Ridge Tile Blown Off Roof

Each tile has two predrilled screw holes.

Ridge tile blown off roof.

Long before a ridge tile blows off you would see this mortar coming loose in our case it took 25 years we heard it rolling down the roof during high winds. After hurricane andrew in 1992 our code system was completely redesigned. So when it does happen the extreme wind can catch a tile and blow it off the roof. Ridge tiles will only blow off if the mortar has already failed.

Even though it might just look like a few missing tiles there could be more damage than you can see. Contrary to common belief roofing tiles are not blown off a roof. It should have cement put underneath and then once laid into position the ridge tile should be pointed on the outside to fix it to the last row of tiles. The wind creates an upward force as it travels over the roof causing the tiles to be sucked upwards.

What you need to do first of all is get a decent ladder wear protective gear and get to the ridge. This is not strong enough to withstand water for long periods. We just don t get that much of it. If a wide screw or nail is used it will crack the tile.

Where one shingle tab blew off your roof you have a 1 in 3 chance that the missing shingle was sitting directly above an open seam between the shingles below. Even with roof felting in place water can also make its way between the felt s seams resulting in leaks. Tiles on the ridge and eaves of the roof are especially susceptible to wind. Now inspect the ridge tiles thoroughly and look out for the ones that have come out.

Tiles are designed to be installed using special stainless steel screws as per code. Now get rid of all the ridge tiles one by one. It is important to understand this subtle distinction in order to build a more secure roofing system. This leaves the roof susceptible to roof blow off in the event of strong winds.

Contact a professional roofer to assess the damage of the roof. It s more likely that the roofer who installed them didn t use the correct sand and cement mix as it seems to be a lost art these days. That s because this type of roof shingles standard 3 tab asphalt shingles are installed side by side with the next upper row of shingles covering the side seams between the lower row of shingles. Most arizona tile roofs aren t built to withstand extreme weather.

Broken ridge tiles and their replacement.