Roof Tile Clipping
An often overlooked cause of tile roof leaks.
Where are the roof tile clips?
The roof tile clips secure the roof tiles to the timber or steel battens, they clip on to the watercourse of the tile between the overlaps.
Why are they necessary?
The tile clips are also called cyclone clips, they are a part of the wind uplift rating for your roof, they prevent the tiles from dislodging and becoming airborne during extreme weather conditions.
If you have ever seen videos on the news of roofs with some or all tiles missing after extreme weather events, chances are it was possibly missing a section or all of the clips.
What is wind uplift?
Wind uplift is the suction created by wind forces as the air moves over the roof. The air pressure above the roof is less than that below and as the differential attempts to equalize, a suction is created that pulls at the roof area. The faster the wind, the more forceful the uplift will be. In extreme wind events, uplift can pull panels and tiles off the roof.
Different styles of tile clips?
There are 2 types of tile clips;
the newer style "spring-clips" which all new roofs use and the older "nail-style" clips which are hammered into the timber batten, a similar style was also used on metal batten roofs.
The nail-style tile clips are renowned for leaking 15-25 years after the roof was installed.
Does your roof have nail-style clips?
Somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of the roofs in QLD have the old nail-style roof tile clips, as new homes are built and roofs are replaced this number is becoming less.
Why do "nail-style" clips leak and how can you tell?
After 15-25 years dirt and debris from trees, flowers, pollens and concrete tile erosion can build up in the tile watercourse, the buildup creates a tiny damming affect, causing rain water to make contact with the tile clip which tracks down the clip and drips into the roof.
This issue becomes apparent when you find patches of black mould, small water stain patches or holes appearing on your ceiling, sometimes they look like circles. Roof insulation can often hide these leaks until the issue worsens.
If you are unsure it's best to call and have your roof checked by someone experienced.
How do you fix leaking tile clips?
If the problem is minor the affected clips can be removed/replaced, however once this problem starts it usually gets worse with time.
To correctly rectify the issue all roof tiles are removed excluding the highest 2-3 courses of roof tiles as they are secured beneath the ridge capping and cannot be lifted.
The old nail style clips are removed, debris is cleaned out from the tile channels, and the tiles are relayed with the new spring style clips.
Can I paint the roof instead?
Painting roof tiles will not stop the clips from leaking, sealer and paint is not a waterproof coating, the paint is not applied thick enough to seal between the tile joins, applying the paint this thick is a bad idea as water will always find a way in, if the tiles are sealed together the water has no way from escaping causing more leaks that are in fact worse than the original leak.
If you are planning to restore your roof it's a good idea to have your roof inspected by someone familiar with old roofs and the problems they can acquire, as many issues can be overlooked by house painters or handy-men.