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Spanish Colonial Revival home under a low clay tile roof, Fullerton, California

Photo library

Tile Roof Photos and Repair Examples

Photos of clay barrel, S-tile and concrete tile roofs, and of common tile roof repairs, so Orange County homeowners can put a name to what they see.

Reviewed

Tile stylesRepair examplesWork in progress

About these photos. Every photo is a real, openly licensed photograph used as an illustration. None shows work by this site or by any particular roofing company. Captions say what each photo shows and where it was taken when known. Credits and licenses

A tile roof is easier to talk about when you can point at it. These photos show the tile profiles found on Orange County homes, what wear and damage look like up close, and what a roof looks like while the underlayment and battens are being replaced.

When you have a name for what you see, use it to read an estimate line by line. The tile roof cost guide explains how each kind of work is priced, and the underlayment guide covers the layer that wears out first.

Gallery one

Tile Roof Styles

Clay barrel and mission tile, S-tile, flat and concrete profiles, in the colors and house styles they turn up on. Select a photo to see it larger.

Interlocking clay S-tile in raking light, Spain
Interlocking clay S-tile in raking lightSpain
A field of clay tile laid in tight, even courses, Spain
A field of clay tile laid in tight, even coursesSpain
Terracotta tile on a sandstone bungalow, with solar panels, Adelaide, Australia
Terracotta tile on a sandstone bungalow, with solar panelsAdelaide, Australia
Weathered clay barrel tile meeting at a hip, Turkey
Weathered clay barrel tile meeting at a hipTurkey
Barrel tile eave over exposed rafter tails and white plaster, Santa Barbara, California
Barrel tile eave over exposed rafter tails and white plasterSanta Barbara, California
Spanish Colonial Revival home under a low clay tile roof, Fullerton, California
Spanish Colonial Revival home under a low clay tile roofFullerton, California
Mission Revival house with red tile roofs (Canfield-Wright House), Del Mar, California
Mission Revival house with red tile roofs (Canfield-Wright House)Del Mar, California
Old handmade clay tile roof, Tamil Nadu, India
Old handmade clay tile roofTamil Nadu, India
Barrel tile eave over corbelled brick, Seville, Spain
Barrel tile eave over corbelled brickSeville, Spain
Glazed blue barrel tile, one of the less common colors, Isle of Wight, England
Glazed blue barrel tile, one of the less common colorsIsle of Wight, England
Red S-tile close up, showing how each piece laps the next, Avila Beach, California
Red S-tile close up, showing how each piece laps the nextAvila Beach, California
Bay window roofs finished in red clay tile, San Francisco, California
Bay window roofs finished in red clay tileSan Francisco, California

Gallery two

Repair Examples

What tile roof trouble looks like, grouped the way an estimate is written. Use them to put a name to what you see on your own roof.

  1. 01

    Broken, Slipped and Missing Tiles

    Cracked pieces, tiles that slid out of line and gaps that let sun reach the underlayment.

    Tile roof repair example: missing tiles leave the battens open to the sky, England
    Example: missing tiles leave the battens open to the skyEngland
    Tile roof repair example: newer replacement tiles patched into an older roof
    Example: newer replacement tiles patched into an older roof
    Tile roof repair example: chipped eave tiles and cracked mortar at a corner, Madeira, Portugal
    Example: chipped eave tiles and cracked mortar at a cornerMadeira, Portugal
    Tile roof repair example: a cracked barrel tile blown off a roof in a storm, Germany
    Example: a cracked barrel tile blown off a roof in a stormGermany
  2. 02

    Ridges and Hips

    The capped lines along the top and the corners, usually set in mortar or on a dry-fix system.

    Tile roof repair example: mortared ridge tiles with moss and lichen, Rapperswil, Switzerland
    Example: mortared ridge tiles with moss and lichenRapperswil, Switzerland
    Tile roof repair example: weathered hip line set in mortar, old tile beside newer tile, Portugal
    Example: weathered hip line set in mortar, old tile beside newer tilePortugal
  3. 03

    Flashing, Chimneys and Skylights

    Metal where the tile meets a wall, a chimney, a skylight or a pipe. Most tile leaks start here.

    Tile roof repair example: flashing being added under concrete tile at a skylight
    Example: flashing being added under concrete tile at a skylight
    Tile roof repair example: dome skylight set into a clay tile roof, Porto Moniz, Madeira
    Example: dome skylight set into a clay tile roofPorto Moniz, Madeira
  4. 04

    Valleys

    The channels where two slopes meet and carry the most water.

    Tile roof repair example: a long valley between two clay tile slopes, Padmanabhapuram Palace, India
    Example: a long valley between two clay tile slopesPadmanabhapuram Palace, India
  5. 05

    Moss, Lichen and Weathering

    Growth and grime that hold water on the tile and in the laps.

    Tile roof repair example: plants rooted between clay barrel tiles, Ferrel, Portugal
    Example: plants rooted between clay barrel tilesFerrel, Portugal
    Tile roof repair example: lichen and plants holding moisture in the laps, Ferrel, Portugal
    Example: lichen and plants holding moisture in the lapsFerrel, Portugal
    Tile roof repair example: moss and lichen on old barrel tile, Zamora, Spain
    Example: moss and lichen on old barrel tileZamora, Spain

Gallery three

Work in Progress

Underlayment going down, battens and tile going back on, and the stacks that wait on the roof. Scroll the reel sideways.

Underlayment and battens

Tile roof work in progress: Concrete tile going on over new synthetic underlayment and battens, Gulfport, Mississippi
Concrete tile going on over new synthetic underlayment and battensGulfport, Mississippi

Tiles off, tiles on

Tile roof work in progress: Roofers laying tile on new battens, France
Roofers laying tile on new battensFrance

Tiles off, tiles on

Tile roof work in progress: A roofer setting new tiles on battens near the ridge, Paris, France
A roofer setting new tiles on battens near the ridgeParis, France

Tiles off, tiles on

Tile roof work in progress: A roof half re-tiled, battens showing on the open side, Prague, Czech Republic
A roof half re-tiled, battens showing on the open sidePrague, Czech Republic

Roofers at work

Tile roof work in progress: Roofers working on a tile roof, Denver, Colorado
Roofers working on a tile roofDenver, Colorado

Roofers at work

Tile roof work in progress: A crew on a Spanish tile roof with a turret, New Orleans, Louisiana
A crew on a Spanish tile roof with a turretNew Orleans, Louisiana

Tile stacks and salvage

Tile roof work in progress: Clay barrel tiles stacked in a lot during a re-roof, New Orleans, Louisiana
Clay barrel tiles stacked in a lot during a re-roofNew Orleans, Louisiana

Tile stacks and salvage

Tile roof work in progress: New clay tiles staged on a tarp
New clay tiles staged on a tarp

Photo credits and licenses