Tile roofs provide a specific look which homeowners in Naples, FL, tend to love. They give off a touch of elegance without appearing overly luxurious and fit in perfectly in warm weather climates. They are also quite popular as a result of how durable they are and how long they can last. The typical tile roof should last anywhere from 25 to 50 years. To ensure your tile roof lasts on the longer end of its potential life cycle, there are a number of things we do when installing a tile roof.
One of the reasons tile roofs may not reach the end of their potential life cycle is because of a lack of top flashing. Believe it or not, roughly 90 percent of all tile roofs in Florida were not installed with flashing. Flashing plays an incredibly important role when it comes to preserving the condition of your roof. Without flashing, rainwater will run under the tiles in areas where the roof meets walls, vents, chimneys, or skylights. When this happens, the only barrier between the rainwater and your home is the roof’s underlayment. Many roofers make the assumption the underlayment will be perfectly suitable for preventing water from leaking in; unfortunately, this is not the case.
As water leaks in through your tile roof and sits on the underlayment, the oil in the underlayment is going to begin separating, causing the underlayment to crack and deteriorate over time. Think of the Grand Canyon and how it has slowly widened over time as a result of exposure to water. This is the same concept. Now think about how much it rains in Florida. A lack of flashing will cause leaks within as little as five years and then require replacement before year 25. It’s also worth noting that while a tile roof may have a 50-year warranty, underlayments typically only have 1 to 30-year warranties.
Fortunately, here at Kelly Roofing, we not only install high-quality top flashing to prevent such leaks when installing new tile roofs, but we can also add top flashing to existing roofs. It may cost extra to add top flashing, but doing so will save you money in the long run. We import our top flashing from Germany and install it on boots, joints, vents, and valleys. Be sure to find out more about adding top flashing to your tile roof in Naples, FL, by contacting us at Kelly Roofing today.