Roof Tile Broken Corner

There are four weak corners on an interlocking tile and any one could be affected.

Roof tile broken corner.

The high kinetic energy of the hail impact on the lower corner of the roof tile can cause a point load break or crack at the over lock corners. Broken roof tiles are easy enough to find and replace. In areas where the crack has led to a full horizontal or vertical break it is unwise to use adhesive to fix the crack. The most typical causes of roof cracks are foot traffic protruding nails from underneath and severe storms.

At the photo lower left corner you can see a pair of replacement clay tiles that have been put in place but more replacements are needed wherever a broken roof tile is found. Using an adhesive specifically formulated for concrete or clay roof tile follow the manufacturers instructions to form a complete bond along the fracture. It is generally advisable to replace tiles which have broken under locks. Our photo above left shows broken clay roof tiles a very common clay tile roof defect that is also a common leak source.

Many roofing tiles are designed with a longitudinal interlock to allow proper water shedding in order to match the current surface elevation. If the cover lock corner is broken less than 3 inches and the broken piece is available it may be possible to repair the corner by proper adhesive application. Vulnerable areas include roof valleys and areas of penetration. Using an adhesive specifically formulated for concrete or clay roof tile follow the manufacturers instructions to form a complete bond along the fracture.

Sometimes the hard part is getting up there so that you are in a position to make the repair. As soon as a corner breaks it reduces the effective headlap at that point allowing wind driven rain and water seeping up the surface of the tile by capillarity to breach the headlap.