Tile Roof Leak Repair - Missing Tiles, Blocked Valleys, Worn Underlayment

Roof leaks rarely start big. Usually it's something that looks minor - a couple of missing tiles, a valley that's gotten a little clogged, underlayment that's just worn out from years of sun and rain. But left alone, that small issue turns into water getting under the deck, into the framing, and eventually into your ceiling. That's exactly what we were dealing with on this job.

We tracked down three separate problems working together. Missing tiles had left sections of the underlayment exposed. The valleys - where two roof planes meet and water funnels together - were blocked and not draining the way they should. And the underlayment itself had degraded to the point where it wasn't doing its job anymore. Any one of those on its own is a problem. All three together? That's a leak waiting to happen with every rain.

Here's what we did. We pulled the tiles in the affected areas, replaced the worn underlayment with fresh material, and cleared out the valleys so water can actually move off the roof the way it's designed to. Then we matched the tile and set everything back in place. Getting the tile match right matters - a patch that looks like a patch is a patch done halfway.

Tile roofs are built to last a long time, but they do need attention when something goes wrong. The tile itself is tough, but the system underneath - the underlayment, the flashing, the valleys - those components are what actually keep water out. When one of them fails, the tile above it isn't enough to save you.

If you're seeing water stains on a ceiling, noticing tiles that look off, or just haven't had your roof looked at in a while, don't sit on it. Small roof issues don't stay small.