pretending to care while they take advantage of others & tear down what others have built. Thanks for caring, thanks for your kind words & thanks for watching.
Capitalism is a beautiful thing! Thanks for watching & for adopting higher than average standards for the roofing industry & it’s customers. Always take pride in your work & you’ll be very successful.
I completed my roof leak repair finishing at 3am to beat the 10-day rain storm that started yesterday. Rained hard all day. No leaks at all. Thank you again.
Incredibly helpful. Thanks for being so thorough. I am more confident that I can survey my roof for potential problems and correct the problems as they occur. Tony Wren
Thanks so much for the time to make this. Was up on my roof all day fixing it based on this video and I feel great I was able to do it the right way. Its Christmas time so the wife is not ready for a roof to leak.
Well done super tradesman,very thorough and first service.and honest worker..Good luck to you,you deserve nothing but the very best.God bless you and your loved ones.
great video, showed it to my husband who really liked it and said it was easy to understand , although I wished you lived near me to fix our roof since it looks like you take pride in your work. Thank you and God bless you!
I really appreciate your video. I'm doing my first clay tile repair tomorrow, and after watching your artistry I'm Mucho confident. I've been riding over 20 years
Hello Dan, super informative! we just re-do our tiles roof there is no leak, just due to over 34 years, underlayment may be deteriorated be proactive instead of reactive. besides replaced more than few dry rod Shiplap and one water damaged fascia board. roofer installed 3 O'Hagin attic vents, later I found out those vents were make for shingle roof application, roofer said the base is the same. your video is absolutely great help as I noticed there are many broken lower corner tiles all at the left hand bottom. I have sealed few of those tiles, after seeing your video knowing I had over sealed the channels. Will have to go up to the roof broken off part of the sealant. appreciated the detail information.
That was a very informative video and thank you very much. I have a cement tile roof restoration coming up soon and i'm feeling much better about doing some repairs now with watching your video. Thanks.
interesting to the extreme we don't do many tile roofs in the Mid=Atlantic. i found your strategy of tile drainage management very insightful. great flashing solution at the end.
Very great video Dan,I have never done any type of roofing repair but by watching your video you have given me alot of knowledge in order to do some minor repairs on my roof,thanks for sharing the great tips Dan.......🙏🏽
Dan , you are a perfect example of the old school , 30 Lbs. felt underlayment and nails, when well installed , you don't need the expensive and overpriced labor or many so called roofers using peel and stick underlayment . next time try to find the matching tiles, usually the manufacturer makes the new version of the old tiles like this. Good repair ! I would definitely have you on my roof !! Eric.
Hi Dan, great video thank you so much for your detailed video. The only OSI product I could find was the quad max sealant. However it doesn’t specifically say it is for roofs whereas Loctite makes a polymer sealant “for roofs and flashing”. Wanted to be sure I had the right OSI product. Thanks in advance.
You can go with loctite. I just use OSI quad because it works well for all my different applications including roofing & it’s available at a competitive price.
Teddy Chan oh if everyone just cared about their customers & made it a point to do every job well, you wouldn’t need me, because you’d have several quality contractors to choose from. Thanks for watching & the compliment!
Mad probs! I was told no one would warranty a repair today and they tried to sell me a 23k roof retile. I almost laughed at the guy. Guess it’s time to brush the dust off my skills
@@MrThedocholiday I couldn’t find a video on your channel but how to remortar the end cap would be super helpful cause picking mortar/ product is the hardest part
The only three options where I worked according to code were nails, glue or battens that are nailed to roof deck to hang the tiles on. In every case roof deck must be covered with at least 30lb felt paper before tiles get installed.
I carried a cement drill bit with me & a cordless drill whenever I works on cement tiles. I can’t over stress the importance of having the right tools with me to handle the inevitable problems that arise on most jobs... Like bad cement tiles that the factory neglected to pierce the nail holes properly in.
Like your video on the tiles but where I’m from Tile roof are rare but bought a house with them.So would like to see how you remove them ,and what tools needed.maybe something for next video,I have learnt so much from this. Thanks
Darcy Munro Check my channel videos & watch my video on tile roofing repair - tips, tricks & helpful hints. I demonstrate early in that video what tools I use & how to take em apart. Part of it is technique that you’ll just have to get the hang of but watch that vid first before you try it.
Dan your knowledge is just top notch I'm learning a lot from you, great videos. Would I have thought just fill that entire gap with adhesive is best? ?? I need to do a repair on my roof can I get in touch with you with some questions? I'm sure I will have some even after watching all your videos.
Bill B yes but I'll have to ask that you post the questions here on my videos so I can answer at my convenience. That way others can learn at the same time also.
Polymer… any polymer will do. Problem is most products don’t tell you what’s in the caulking on the label. So you have to speculate based on the name. For instance: OSI Quad is a quad polymer. In the past I’ve used copolymer & tripolymer & both have been sufficient & fairly durable.
Great videos! Those galvanized nails that hold the Felp paper. How do you prevent leaking through them? Same question for the nails that hold the tile to the roof. Thank you in advance!
The galvanized felt nails are waterproof in their design, provided they’re installed properly & not exposed to excessive water volume coming through the tiles. The felt nail shank seals as it goes through the tar-saturated felt paper. The large felt nail metal cap helps protect the nail shank seal as the shank goes through the felt. The tile nail shank also seals as it penetrates through the tar-saturated felt paper but because of its much smaller head, it’s not as waterproof & it’s much better protected from large volumes of water intrusion through the tile by the manufacturer’s recommend maximum tile exposure measurement of 13.5” at most. Some cement tile brands have allowed for a 14” weather exposure, but my 36 years of on the roof experience says 13.5” is the real maximum weather exposure if you want to protect your felt paper well & keep those felt nails waterproof also.
Hi Dan, In 2024, what is the cement roof tile glue you recommend using to fix the cracked cement roof tile? I cannot find the sealant you were using. If you were to get it from Home Depot or another big box store, what would be the best one to use? Thanks!
I use OSI Quad construction sealer adhesive. It’s available on Amazon & comes in various colors. It will only last a couple years exposed to the weather, so you may want to put a sheetmetal flashing over it & paint the metal to match your tile. Most of the time when I do these repair for others, the customer only wants a couple year warranty so I just do whatever they tell me to do, but you may want to go the extra mile on your own roof & flash over the caulking as I mentioned.
Hi Dan, For a flat concrete tile roof, when two sides meet at 90 degrees, what is the recommended gap it needs to have so it will flush out the dirt in between the valleys? My original roof valley is less than 1/2 inch, and it is gathering leaves and dirt and is hard to clean out. Thanks for your input. Regards,
The top corner of each of the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles which point up slope needs to be broken off or cut off, so that regardless of what the valley tile gap is, when debris gather in the valley, those ‘cut’ tiles don’t divert water across the roof out of the valley, under the tiles, onto the felt paper. Make sure whoever does this doesn’t leave the cut or broken corners in the valleys. In addition, I like the gap to be at least an inch on each side of the valley. Of course nobody breaks off or cuts off the top corner of all the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles upon initial installation, so eventually all flat tile valleys without this installation method will leak for this reason. Valley metal companies have attempted to compensate for this ‘flat tile’ oversight by adding ridges to their valley metal, but it only requires a little debris to build up behind these top-pointed triangle shaped small ‘cut’ valley tiles for the rushing water to flow sideways right over the valley metal ridges, under the tiles, off the metal, across the roof & onto the felt paper. Without the top pointed corners of the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles removed, you’re gonna need at least a 3” gap on each side of the valley to prevent water flowing out of the valley, across your roof, under the tiles. Because that’s how wide the river of water flows down a valley in a decent downpour. Making a total of at least a 6” gap. You do realize how terrible a 6” valley tile gap looks from the ground aesthetically, right? There is no other solution that I’ve found around this ‘flat’ valley tile issue over the last 36 years. And I have done literally thousands of roof repairs personally from my toolbag of tricks. Don’t let any blowhards tell you otherwise on this issue. There are a lot of blowhard roofers out there, so beware. My brother is re-roofing his flat tile roof himself 2600 miles away because of this very reason & he is pulling his hair out because I cannot repair it for him in person at this time. This flat tile valley issue is a nightmare to deal with. I’ve even watched blowhard arrogant expert roofers on UA-cam come in & reroof valleys for customers only to have them charge to do it again every 10-15 years. It’s basic physics. Do you know how hard it is to convince so-called experienced roofers of something they don’t already know? They would rather just keep recharging the customer to do it again, instead of learning a new method to solve this problem permanently.. If you like, I can draw diagrams of the issue & solution for you & email it back to you for a fee. My email is rooferdan@aol.com. I’ll give you my cell number at that time to discuss any questions you might also have. At least you can do this yourself or have another roofer do it for you. Knowledge is power…
Recently I had to remove the comments of an individual for making assumptions about my roofing methods, criticizing me & using profanity to demean me in front of others on this video. He insisted that the responsibility was mine to explain why I was repairing tile instead of replacing tile in the video & dismissed his own responsibility to ask why as a justification for his assumptions & unwarranted comments. Warranted Disclaimer... If anyone makes assumptions & follows those assumptions with profanity of any kind on this channel without asking questions first to find out if there is a legitimate reason for what they aim to criticize, I will delete & continue to delete any & all comments of said individuals without any further explanation. If anyone dissagrees with my roofing methods for any reason I expect them to ask "Why" before they make critical comments or use profane language on my channel in front of others. All the videos on my channel are my attempt to help others within the UA-cam community learn how to do more for themselves. The spirit of all my videos is others centered, so bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. This is my first & final warning to any & all cyber bullying or troll-like behavior. I am here to serve others within the community not to puff myself up, argue or justify my methods before people who really don't care about others or to know why I use the methods I use after three decades of roofing experience. All genuine questions are welcome here but criticism without genuine inquiry will simply not be tolerated on my channel. I regret having to post this disclaimer & hope y'all have a blessed day regardless.
Dan Very informative video. We have a Marley Concrete Tile Roof about 33 years old and the lead valleys have developed some splits and 3 leaks have occurred. We live in Niagara Falls Ontario and wondered if you have some suggestions on what is necessary to repair this issue and on a qualified roofing contractor we can hire to do the necessary repairs. We have about 200 extra tiles on hand if any need replacing. Thanks so much
So, I’m not sure what the codes are for roofing in Niagara Falls, so you may want to check into that first. Secondly, I’ve never worked with lead valleys but I imagine the splits could be welded up or re-soldiered. My only concerns would be whether or not the membrane under the valleys is water tight or not & why the lead valleys split in the first place. Other things under the valleys may need addressed by a complete roof restoration in your case. I wouldn’t know without inspecting it myself, so you’re gonna have to determine that for yourself. Now, regarding finding a good contractor... I don’t trust anyone to do good work today unless I already know their work. But I can offer some advice in finding a quality roofing craftsman or company. 1. Make sure they are licensed & do a background check on their license. Companies that maintain their licenses well typically do better work to guard their license status with local authorities. 2. Check local online reviews of various companies in your area to get an idea what the public thinks about their work & whether they stand behind their work or not. 3. Once you find one or two possible contractors who pass the test of the first two steps, when you contact them, negotiate to have a supervisor check the work being done on your roof daily, before you agree to hire them, to make sure their roofers will do quality work for you. If a supervisor’s job is on the line your roof will likely get done well, but without supervision roofers are a dime a dozen & can just skip on down the road to the next roofing employer if their work fails. If the company is not willing to negotiate for a supervisor to check the work once a day, I’d respectfully pass them by & move on until someone worth their salt will agree to be more reasonable & professional. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
Hi Duster Dan, I hope your consulting is going well. Just watched our video. I have the same roof tile you are working on. After a bad experience with a roof leak last year, I feel much more empowered to take control of my own destiny. Do you have any videos that show how to seal around solar panel footings? That would be super helpful.
Jeremy Fennelly No, I don't have any videos on solar panels & roofing. There are a lot of different kinds of roofing that integrate with solar panels & each type seals the panels a little differently. With tile you need to anchor the solar panel feet to the roof sheathing - preferably right on the rafters. Secondly, you need to install felt around the feet & either seal the felt to the feet with sealant or flash the feet, so that either way they are waterproof at the felt/feet transition. Thirdly, you need to install the tiles around the solar panel feet & either flash the feet again with flashings at the tiles or seal the tile/feet transition with sealant. Keep in mind that if you seal the tile to the feet instead of flashing the feet as they go through the tiles, then you will have to reseal all the places where the feet go through the tiles every few years to keep them water tight. Does that answer your question?
This makes perfect sense. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I value a little more time on the repair and to prevent interim upkeep so I'll go with the flashing. I think I should be able to find examples of how to flash around the feet and where the legs pierce the tiles so I'm not re-inventing the wheel.
Thanks again Duster Dan! This is so informative 👍 Further inspection in the attic revealed I have additional water leaks. I’ll be referencing your videos throughout the repairs. Question, the wife also noticed water is leaking in the upper window seal area. How do I water seal this area? The house was built 30 years ago and has the original windows.
What kind of tacks are those holding the felt paper? Do you put tar, or sealing product on the nails and the seams? Thanks for your words about the galvanized nails, and comments about the plastic ones.
Normally I use round 1” metal felt nails. Others use all different kinds of felt nails so if you’re referring to the ones I used on the new felt repairs, then yes… metal cap nails or felt nails. No sealant needed on any of the seams because felt is overlapped on sides & lapped under the course above & over the course below with at least a 2” lap. Everything is to code the way I do it in the local municipality where I worked. Check your local codes if there’s any concern about how to install felt & tile in your area.
@@MrThedocholiday Thank you. I will shortly be up on my roof tracking several leaking spots so I'm watching a few of these videos. I will look for these galvanized nails to use for my repairs. Other videos show all seams sealed with that black tar product, but I suppose it depends on the area. Being paranoid I will be using it also. Thank you for your quick reply. You've given me confidence that this is a repair I can do.
@@MrThedocholiday Makes perfect sense. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Temps here around 105 so I'll use the time until it cools off a bit to research another problem. I don't see a video about repair of the Ridge, and what to use to put under the tiles. I only see one other video and it's not descriptive for my problem. My roof is primarily leaking at the top, I think. I have a tin foil pan flattened in one spot up there, and it worked, but I need to do the whole ridge. Ranch style house about 2200sq ft.
@@MrThedocholiday Another question after watching a video about the ridge. They are using a lot of mortar. There is none on my roof. They use the word "underlayment" that I can see tacked to the ridge 2x6. Is that felt or is there a special product for this? Thank you for your time.
If you’re referring to sealant, I currently use OSI Quad from a caulking gun. At the time of the video I likely used Rainbuster 850, but I think that’s discontinued now. Both sealants have similar properties… they stay flexible, they adhere to most materials, they’re waterproof, removable with a scraper or razor knife, fairly UV resistant, inexpensive & come in different colors for topical applications.
Good question. So here’s my answer. What’s wrong with plastic cap nails? There are 3 main reasons why plastic cap nails are bad & it’s not mainly because of water. 1. Plastic cap nails do not & cannot clamp the felt down to the roof deck like metal cap nails - like the felt needs clamped/held down under any extreme conditions. And all tile roofs are extreme conditions. 2. As soon as plastic cap nails are installed, they begin stressing the felt at the point where the cap nail itself penetrates through the felt, because the small metal nail head applies pressure to the felt but the larger plastic cap doesn’t provide nearly as much clamping pressure as the plastic cap metal nail head itself does, because the flimsy plastic flexes & retreats from the surface of the felt while the nail itself does not. For this reason the plastic doesn’t have the rigidity to hold the felt evenly around the perimeter of the plastic cap like the metal nail going through the plastic cap does, so the plastic cap is loose compared to the metal nail & immediately begins stressing the felt in this way the minute it is installed. Because it does so the hole in the felt from the plastic cap nails begin to enlarge very quickly compared to metal cap nails over time. 3. In addition to these immediate plastic cap flaws, the heat & humility under the tile cause the plastic to deteriorate at an accelerated rate that is not comparable to the rate of deterioration of any of the other roofing materials being used in the same roofing application. Plastic cap nails should have never been approved for tile roofs & the fact that they have been is proof that idiots often make rules based on speculation & theory without the slightest real experience & proof that their theories will work in the real world over time. I hope that helps relive some of the confusion regarding plastic cap nail flaws compared to metal cap nail strengths. Thanks for watching! -Dan-
Yes, but chips normally happen at corners where water flows down the side lap channels of the tiles. Take extreme care here not to block the side lap water channels with adhesive just to glue chips back in which are mainly for looks only to find later that you’ve now created leaks that weren’t previously present. I’ve seen this hundreds of times.
@@MrThedocholiday ok thanks, I have 4 very small holes on different tiles in the middle of my roof from where it looks like something has fallen on them and created a small hole. So just normal bathroom silicone will do? And is there a special way to walk on the tiles so I don't crack them?
@@bigt8699 I don’t like using silicone cause it has adhesion issues with many construction materials. I use OSI Quad sealant for most roofing applications. Also, I have another video where if you fast forward to the end I give tips on how to walk on tile. Here’s the link… ua-cam.com/video/EZmRtaO9yPk/v-deo.html
Great video. My leak occurred at the bottom of the roof by what I call the "bird stop" It almost created a dam of debris over time and the felt paper fell apart and the leak showed up at a window about a foot below.. While it was raining I cut a section of the bird stop out and the water leak around the window below stopped. The leak was really close to a roof valley and I think debris was cause a back up so removing the debris got the water flowing again. I have to do a good repair after the rain stops. Any advise on the bird stop I need to replace? I am guessing since it is at the bottom I put it on right after the felt paper. Thank you!! Sorry for the long comment.
Ben Edmund depending on how long a piece of birdstop you need, you could make a piece & paint it. Otherwise you’ll need to just pull from what roofing suppliers have in stock that might work for your profile of tile.
Many people dislike me on a regular basis because they think I offer too many details. Thanks for the encouragement & thanks for watching... I'm glad to be able to serve the community in this way.
Hey Dan! Your videos are quite instructional and very informative to say the least. I have some questions about my roof. The cement tiles on my roof are S type and are attached with a kind of cement mortar. Would you reuse this with an adhesive or buy a bag and mix it when needed? I'm wondering why the roofers didn't use a metal channel because with the mortar is seems like the cement creates places for debris to accumulate. I've developed some cracks in the paper and I now have a leak. What are your opinions? Thanks,
This is a long answer so please bear with me. It sounds like you have clay “S” tile rather than cement, because only the trim of cement tiles are attached with cement, whereas the field tiles are not. It would also make more sense that the original installers didn’t use valley metal because metal is more typical with cement tiles whereas clay tile - especially older clay - is often installed over a built-up application of underlayment which is waterproof without metal flashing; at least for a while. These days it’s rare to see any tile without valley metal for the very reason your roof is leaking. All membranes in valleys eventually wear out without valley metal. Anyway, on to your questions... You can do this however you want, but I would repair it with adhesive reattaching the tiles with existing mortar & wherever the mortar is missing, I’d apply new mortar to attach the tiles being reinstalled or replaced. I’d replace all the bad paper wherever it’s breached, tuck the new paper up under the existing good old paper above & overlap old paper down slope wherever it is still good. In essence replacing all the bad paper like it would have been installed if it were being installed long ago with the original paper. I would absolutely make sure all the paper overlap up slope & down slope is tucked & lapped in a watertight manner, so that IF water ever breaches the tile, the paper will keep things watertight regardless. Now, on to the tile... Install broken tiles & reinstall good old tiles (AS IF) there is NO felt paper to protect your roof from leaking. Make sure all your tile overlaps are sufficient to shed water properly in a downpour. Use copper or galvanized metal flashing integrated with the tile wherever higher volumes of water flows in valleys, below valleys, around all vents & ventpipes, in roof to wall areas & around every obstacle on your roof. Fasten all tiles with at least one nail & glue all tiles that cannot be nailed for whatever reason to the other tiles that are nailed. Make sure all rake trim tiles receive two nails even if you have to cut or drill a second hole in them, because rake trim tiles are a safety issue more so than the others. All ridge tiles typically receive one nail to keep in place. Of course, check your local codes & follow all of them exactly & don’t merely take my word for this. Codes vary between jurisdictions & not all areas will be the same as codes where I learned my craft. Always consider all advice based on local codes. You will get a ton of different recommendations from various so-called experts, but what most so-called expert fail to comprehend is that the way they learned may NOT fit the local codes where you are because local codes vary & installation applications vary based on different areas, authorities & climates. I hope that covers the basics for you. Feel free to ask here if you have more questions. Godspeed... Sincerely, Daniel
I've never seen those tiles installed straight up & down like this before this should be interesting video Im 1:30 in now. Brick pattern is what im used to. 1/2/& 1/2 breaks rain Chanel.
& 31 min you acknowledged why the pattern should be 1/2&1/2..... the tiles will sit better break less corners if walking on it. I have lots of experience with this tile, this is hung on skip sheathing hanging on rafters here with no tar paper protection. One mistake water is instantly in a house. Broken tiles = emergency mass water in homes. You can get semi trucks of these tiles here with planning from roof replacements because of this issue with their lacking decking & underlayment. Take home tiles & trims whatever you need then upgrade your customers roofs with full tiles everywhere needed new underlayment then Pressure wash their roof & reseal it with color in a concrete sealer. Reduce the water it exorbs during winter getting heavy. I have witnessed max saturation end of wet winter and a solid tile no cracks no holes leaking it was just wet concrete dripping from back side in attic looking at it. Because i could not locate a break in the rain. Cant just start picking up tiles in that situation. I learned to convert these roofs to solid deck, with out fully unloading the roof. My finished product was a washed roof and restored with sealer to customers color spec with other contractors just repair tiles washed paint with out fixing the decking issue. Or most contractors are replacing them to shingles. If you work with supply houses they can work with local and unloading the tile roofs with conveyor back to shop for your semi delivery.
Dr Dan, you clearly know more what generic repairs are available-here in the Southwest. They don’t know what you know. Roofers for the most part, are not interested in learning these techniques. Roofers want to replace all roofs if they lean a latter on if the insurance company is coming by. They specifically tell the homeowner not to tell that their roofer will be waiting. Usually by the initial conversation I knew that there would be be a roofer, he had preceded me deliberately ,warmed up the insured, made me out to be the bad guy, and did me the” Service” of giving me a prepositioned ladder, which I did not want or Need my ladder was often better than the roofers. I also knew the size of the roof and the weather history on that zip code. The roofer was not a roofer , he was a salesman. Usually he was full of it, but not always. If the facts lined up, insurance paid for the roof, if,facts did not line up, I and my company, were crooks and typical of that mindset. It’s not hard to tell wear and tear to a roof, regardless of what kind of roof it is. I have “walked” 1000’s of roofs that most roofers. Over the years I have learned to consult with honest men that know more than me, and then I differ to me.
Thanks for your effort. I'm in Indonesia at the moment, and they have no felt, no ply ( just tiles ). The tiles are leaking evreywhere and the ceiling panels inside are rotted everywhere. 20yr old place. Looking up through the manhole inside , i can see daylight in a lot of places. Without replacing the entire roof, and laying down ply and felt, i'm assuming i will have to seal what i can from the underside first, then seal the outside? or vice-versa, but the daylight will be harder to spot. Then water blast the tiles and prime and paint? It's hard to source things here in borneo, and i hope they have 1,344 tubes of quality sealant. VERY dodgy building here. Am i on the right track?
Sunnie Winters basically, yes... I always like sealing out water on the topside only. Because anytime you seal water from the underside you risk trapping the water after it has already penetrated the topside. That can cause more trouble that likely have to fix later, but in your case I’d seal both topside & underside, being mindful NOT to trap water doing so. You want to keep all the water out of the roofing as well as out of the building. But yes you’re on your He right track. Godspeed & good luck.
SteveSabbai Yes, but why not glue them instead? Gluing is standard practice on single tile or single course installation, acceptable to meet code, & if done properly will last indefinitely. There’s no advantage to nailing over gluing in this case. By the way, mastic is Not considered to be glue. Mastic is for felt. Glue is for tile. If I were trying to glue several courses, that would be different, but since it’s a single tile or a single course of tile & all glued tiles are glued to other tiles that ARE nailed, you’d need a better reason than OCD to do the extra work required to pull up the remaining tiles just to re-nail them all. Remember... you’d also need to seal up each nail hole in the felt underlayment every time you pull up an existing tile. There’s more work to roofing done right than meets the eye. Why make it harder than it needs to be? Does that make sense?
@@MrThedocholiday Thanks for your reply. I have been watching a lot of roofing videos and some roofers are not using any nails to secure the tiles at all. All they use is glue to secure all the tiles. Is this good or bad?
SteveSabbai I don’t know if that meets the local codes where they are, but gluing all the tiles was considered illegal where I worked. The only exception, as I recall, was on very low-slope pitched roofs where a waterproof underlay was required & no nails were allowed to penetrate through the waterproof underlay. But building codes change over time & codes are different in various locales. On a standard pitch roof where I come from, all tiles were to be nailed or glued to other tiles that are nailed.
Hi Dan I'm looking for a bendable material that you would use like around a skylight to meet or connect with the tiled roof. A corrugated soft metal that shapes around the S tile ,I've seen them around skylights with S tiles on the roof So when the the water runs off the base of the skylight frame it runs on the shaped metal around the tile making it a smooth water runoff If I knew how to attach a photo I would velux makes a real nice transition kit but you have to buy the whole kit. I just need the bendable portion about twenty feet for water to transfer smoothly from roof to tile,for a project I'm doing . Thanks for any advice
Ultimately the best thing in my opinion is hard galvanized flashing used in concert with mortar at the base of the skylight. The tile would tuck under the flashing & the mortar would go under as well, filling the pan of the tile under the flashing. The key with using mortar here is to leave it slightly recessed under the flashing & sloping outward to help sheet water away. But if hard flashing isn't your choice you could use a thick peel-&-stick roofing, aluminum, copper or even lead - all of which are flexible enough to bend around corners or to conform to the shape of the s tile to make things water tight. Skylight flashing is a real science & you really ought to have someone show you how to do it to get it right regardless of what materials you use. If I have a video on this I'll upload it for you to see.
Great video. Your process looks sound, but how did you get that last row of tiles off, the ones you are gluing down, those originally had nails I assume.
Dan, I have to tell you, thank you so very much for all your help and very detailed videos! Questions: Can you please send a link or proper name for the adhesive you use, there are different versions out there- just want to get the right one? Also, are you still working jobs, around or in Riverside County? Thanks again and best wishes.
Caulking sealant I currently use is ‘OSI Quad’ in various colors. And no I’m sorry but I’m not contracting in California anymore. Thanks for your considerate words.
@MrThedocholiday Dan, if you are in Arizona I would appreciate your help on my 19 year old concrete tile roof. Leaking through the ceiling sheetrock in 3 places, one bad. Only during heavy downpours. I'm disabled now, but have done 2 dozen asphalt shingle roofs and a couple S- tile roofs, well over 20 years ago. BTW your videos are exceptional because your content is leaps and bounds above any others. Gilbert AZ
Hi, Dan, great video, very informative and instructional. One question, what is the best way to walk on these s-tile roofs like this without cracking them? Do you try to step at a certain spot on the tiles? Thanks!
I think with all the service people we have walking around on roofs here in the US, our decision makers realized we needed solid sheathing & felt underlayment or we would simply have too many leaks to deal with. I’ve worked on some of the older roofs here with open spaced sheathing & no felt & they require a meticulous repairman to get them all sealed up, but that’s after all the foot traffic on the roof.
@@MrThedocholiday I've actually had the problem with service people taking off tiles and punching a hole in the underlayment (we sometimes use sarking in Australia), and then just leaving the hole. Electricians and the phone company notorious for this.
Fantastic. Now I just need to find a place that sells the metal sheet and start roaming around the top of our roof so I can patch a gap I found a couple days ago (did a terrible hack from inside instead of a proper repair).
This is exactly the video I need to fix a DIY roof tile leak. Thank you so much.
Send any & all support donations to RooferDan@aol.com through PayPal. Thanks for watching!
-Daniel-
Mr. Dan.....you have saved me thousands of dollars over the years.....your excellent tutorials have allowed me to delay total roof replacement for years. Where can I send you a $100 check to at least buy you a nice steak dinner? We should all be sending this man $100 checks.....my neighbor just paid $1,600 for a small roof repair that I could have taken care of (thanks to your videos) in 2 hours!!!!!
What an encouragement to me! You just confirmed what I’ve always believed… that making videos to help others is totally worthwhile. It would be a blessing to take my wife out to dinner. If you’re serious about it, we’d deeply appreciate it! Send thanks to PO Box 309 Bradley, SC 29819
I’m super happy to be such a help & thanks for watching.
Hello: My apologies.....haven't tuned in to your channel for a while....yes, I was dead serious: I dropped your check in the mail today....you should get it in a few days! Thanks again!
This video has to be the best video explaining roof tile repair on UA-cam. Thank you Dan!
By far the best how to roof repair video on UA-cam.
Mr. Dan! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the top of our roof! You saved my cousin's home, doing repairs on her home during this COVID-19 Pandemic. She is about 90 and have been stuck in self quarantine for over 4 months now so the least I could do is visit and do some repairs as I keep her company. WOW your tutorials helped to save her many dollars and made her very happy to know the proper way to efficiently for longevity in making these repair. GOD BLESS and stay safe up there and down on the ground during this Pandemic. Thank you again, respectfully, Keith & Juanita
You’re very welcome Keith... Glad to help. We need to care for & help one another cause Lord knows there are enough people pretending to care while they take advantage of others & tear down what others have built. Thanks for caring, thanks for your kind words & thanks for watching.
He stole your money by using only glue... He had to by new tile and replace all broken tiles
I've just opened my new pro tile roof repair business after watching this video, thanks to Dan
Capitalism is a beautiful thing! Thanks for watching & for adopting higher than average standards for the roofing industry & it’s customers. Always take pride in your work & you’ll be very successful.
Thanks Dan! You just saved me $700 having someone else do the job. Great video and greatly appreciated by the DIYers!
Great video. I just discovered a leak in my living room so I put myself through Roof Leak Repair school today. You were a great professor. Thank you.
I completed my roof leak repair finishing at 3am to beat the 10-day rain storm that started yesterday. Rained hard all day. No leaks at all. Thank you again.
Paid $1400 for a repair a couple years ago and have a new area now. Going to tackle myself after this so THANK YOU Dan for taking the time to do this!
Hey, Dan, Great, great video - very informative and easy to understand. Thank you for a great public service.
You're welcome friend... Thanks for watching.
Thanks buddy, you're a great teacher, very patient and a real expert . Nice job.
Streets ahead of the cowboys I've had, 10/10 mate for the vid and explanation
Incredibly helpful. Thanks for being so thorough. I am more confident that I can survey my roof for potential problems and correct the problems as they occur. Tony Wren
Thanks so much for the time to make this. Was up on my roof all day fixing it based on this video and I feel great I was able to do it the right way. Its Christmas time so the wife is not ready for a roof to leak.
Well done super tradesman,very thorough and first service.and honest worker..Good luck to you,you deserve nothing but the very best.God bless you and your loved ones.
great video, showed it to my husband who really liked it and said it was easy to understand , although I wished you lived near me to fix our roof since it looks like you take pride in your work. Thank you and God bless you!
Ada Aurigemma You’re very kind. Thanks for watching & God bless you right back.
Dan you did a great job in showing and explaining how to fix roof leak and what to look for. Thanks a Million
Your welcome... Thanks for watching.
Thank you Dan. Very helpful. I especially appreciate how thorough your explanations are!
Edward Shadoan Thanks friend... Just trying to help others.
I've seen a few videos from roofer's and your videos are the best one's I've seen. Thank you for saving us a lot of money!!
KAG 2020 You’re very welcome. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for this great video. Just got done repairing my roof using your aid. Your knowledge was greatly appreciated.
Jezz...I wish I could hire you! You obviously been doing this a long time and have a ton of experience!
Thanks friend!
Tile roof owner here in central Texas. Unfortunately not a lot of really good tile roof guys here. Love your explanation and expertise. Great video.
It’s not just Texas… it’s everywhere.
Awesome video. Thanks so much for taking time to put this together. Very much appreciated..
I really appreciate your video. I'm doing my first clay tile repair tomorrow, and after watching your artistry I'm Mucho confident. I've been riding over 20 years
I tried... so it’s nice to know I helped. Thanks for watching. Godspeed on your clay tile repair.
Awesome job providing us with extremely useful tips! Thank you for taking the time to do this Dan.
Hello Dan,
super informative!
we just re-do our tiles roof there is no leak, just due to over 34 years, underlayment may be deteriorated
be proactive instead of reactive.
besides replaced more than few dry rod Shiplap and one water damaged fascia board.
roofer installed 3 O'Hagin attic vents, later I found out those vents were make for shingle roof application, roofer said the base is the same.
your video is absolutely great help
as I noticed there are many broken lower corner tiles all at the left hand bottom.
I have sealed few of those tiles, after seeing your video knowing I had over sealed the channels.
Will have to go up to the roof broken off part of the sealant.
appreciated the detail information.
This man knows his stuff
That was a very informative video and thank you very much. I have a cement tile roof restoration coming up soon and i'm feeling much better about doing some repairs now with watching your video. Thanks.
Duster Dan your the man! I do mostly sales for a roofing company but Im trying to learn more so I can start doing roof work too! Thanks!
Thanks. I should probably do more vids.
interesting to the extreme we don't do many tile roofs in the Mid=Atlantic. i found your strategy of tile drainage management very insightful. great flashing solution at the end.
pensive69 thanks... eventually the caulking will fail but the flashing will outlast the roof.
A great video and one of the most comprehensive - Thank you for sharing your knowledge and for your generosity, really appreciated
You’re very welcome 😊
Great job of explaining the repair process. Thank you.
Thanks for watching...
Great tips. My God Bless you and your whole Family!
Thanks for all the tips and infos. Instructions like yours are hard to come by. Great job👏👏👍
Thanks
Very great video Dan,I have never done any type of roofing repair but by watching your video you have given me alot of knowledge in order to do some minor repairs on my roof,thanks for sharing the great tips Dan.......🙏🏽
Awesome video. Great quality work. You have taught me so much about my cement tile roof, keep up the good work.
Todd Kruk Thanks Todd & thanks for watching.
Dan , you are a perfect example of the old school , 30 Lbs. felt underlayment and nails, when well installed , you don't need the expensive and overpriced labor or many so called roofers using peel and stick underlayment .
next time try to find the matching tiles, usually the manufacturer makes the new version of the old tiles like this.
Good repair ! I would definitely have you on my roof !!
Eric.
Hi Dan, great video thank you so much for your detailed video. The only OSI product I could find was the quad max sealant. However it doesn’t specifically say it is for roofs whereas Loctite makes a polymer sealant “for roofs and flashing”. Wanted to be sure I had the right OSI product. Thanks in advance.
You can go with loctite. I just use OSI quad because it works well for all my different applications including roofing & it’s available at a competitive price.
Thanks!
Best how to roof repair video ever 👍
That was nice. Very professional
How informative! Don't why I havn't seen this earlier! Thank you!
Bob again, thanks for your time to answer my question.
Lucky homeowner that had you to repair their roof, I need to fly you here to fix my roof Sir:)
Teddy Chan oh if everyone just cared about their customers & made it a point to do every job well, you wouldn’t need me, because you’d have several quality contractors to choose from. Thanks for watching & the compliment!
Thank you for the great information on repairing tile roofs
Mad probs! I was told no one would warranty a repair today and they tried to sell me a 23k roof retile. I almost laughed at the guy. Guess it’s time to brush the dust off my skills
Please do… There’s plenty of work to go around, even if homeowners learn how to do everything.
@@MrThedocholiday I couldn’t find a video on your channel but how to remortar the end cap would be super helpful cause picking mortar/ product is the hardest part
Thanks for the great repair videos, keep them coming.
Awesome and the best teacher online about tile roofing!!!!
Wow so much detail. Clearly a professional.
What other option to puncture the tube than the nail? (Which I don’t have). Thanks for the great video Dan! May God continue to richly bless you 🙏🏾✝️
The only three options where I worked according to code were nails, glue or battens that are nailed to roof deck to hang the tiles on. In every case roof deck must be covered with at least 30lb felt paper before tiles get installed.
I carried a cement drill bit with me & a cordless drill whenever I works on cement tiles. I can’t over stress the importance of having the right tools with me to handle the inevitable problems that arise on most jobs... Like bad cement tiles that the factory neglected to pierce the nail holes properly in.
Great very well explained honest video, Thank you
Great and clean video ! very helpful ...Thanks
Suria Restrepo Welcome... Thanks for watching.
Like your video on the tiles but where I’m from Tile roof are rare but bought a house with them.So would like to see how you remove them ,and what tools needed.maybe something for next video,I have learnt so much from this. Thanks
Darcy Munro Check my channel videos & watch my video on tile roofing repair - tips, tricks & helpful hints. I demonstrate early in that video what tools I use & how to take em apart. Part of it is technique that you’ll just have to get the hang of but watch that vid first before you try it.
Dan your knowledge is just top notch I'm learning a lot from you, great videos. Would I have thought just fill that entire gap with adhesive is best? ?? I need to do a repair on my roof can I get in touch with you with some questions? I'm sure I will have some even after watching all your videos.
Bill B yes but I'll have to ask that you post the questions here on my videos so I can answer at my convenience. That way others can learn at the same time also.
Great video, now I’m ready to make my repairs, thanks👍
Very useful. Thank you so much.
What type of adhesive caulk do you use on these tiles?
Great information awesome video!! What is the name of the glue/sealant caulking that you use and trust?
Polymer… any polymer will do. Problem is most products don’t tell you what’s in the caulking on the label. So you have to speculate based on the name. For instance: OSI Quad is a quad polymer. In the past I’ve used copolymer & tripolymer & both have been sufficient & fairly durable.
Great videos! Those galvanized nails that hold the Felp paper. How do you prevent leaking through them? Same question for the nails that hold the tile to the roof. Thank you in advance!
The galvanized felt nails are waterproof in their design, provided they’re installed properly & not exposed to excessive water volume coming through the tiles. The felt nail shank seals as it goes through the tar-saturated felt paper. The large felt nail metal cap helps protect the nail shank seal as the shank goes through the felt.
The tile nail shank also seals as it penetrates through the tar-saturated felt paper but because of its much smaller head, it’s not as waterproof & it’s much better protected from large volumes of water intrusion through the tile by the manufacturer’s recommend maximum tile exposure measurement of 13.5” at most. Some cement tile brands have allowed for a 14” weather exposure, but my 36 years of on the roof experience says 13.5” is the real maximum weather exposure if you want to protect your felt paper well & keep those felt nails waterproof also.
Thank you Dan this video is very helpful. Question. What is the name of the glue you use where you cannot use nails.
Currently I use Quad OSI in bronze
www.lowes.com/pd/OSI-QUAD-Quad-10-oz-Bronze-Paintable-Solvent-Caulk/3664984
Thanks, very helpful.
Hi Dan,
In 2024, what is the cement roof tile glue you recommend using to fix the cracked cement roof tile?
I cannot find the sealant you were using.
If you were to get it from Home Depot or another big box store, what would be the best one to use?
Thanks!
I use OSI Quad construction caulking. It’s available at Lowe’s, Home Depot or on Amazon.
Hi Dan, could you tell me what is the best tile glue where one of my tile is cracked vertically? thanks in advance.
I use OSI Quad construction sealer adhesive. It’s available on Amazon & comes in various colors. It will only last a couple years exposed to the weather, so you may want to put a sheetmetal flashing over it & paint the metal to match your tile. Most of the time when I do these repair for others, the customer only wants a couple year warranty so I just do whatever they tell me to do, but you may want to go the extra mile on your own roof & flash over the caulking as I mentioned.
Thanks. You are so helpful.
Hi Dan,
For a flat concrete tile roof, when two sides meet at 90 degrees, what is the recommended gap it needs to have so it will flush out the dirt in between the valleys?
My original roof valley is less than 1/2 inch, and it is gathering leaves and dirt and is hard to clean out.
Thanks for your input.
Regards,
The top corner of each of the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles which point up slope needs to be broken off or cut off, so that regardless of what the valley tile gap is, when debris gather in the valley, those ‘cut’ tiles don’t divert water across the roof out of the valley, under the tiles, onto the felt paper. Make sure whoever does this doesn’t leave the cut or broken corners in the valleys. In addition, I like the gap to be at least an inch on each side of the valley.
Of course nobody breaks off or cuts off the top corner of all the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles upon initial installation, so eventually all flat tile valleys without this installation method will leak for this reason.
Valley metal companies have attempted to compensate for this ‘flat tile’ oversight by adding ridges to their valley metal, but it only requires a little debris to build up behind these top-pointed triangle shaped small ‘cut’ valley tiles for the rushing water to flow sideways right over the valley metal ridges, under the tiles, off the metal, across the roof & onto the felt paper.
Without the top pointed corners of the smaller ‘cut’ valley tiles removed, you’re gonna need at least a 3” gap on each side of the valley to prevent water flowing out of the valley, across your roof, under the tiles. Because that’s how wide the river of water flows down a valley in a decent downpour. Making a total of at least a 6” gap. You do realize how terrible a 6” valley tile gap looks from the ground aesthetically, right?
There is no other solution that I’ve found around this ‘flat’ valley tile issue over the last 36 years. And I have done literally thousands of roof repairs personally from my toolbag of tricks. Don’t let any blowhards tell you otherwise on this issue. There are a lot of blowhard roofers out there, so beware.
My brother is re-roofing his flat tile roof himself 2600 miles away because of this very reason & he is pulling his hair out because I cannot repair it for him in person at this time. This flat tile valley issue is a nightmare to deal with.
I’ve even watched blowhard arrogant expert roofers on UA-cam come in & reroof valleys for customers only to have them charge to do it again every 10-15 years.
It’s basic physics. Do you know how hard it is to convince so-called experienced roofers of something they don’t already know? They would rather just keep recharging the customer to do it again, instead of learning a new method to solve this problem permanently..
If you like, I can draw diagrams of the issue & solution for you & email it back to you for a fee. My email is rooferdan@aol.com. I’ll give you my cell number at that time to discuss any questions you might also have. At least you can do this yourself or have another roofer do it for you.
Knowledge is power…
Great and informative vid.
Really good video. Thank you.
Recently I had to remove the comments of an individual for making assumptions about my roofing methods, criticizing me & using profanity to demean me in front of others on this video.
He insisted that the responsibility was mine to explain why I was repairing tile instead of replacing tile in the video & dismissed his own responsibility to ask why as a justification for his assumptions & unwarranted comments.
Warranted Disclaimer...
If anyone makes assumptions & follows those assumptions with profanity of any kind on this channel without asking questions first to find out if there is a legitimate reason for what they aim to criticize, I will delete & continue to delete any & all comments of said individuals without any further explanation.
If anyone dissagrees with my roofing methods for any reason I expect them to ask "Why" before they make critical comments or use profane language on my channel in front of others.
All the videos on my channel are my attempt to help others within the UA-cam community learn how to do more for themselves. The spirit of all my videos is others centered, so bullying of any kind will not be tolerated.
This is my first & final warning to any & all cyber bullying or troll-like behavior. I am here to serve others within the community not to puff myself up, argue or justify my methods before people who really don't care about others or to know why I use the methods I use after three decades of roofing experience. All genuine questions are welcome here but criticism without genuine inquiry will simply not be tolerated on my channel.
I regret having to post this disclaimer & hope y'all have a blessed day regardless.
Well said!
Great job and thank you!
Great Video Dan! Thank you. Which type of sealant do you use for Concrete Title Roofing? Thank you.
I currently use OSI Quad.
Well explained thanks
Dan Very informative video. We have a Marley Concrete Tile Roof about 33 years old and the lead valleys have developed some splits and 3 leaks have occurred. We live in Niagara Falls Ontario and wondered if you have some suggestions on what is necessary to repair this issue and on a qualified roofing contractor we can hire to do the necessary repairs. We have about 200 extra tiles on hand if any need replacing.
Thanks so much
I’ll respond with a full answer soon.
So, I’m not sure what the codes are for roofing in Niagara Falls, so you may want to check into that first. Secondly, I’ve never worked with lead valleys but I imagine the splits could be welded up or re-soldiered. My only concerns would be whether or not the membrane under the valleys is water tight or not & why the lead valleys split in the first place. Other things under the valleys may need addressed by a complete roof restoration in your case. I wouldn’t know without inspecting it myself, so you’re gonna have to determine that for yourself.
Now, regarding finding a good contractor... I don’t trust anyone to do good work today unless I already know their work. But I can offer some advice in finding a quality roofing craftsman or company. 1. Make sure they are licensed & do a background check on their license. Companies that maintain their licenses well typically do better work to guard their license status with local authorities. 2. Check local online reviews of various companies in your area to get an idea what the public thinks about their work & whether they stand behind their work or not. 3. Once you find one or two possible contractors who pass the test of the first two steps, when you contact them, negotiate to have a supervisor check the work being done on your roof daily, before you agree to hire them, to make sure their roofers will do quality work for you. If a supervisor’s job is on the line your roof will likely get done well, but without supervision roofers are a dime a dozen & can just skip on down the road to the next roofing employer if their work fails. If the company is not willing to negotiate for a supervisor to check the work once a day, I’d respectfully pass them by & move on until someone worth their salt will agree to be more reasonable & professional.
Hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
great help video, learn a lot from it. thanks.
Hi Duster Dan, I hope your consulting is going well. Just watched our video. I have the same roof tile you are working on. After a bad experience with a roof leak last year, I feel much more empowered to take control of my own destiny. Do you have any videos that show how to seal around solar panel footings? That would be super helpful.
Jeremy Fennelly No, I don't have any videos on solar panels & roofing. There are a lot of different kinds of roofing that integrate with solar panels & each type seals the panels a little differently. With tile you need to anchor the solar panel feet to the roof sheathing - preferably right on the rafters. Secondly, you need to install felt around the feet & either seal the felt to the feet with sealant or flash the feet, so that either way they are waterproof at the felt/feet transition. Thirdly, you need to install the tiles around the solar panel feet & either flash the feet again with flashings at the tiles or seal the tile/feet transition with sealant. Keep in mind that if you seal the tile to the feet instead of flashing the feet as they go through the tiles, then you will have to reseal all the places where the feet go through the tiles every few years to keep them water tight. Does that answer your question?
This makes perfect sense. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I value a little more time on the repair and to prevent interim upkeep so I'll go with the flashing. I think I should be able to find examples of how to flash around the feet and where the legs pierce the tiles so I'm not re-inventing the wheel.
Thanks again Duster Dan! This is so informative 👍 Further inspection in the attic revealed I have additional water leaks. I’ll be referencing your videos throughout the repairs. Question, the wife also noticed water is leaking in the upper window seal area. How do I water seal this area? The house was built 30 years ago and has the original windows.
El Gato Gordo You have to first determine whether the water is coming in through the the roofing above or through the window itself.
@@MrThedocholiday I'll look into it. Thanks for your reply and information 👍
What kind of tacks are those holding the felt paper? Do you put tar, or sealing product on the nails and the seams? Thanks for your words about the galvanized nails, and comments about the plastic ones.
Normally I use round 1” metal felt nails. Others use all different kinds of felt nails so if you’re referring to the ones I used on the new felt repairs, then yes… metal cap nails or felt nails. No sealant needed on any of the seams because felt is overlapped on sides & lapped under the course above & over the course below with at least a 2” lap. Everything is to code the way I do it in the local municipality where I worked. Check your local codes if there’s any concern about how to install felt & tile in your area.
@@MrThedocholiday Thank you. I will shortly be up on my roof tracking several leaking spots so I'm watching a few of these videos. I will look for these galvanized nails to use for my repairs. Other videos show all seams sealed with that black tar product, but I suppose it depends on the area. Being paranoid I will be using it also. Thank you for your quick reply. You've given me confidence that this is a repair I can do.
@@MrThedocholiday Makes perfect sense. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Temps here around 105 so I'll use the time until it cools off a bit to research another problem. I don't see a video about repair of the Ridge, and what to use to put under the tiles. I only see one other video and it's not descriptive for my problem. My roof is primarily leaking at the top, I think. I have a tin foil pan flattened in one spot up there, and it worked, but I need to do the whole ridge. Ranch style house about 2200sq ft.
@@MrThedocholiday Another question after watching a video about the ridge. They are using a lot of mortar. There is none on my roof. They use the word "underlayment" that I can see tacked to the ridge 2x6. Is that felt or is there a special product for this? Thank you for your time.
Hi Dan not sure if I missed it, but what brand are you using for this repair?
If you’re referring to sealant, I currently use OSI Quad from a caulking gun. At the time of the video I likely used Rainbuster 850, but I think that’s discontinued now. Both sealants have similar properties… they stay flexible, they adhere to most materials, they’re waterproof, removable with a scraper or razor knife, fairly UV resistant, inexpensive & come in different colors for topical applications.
Im confused Mr Dan . You said not to use the plastic cap nails, but if your tiles aren’t broken is water still going to get down there ?
Good question. So here’s my answer. What’s wrong with plastic cap nails? There are 3 main reasons why plastic cap nails are bad & it’s not mainly because of water.
1. Plastic cap nails do not & cannot clamp the felt down to the roof deck like metal cap nails - like the felt needs clamped/held down under any extreme conditions. And all tile roofs are extreme conditions.
2. As soon as plastic cap nails are installed, they begin stressing the felt at the point where the cap nail itself penetrates through the felt, because the small metal nail head applies pressure to the felt but the larger plastic cap doesn’t provide nearly as much clamping pressure as the plastic cap metal nail head itself does, because the flimsy plastic flexes & retreats from the surface of the felt while the nail itself does not. For this reason the plastic doesn’t have the rigidity to hold the felt evenly around the perimeter of the plastic cap like the metal nail going through the plastic cap does, so the plastic cap is loose compared to the metal nail & immediately begins stressing the felt in this way the minute it is installed. Because it does so the hole in the felt from the plastic cap nails begin to enlarge very quickly compared to metal cap nails over time.
3. In addition to these immediate plastic cap flaws, the heat & humility under the tile cause the plastic to deteriorate at an accelerated rate that is not comparable to the rate of deterioration of any of the other roofing materials being used in the same roofing application. Plastic cap nails should have never been approved for tile roofs & the fact that they have been is proof that idiots often make rules based on speculation & theory without the slightest real experience & proof that their theories will work in the real world over time.
I hope that helps relive some of the confusion regarding plastic cap nail flaws compared to metal cap nail strengths. Thanks for watching!
-Dan-
Great video, can I use sealant for small chips/holes and if so is it a special sealant for the tiles or any sealant? Cheers
Yes, but chips normally happen at corners where water flows down the side lap channels of the tiles. Take extreme care here not to block the side lap water channels with adhesive just to glue chips back in which are mainly for looks only to find later that you’ve now created leaks that weren’t previously present. I’ve seen this hundreds of times.
@@MrThedocholiday ok thanks, I have 4 very small holes on different tiles in the middle of my roof from where it looks like something has fallen on them and created a small hole. So just normal bathroom silicone will do? And is there a special way to walk on the tiles so I don't crack them?
@@bigt8699 I don’t like using silicone cause it has adhesion issues with many construction materials. I use OSI Quad sealant for most roofing applications.
Also, I have another video where if you fast forward to the end I give tips on how to walk on tile. Here’s the link…
ua-cam.com/video/EZmRtaO9yPk/v-deo.html
Hi. Thanks for the time you take to make these videos. May I ask, what actually causes concrete tiles to crack? Thanks
Sorry if you answered this previously but what is the metal you use to flash the tile and how do you shape it?
Great video. My leak occurred at the bottom of the roof by what I call the "bird stop" It almost created a dam of debris over time and the felt paper fell apart and the leak showed up at a window about a foot below.. While it was raining I cut a section of the bird stop out and the water leak around the window below stopped. The leak was really close to a roof valley and I think debris was cause a back up so removing the debris got the water flowing again. I have to do a good repair after the rain stops. Any advise on the bird stop I need to replace? I am guessing since it is at the bottom I put it on right after the felt paper. Thank you!! Sorry for the long comment.
Ben Edmund depending on how long a piece of birdstop you need, you could make a piece & paint it. Otherwise you’ll need to just pull from what roofing suppliers have in stock that might work for your profile of tile.
Dan the Man. Thanks!
Very welcome...
very good video, lots of details!
Many people dislike me on a regular basis because they think I offer too many details. Thanks for the encouragement & thanks for watching... I'm glad to be able to serve the community in this way.
Hey Dan! Your videos are quite instructional and very informative to say the least. I have some questions about my roof. The cement tiles on my roof are S type and are attached with a kind of cement mortar. Would you reuse this with an adhesive or buy a bag and mix it when needed? I'm wondering why the roofers didn't use a metal channel because with the mortar is seems like the cement creates places for debris to accumulate. I've developed some cracks in the paper and I now have a leak. What are your opinions? Thanks,
This is a long answer so please bear with me. It sounds like you have clay “S” tile rather than cement, because only the trim of cement tiles are attached with cement, whereas the field tiles are not. It would also make more sense that the original installers didn’t use valley metal because metal is more typical with cement tiles whereas clay tile - especially older clay - is often installed over a built-up application of underlayment which is waterproof without metal flashing; at least for a while.
These days it’s rare to see any tile without valley metal for the very reason your roof is leaking. All membranes in valleys eventually wear out without valley metal. Anyway, on to your questions...
You can do this however you want, but I would repair it with adhesive reattaching the tiles with existing mortar & wherever the mortar is missing, I’d apply new mortar to attach the tiles being reinstalled or replaced. I’d replace all the bad paper wherever it’s breached, tuck the new paper up under the existing good old paper above & overlap old paper down slope wherever it is still good. In essence replacing all the bad paper like it would have been installed if it were being installed long ago with the original paper. I would absolutely make sure all the paper overlap up slope & down slope is tucked & lapped in a watertight manner, so that IF water ever breaches the tile, the paper will keep things watertight regardless. Now, on to the tile...
Install broken tiles & reinstall good old tiles (AS IF) there is NO felt paper to protect your roof from leaking. Make sure all your tile overlaps are sufficient to shed water properly in a downpour. Use copper or galvanized metal flashing integrated with the tile wherever higher volumes of water flows in valleys, below valleys, around all vents & ventpipes, in roof to wall areas & around every obstacle on your roof. Fasten all tiles with at least one nail & glue all tiles that cannot be nailed for whatever reason to the other tiles that are nailed. Make sure all rake trim tiles receive two nails even if you have to cut or drill a second hole in them, because rake trim tiles are a safety issue more so than the others. All ridge tiles typically receive one nail to keep in place.
Of course, check your local codes & follow all of them exactly & don’t merely take my word for this. Codes vary between jurisdictions & not all areas will be the same as codes where I learned my craft.
Always consider all advice based on local codes. You will get a ton of different recommendations from various so-called experts, but what most so-called expert fail to comprehend is that the way they learned may NOT fit the local codes where you are because local codes vary & installation applications vary based on different areas, authorities & climates.
I hope that covers the basics for you. Feel free to ask here if you have more questions. Godspeed...
Sincerely,
Daniel
Well Done Dan!!
I've never seen those tiles installed straight up & down like this before this should be interesting video Im 1:30 in now. Brick pattern is what im used to. 1/2/& 1/2 breaks rain Chanel.
& 31 min you acknowledged why the pattern should be 1/2&1/2..... the tiles will sit better break less corners if walking on it. I have lots of experience with this tile, this is hung on skip sheathing hanging on rafters here with no tar paper protection. One mistake water is instantly in a house. Broken tiles = emergency mass water in homes.
You can get semi trucks of these tiles here with planning from roof replacements because of this issue with their lacking decking & underlayment. Take home tiles & trims whatever you need then upgrade your customers roofs with full tiles everywhere needed new underlayment then Pressure wash their roof & reseal it with color in a concrete sealer. Reduce the water it exorbs during winter getting heavy.
I have witnessed max saturation end of wet winter and a solid tile no cracks no holes leaking it was just wet concrete dripping from back side in attic looking at it. Because i could not locate a break in the rain. Cant just start picking up tiles in that situation.
I learned to convert these roofs to solid deck, with out fully unloading the roof.
My finished product was a washed roof and restored with sealer to customers color spec with other contractors just repair tiles washed paint with out fixing the decking issue. Or most contractors are replacing them to shingles. If you work with supply houses they can work with local and unloading the tile roofs with conveyor back to shop for your semi delivery.
Dr Dan, you clearly know more what generic repairs are available-here in the Southwest. They don’t know what you know. Roofers for the most part, are not interested in learning these techniques. Roofers want to replace all roofs if they lean a latter on if the insurance company is coming by. They specifically tell the homeowner not to tell that their roofer will be waiting. Usually by the initial conversation I knew that there would be be a roofer, he had preceded me deliberately ,warmed up the insured, made me out to be the bad guy, and did me the” Service” of giving me a prepositioned ladder, which I did not want or Need
my ladder was often better than the roofers. I also knew the size of the roof and the weather history on that zip code. The roofer was not a roofer , he was a salesman. Usually he was full of it, but not always. If the facts lined up, insurance paid for the roof, if,facts did not line up, I and my company, were crooks and typical of that mindset. It’s not hard to tell wear and tear to a roof, regardless of what kind of roof it is. I have “walked” 1000’s of roofs that most roofers. Over the years I have learned to consult with honest men that know more than me, and then I differ to me.
Thanks for your effort. I'm in Indonesia at the moment, and they have no felt, no ply ( just tiles ). The tiles are leaking evreywhere and the ceiling panels inside are rotted everywhere. 20yr old place. Looking up through the manhole inside , i can see daylight in a lot of places. Without replacing the entire roof, and laying down ply and felt, i'm assuming i will have to seal what i can from the underside first, then seal the outside? or vice-versa, but the daylight will be harder to spot. Then water blast the tiles and prime and paint? It's hard to source things here in borneo, and i hope they have 1,344 tubes of quality sealant. VERY dodgy building here. Am i on the right track?
Sunnie Winters basically, yes... I always like sealing out water on the topside only. Because anytime you seal water from the underside you risk trapping the water after it has already penetrated the topside. That can cause more trouble that likely have to fix later, but in your case I’d seal both topside & underside, being mindful NOT to trap water doing so. You want to keep all the water out of the roofing as well as out of the building. But yes you’re on your He right track. Godspeed & good luck.
Thanks mate. I'll try to get onto it, ( for the inlaws ) sometime in the next 8 yrs. And very good videos.
I guess it needs uv friendly caulk, this is quite expensive in Europe, I wonder it it works with Ms polymer (for 5 to 10 years)
@30:20 couldn't you have removed the top two layers of roof tiles so you could have nailed the third row of tiles instead of just gluing it?
SteveSabbai Yes, but why not glue them instead? Gluing is standard practice on single tile or single course installation, acceptable to meet code, & if done properly will last indefinitely. There’s no advantage to nailing over gluing in this case. By the way, mastic is Not considered to be glue. Mastic is for felt. Glue is for tile. If I were trying to glue several courses, that would be different, but since it’s a single tile or a single course of tile & all glued tiles are glued to other tiles that ARE nailed, you’d need a better reason than OCD to do the extra work required to pull up the remaining tiles just to re-nail them all. Remember... you’d also need to seal up each nail hole in the felt underlayment every time you pull up an existing tile. There’s more work to roofing done right than meets the eye. Why make it harder than it needs to be? Does that make sense?
@@MrThedocholiday Thanks for your reply. I have been watching a lot of roofing videos and some roofers are not using any nails to secure the tiles at all. All they use is glue to secure all the tiles. Is this good or bad?
SteveSabbai I don’t know if that meets the local codes where they are, but gluing all the tiles was considered illegal where I worked. The only exception, as I recall, was on very low-slope pitched roofs where a waterproof underlay was required & no nails were allowed to penetrate through the waterproof underlay. But building codes change over time & codes are different in various locales. On a standard pitch roof where I come from, all tiles were to be nailed or glued to other tiles that are nailed.
good video to watch.
Thanks y’all!
Hi Dan I'm looking for a bendable material that you would use like around a skylight to meet or connect with the tiled roof.
A corrugated soft metal that shapes around the S tile ,I've seen them around skylights with S tiles on the roof
So when the the water runs off the base of the skylight frame it runs on the shaped metal around the tile making it a smooth water runoff
If I knew how to attach a photo I would velux makes a real nice transition kit but you have to buy the whole kit.
I just need the bendable portion about twenty feet for water to transfer smoothly from roof to tile,for a project I'm doing .
Thanks for any advice
Ultimately the best thing in my opinion is hard galvanized flashing used in concert with mortar at the base of the skylight. The tile would tuck under the flashing & the mortar would go under as well, filling the pan of the tile under the flashing. The key with using mortar here is to leave it slightly recessed under the flashing & sloping outward to help sheet water away. But if hard flashing isn't your choice you could use a thick peel-&-stick roofing, aluminum, copper or even lead - all of which are flexible enough to bend around corners or to conform to the shape of the s tile to make things water tight. Skylight flashing is a real science & you really ought to have someone show you how to do it to get it right regardless of what materials you use. If I have a video on this I'll upload it for you to see.
Wakafex?
Great video. Your process looks sound, but how did you get that last row of tiles off, the ones you are gluing down, those originally had nails I assume.
Dan, I have to tell you, thank you so very much for all your help and very detailed videos! Questions: Can you please send a link or proper name for the adhesive you use, there are different versions out there- just want to get the right one? Also, are you still working jobs, around or in Riverside County? Thanks again and best wishes.
Caulking sealant I currently use is ‘OSI Quad’ in various colors. And no I’m sorry but I’m not contracting in California anymore. Thanks for your considerate words.
@MrThedocholiday Dan, if you are in Arizona I would appreciate your help on my 19 year old concrete tile roof. Leaking through the ceiling sheetrock in 3 places, one bad. Only during heavy downpours. I'm disabled now, but have done 2 dozen asphalt shingle roofs and a couple S- tile roofs, well over 20 years ago. BTW your videos are exceptional because your content is leaps and bounds above any others.
Gilbert AZ
Why did you not remove the old bad felt? Is there a chance the old bad felt will rot the new felt?
Water rots the felt. Stop the water intrusion & stop the rot.
Hi, Dan, great video, very informative and instructional. One question, what is the best way to walk on these s-tile roofs like this without cracking them? Do you try to step at a certain spot on the tiles? Thanks!
Great video. In Australia, none of the houses I have had or seen seem to have felt - is that a US thing ?
I think with all the service people we have walking around on roofs here in the US, our decision makers realized we needed solid sheathing & felt underlayment or we would simply have too many leaks to deal with. I’ve worked on some of the older roofs here with open spaced sheathing & no felt & they require a meticulous repairman to get them all sealed up, but that’s after all the foot traffic on the roof.
@@MrThedocholiday I've actually had the problem with service people taking off tiles and punching a hole in the underlayment (we sometimes use sarking in Australia), and then just leaving the hole. Electricians and the phone company notorious for this.
Very good info. Thank you.
Thank you so much Dan!
Fantastic. Now I just need to find a place that sells the metal sheet and start roaming around the top of our roof so I can patch a gap I found a couple days ago (did a terrible hack from inside instead of a proper repair).