Treanor Historic Preservation, Clay Tile Roof Repair

Clay tiles are among the oldest and most durable roofing materials. If properly maintained, clay tiles can last hundreds of years. Over time, clay tile fasteners can deteriorate and cause tiles to slip – or freeze/thaw cycles can cause them to break. When repairing a clay tile roof, contractors carefully remove and store historic tiles, repair underlayment, and re-install the historic tiles with new fasteners. They replace missing tiles with new tiles that match the color and profile of the historic tiles. To ensure the long-term preservation and beauty of a clay tile roof, property owners should proceed with a clay tile roofing project only in consultation with a preservation architect. It is essential that the tile roof repair be completed by a roofing contractor with experience in historic clay tile roof repair.

Often, clay tile roofs contrast with the color of the building’s overall exterior, as at the Pink House in Wellington (below). However, at the Butler County Courthouse, (top left), the historic roof tile and exterior brick match. In fact, the clay for both the roof tiles and brick came from the same source. When they determined the roof was in need of repair, the County hired Treanor Architects. The firm is working closely with the original clay tile manufacturer to find a match. Because the original source for the clay is no longer used, the standard color (left tile in above photo) does not match the original tile color (right tile in above photo). The firm is working to find a stockpile of salvaged tile to match. If a match cannot be found from salvage, the firm will work with the manufacturer to order custom tiles to match.

Case Studies

Historic Plaster Repair
Historic Masonry Repair
Historic Masonry Re-pointing
Historic Masonry Cleaning
Clay Tile Roof Repair