Construction defects in tile roofs

Construction defects in tile roofs can involve dampness or safety hazards, and figuring out how serious the problem is means getting to the root of it. Dampness in a tile roof is unfortunately common, and because these defects often sit somewhere out of view, they can go unnoticed for a while.

That is why both a home inspection (bedek bayit) and a building inspection matter here, for dampness in a tile roof and for tile-roof defects generally.

Dampness defects in a tile roof

When you inspect a house, don't skip the roof. It is the part most exposed to weather, and it has to bear real loads: water collecting in winter, which is why waterproofing against leaks and penetration matters, and the weight of solar water heaters or other fixtures often placed on it.

Because the roof frame is part of the building's structural frame, checking it is part of a building inspection. Defects there can be a cosmetic problem, but worse, they can cause serious damage to the house. Here we focus on defects specific to tile roofs, dampness among them.

Home inspection for construction defects in a tile roof

A home inspection of a tile roof should check:

– Whether a gutter and downspout system is in place. Israeli Standard (SI) 1556, Lightweight Roof Covering (1994), requires one, though the engineer has discretion over the connection and installation details. Downspouts must protrude above the tiles so they collect runoff properly. A missing or faulty system lets water pool and work its way into the roof's inner layers.

Gaps between tiles: tiles should sit with no gap between them at all, since a gap lets water into the roof's inner parts. Tiles today are designed specifically to prevent that.

Broken tiles: a serious defect that exposes the roof frame to the weather and weakens it further.

– Loose or unfastened tiles: the Israeli Standard requires fastening every tile around the roof's perimeter and 25% of the rest (SI 1556, section 301), to keep the roof strong and stop tiles from coming loose or falling. A roof inspection has to check this.

A recurring problem in tile roofs is a poor connection between two sections of roof: the seam between them needs galvanized sheet metal over it, or water will leak through into the house.

These are only some of what gets checked during a tile-roof inspection. A building inspection also looks at the wind box (missing or faulty), thermal insulation (missing or defective), sawn wood elements that are unmarked or unclearly marked, and whether wood elements and wind boxes are protected against pests.

A tile roof carries real aesthetic value, but more importantly, any defect in it tends to cause damage that only gets worse with time. Israel has detailed standards covering these defects and others, binding on every building contractor without exception.

Many of these issues lead to dampness and other problems that hit both your wallet and your quality of life. It is worth bringing in a home inspection company for any defect in how the house was built, so nothing falls through the cracks and you are not left to bear the consequences yourself.

With tile roofs and the dampness they are prone to, that is even more true. Do not compromise on quality or safety: we are available at every stage.