Load check
Rafters or trusses are confirmed before tile is ordered so the roof does not sag over time.
Tile Roofing
Tile Roof Installation Westfield, NJ
A roofer in Westfield can install a clay or concrete tile roof, starting with a check that the framing can carry the weight and finishing with the flashing, ridge and eave details that keep it dry. Dial (908) 728-6005 to talk with a local roofer about a new tile roof.
Tile is one of the heaviest roofing materials a house can carry, so a tile roof installation starts below the roof. Because tile is so heavy, homes converting from shingles usually need the framing checked, and some need reinforcement first. Houses designed for tile already account for that load in their framing.
The tile choice comes next. Clay tile is fired, keeps its color for a very long time and is lighter than most concrete tile, while concrete tile comes in many profiles and slowly fades as its surface weathers. Profiles run from flat tiles that look like slate or shakes to S-shaped tile and two-piece barrel tile.
The tile may last generations, but the layers below it decide when the roof leaks. Codes typically allow tile on slopes down to 2.5 in 12, with two layers of underlayment required on slopes under 4 in 12. Picking a durable underlayment at the start pushes the first relay decades down the road.
Many tile roof installation calls in Westfield also turn up a need for tile roof replacement or roof installation.
Need tile roof installation in Westfield? Call (908) 728-6005 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The tile roof installation process
Here is how a roofer usually installs a tile roof.
Plan for the load
Before ordering tile, the load on the rafters or trusses is checked, reinforcement is planned if needed and the permit is filed. It is smart to keep a stack of spare tile from the same batch for future repairs.
Dry in the roof
Solid sheathing is inspected and renailed, then the roof is dried in with underlayment, doubled where the slope calls for it. The underlayment is the true waterproof layer, so this step deserves the most care.
Install battens
Horizontal battens give each row of tile something to hang on and set the exposure of every course. The gap under the tile also helps heat escape before it reaches the deck.
Flash the details
Flashing goes in at valleys, sidewalls, headwalls, skylights and pipes, sized for the deep profile of tile. Flashing for tile is built for the depth of the tile, which is why shingle flashing details do not carry over.
Lay the tile
Tile goes on from the eave up, with an eave closure to keep birds out and fasteners or foam adhesive chosen for local wind requirements. Cut edges at valleys and hips are fitted and secured carefully.
Finish the ridge
Hips and ridges are capped, often with a mechanically fastened system that allows ridge ventilation. Before the crew packs up, cracked pieces are swapped out.
What is included
What tile roof installation includes
Tile fastening
Each tile is secured to the deck or battens so tiles stay put in strong wind.
Valley metal
Valleys, walls, chimneys and pipes get flashing sized for tile which is where tile roofs usually leak.
Eave closures
The first course gets an eave closure and the ridge gets capped to complete the system.
Underlayment system
The deck is covered with underlayment suited to the slope as the real barrier against water.
Related service
Barrel Tile Roof Installation Westfield, NJ
A barrel tile roof uses two pieces per course, a pan tile that channels water and a curved cover tile that caps each seam. Each tapered tile overlaps the one below it, and the deep shape throws the strong shadow lines that give the roof its look. The open curves at the eaves and ridges must be closed so birds, wind and rain cannot get in.
For barrel tile installation on a Westfield home, each cover tile is secured with nails, wire ties, clips or foam adhesive, depending on the slope and wind rules. Pans and covers have to run in straight lines with even exposure, which takes careful layout before the first pan goes down.
Related service
Spanish Tile Roof Installation Westfield, NJ
Most Spanish tile today is one-piece S tile, which mimics the classic two-piece look while going on faster. Clay and concrete Spanish tile are both common, in solid and blended colors. Side interlocks help it shed water, though the curved ends need bird stops and ridge closures just like barrel tile.
A Spanish tile roof on a Westfield home starts with the same foundation as any tile roof: sound framing and a solid underlayment. Flashing around chimneys, walls and skylights has to be shaped to the S curve, often with formed metal or a flexible flashing material. With a color blend, tile is drawn from several pallets as it goes up so no area looks patchy.
Local help
Tile Roof Installation Near Me
Around Westfield, tile is installed on new construction designed for its weight and on existing homes being upgraded. In Westfield and neighboring communities including Garwood, Cranford, Mountainside and Fanwood, the biggest variable on a conversion is whether the existing framing can carry tile, and storms that bring strong wind make fastening choices as important as the tile itself.
Searching for tile roof installation near me from Westfield or Garwood, Cranford, Mountainside and Fanwood? Call (908) 728-6005 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
Roofs in this climate
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. Most homeowners in Westfield, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Drier ceilings
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Westfield
Roofers in Westfield know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Tile Roof Installation questions
Can tile go over old shingles?
Tile goes onto a clean deck, so the old roof comes off first. Tear-off exposes the decking so rotted boards can be replaced and the new underlayment can lap correctly.
How heavy is a tile roof?
Tile weighs several times as much as asphalt shingles, with concrete tile usually the heaviest. A home framed for shingles needs a structural check before switching, and some need added framing. Lightweight concrete tile is an option for some homes that fall short of the load for standard tile.
Should I choose clay or concrete roof tile?
The choice comes down to priorities. Clay keeps its color through the tile, is lighter than most concrete tile and can last for generations. Concrete tile comes in many profiles and finishes, but it is heavier, absorbs more water and its color fades over time.
How long does tile roof installation take?
Expect more time than a shingle job, since each tile is placed and fastened by hand over more layers. Steep pitches, many hips and valleys and a structural upgrade all add time. The roof is dried in with underlayment early, so the house is protected while tiling continues.
What underlayment goes under a tile roof?
Options include heavy felt, synthetic sheets and peel-and-stick membranes, often doubled on lower slopes. Because the underlayment is what fails first on most tile roofs, it is not the place to cut corners. On slopes below 4 in 12, code requires two layers.
More questions? Call (908) 728-6005
Often needed together
Tile Roof Replacement
Tile roof replacement that strips the roof to the deck, renews the underlayment and flashing and puts sound tile back on, with salvage of good tile wherever it makes sense.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreTile Roof Inspection
An inspection of a tile roof from the ridge to the attic, with a written report of what needs attention now and what can wait.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Roof ventilation work that keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Westfield roofer about tile roof installation
Call (908) 728-6005 for a local roofer in Westfield and nearby towns.