How to spot a problem tile
- A tile or slate visibly lower than the row it belongs to.
- A gap in the roof showing dark felt or bare battens.
- Broken pieces of tile in the gutter, on a flat roof or on the ground.
- Cracked or chipped tiles you can see with binoculars from the garden.
- A damp patch on a bedroom ceiling or in the loft after rain.
Please don't climb up to look. Tiles are slippery and fragile, and a fall from roof height is serious. Photos from the ground or an upstairs window are all we need to start.
Why tiles slip
Nails and fixings fail
Many older roofs were fixed with iron nails that rust through over decades. Once the nail goes, the tile is held only by its nibs hooked over the batten, and wind or frost can nudge it out of place.
Battens rot
If water has been getting past the felt, the timber battens that tiles hang on can soften and break. Then several tiles in a row tend to slip together.
Storms and wind uplift
Strong gusts can lift tiles, particularly at verges, eaves and near the ridge. Tiles that were never mechanically fixed are most at risk.
Frost damage and impact
Older clay and some concrete tiles absorb water; when it freezes, faces can flake or crack. Falling branches, aerials and careless footsteps from other trades can break tiles too.
How roof tile replacement is done
For a single tile, the tiles above are gently lifted with wedges, the damaged tile is removed and any old nail cut out. The felt and batten are checked. A matching replacement is hung on the batten and secured, often with a tile clip or hook because the nail holes are hidden under the course above. Slates are usually refixed with a copper or stainless slate hook or a tingle. It's a quick job when the surrounding roof is sound.
Matching matters. Tiles come in many profiles and colours, and older ones may be discontinued. We'll source the closest match, sometimes reclaimed, so the repair blends in.
When it's more than one tile
If tiles keep slipping in the same area, the cause is usually underneath. That calls for stripping a section, replacing battens and felt, and relaying the tiles. If the ridge tiles at the top are loose too, that's a separate mortar job covered on our ridge tile repointing page. And when slipping is happening all over the roof, the fixings and battens may have reached the end of their life; our roof replacement page explains when a re-roof makes more sense.
What affects the cost
We don't publish prices because tile repairs vary so much. The main factors are:
- How many tiles need replacing, and whether they're together or spread out.
- Where they are: low eaves are easy, mid-slope on a tall house is not.
- Access: a roof ladder may do, or scaffold may be needed.
- Whether matching tiles are readily available.
- The condition of the felt and battens underneath.
If scaffold is needed anyway, it's sensible to have the rest of the roof checked while it's up, so any other small faults can be dealt with in the same visit.
Can I do it myself?
Working at height without the right access equipment is dangerous, and it's easy to break more tiles than you fix by walking on them. For anything above a low single-storey roof, it's a job for a roofer.
If water is already coming in
A slipped tile is a common cause of leaks, but not the only one. If you've got a stain and can't see an obvious gap, our roof leaking page explains how the source is traced.
Need it sorted? Book a roof repair
We cover Somerset and Devon, within about 50 miles of Taunton. See our roof repair service, call 07399 680142 or request a free written quote.