If you’ve ever heard the phrase “just because you have a bag of tools they don’t make you a carpenter” then you’ll understand that often, even the simplest of jobs can grow arms and legs and become a nightmare for the DIY enthusiast.
There are lots of people who repair their own property when it breaks down and why not? It can sometimes be a nightmare to find the right tradesmen at the right price and often repairing your own roof or fixing your own washing machine can save a lot of money.
At Balmore Specialist Contracts our knowledge and expertise is our main asset and, although we will always recommend you get a professional to look at roofing problems as sometimes basic looking problems can have more serious consequences, our job is to offer value for money and great service.
So, if you have a broken tile – and assuming you have at least a basic knowledge of DIY and health and safety – here’s our guide on how to replace it:
Tools Needed:
- 2 Flat Bars or Pry bars
- Tile(s)
- Ladders
How to replace the tile:
- Slide your flat bar under the top right tile above the tile that is going to be replaced.
- Make sure that your bar is pointed in the same direction as shown here so that both of the tiles above the broken one are elevated. Be gentle with the tiles.
- Next slide a second flat bar under the tile located left of the tile you want to replace.
- Now that the surrounding tiles are no longer resting on the broken tile we can remove it.
- Most tile roofs are not nailed down*, instead the tiles have nubs that rest behind the small boards running horizontally under the tiles as shown above. Due to this fact you will need to lift up the back end of the tile in order to slide it out.
- Now slide your new tile‡ into place so that it rests securely behind the underlying boards.
- Remove the flat bars first the lower left one then the upper right.
Job Done!
*A steeper sloped roof is more likely to be nailed down, as are the bottom two courses of most roofs. If you need to pull nails from the problem tile or the adjacent tiles be very cautious about exerting pressure on the tiles when prying.
‡ If your new tile will stick out like a sore thumb due to discolouration of the old tiles, then take out a matching weathered tile in good condition from an out-of-sight-place on the roof and use to replace the broken one. Then use the new tile to replace the substitute one.
If you don’t want to undertake any roof repairs of your own, or perhaps the job may be a bit bigger than a single tile replacement, contact us to find out about our roof repair service in Glasgow.
