Does painting a tiled roof help extend its lifespan?

[sjejani]

Hi Team,

I am considering painting my exterior but not sure if roof bricks need refresh too as it really increases the costs. Can you please advise if painting helps in improving the longitivity if the bricks? Attached a pic for your reference.

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @sjejani,

Painting roof tiles can help with longevity, but it is not always essential. It really depends on what the roof tiles are made of, concrete or terracotta and looking at them, they could be either, but concrete seems more likely.

If the tiles are terracotta, painting is rarely recommended. Terracotta does not accept coatings as reliably, and the coating can peel or flake later. Terracotta lasts a very long time on its own, provided the tiles are not broken.

Roof tile coatings are mainly useful for concrete tiles. Over time, concrete tiles lose their surface layer and become more porous. This can make them fade, absorb more moisture, and slowly weaken. A good quality roof membrane or roof paint can restore the surface, reduce porosity, improve water shedding, and protect the tile from further weathering. In that situation, painting can extend the life of the tiles and improve their appearance at the same time.

Your roof looks a little bit weathered, but I think it would be easy enough to just give it a clean, rather than painting it. I can't tell from the photos alone how weathered the actual surface of the tiles is.

Maybe it would be worthwhile having a roof restoration company come out and have a look and provide a quote. As roof restorations are specialised work, their opinion, having worked in the field, will be more valuable than mine.

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @AlanM52 and @Nailbag to see if they have any thoughts.

Jacob

[AlanM52]

Hi @sjejani,

The roof looks OK, same for the ridge tile pointing (yellow arrow) so all I would do is pressure wash the roof.

Start with the ridge tiles including the first row of roof tiles and then do the other side.

Be careful and don't blast the ridge tile mortar to reduce the chances of chunks breaking away.

Continue cleaning one side of the roof and work down towards the gutter.

I usually (or used too not allowed on ladders anymore) do two rows then work back the other way.

Your priority is safety!

Find a good location for the ladder on stable level surface, straight up and site evenly on the gutter.

Shoes need to have soles with good grip because you are working on wet cleaned tiles.

Keep checking where the hose is and what it's doing so you don't stand on it or trip over.

As you get to towards the gutter you may feel more secure dropping down on one knee.

Cheers

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @sjejani 

I think you roof looks to be in good nick, Maybe take a close look at pointing along the top edges ( @AlanM52  has mentioned the area nicely) But really I would pretty much keepp the money in your pocket.

That said, my mum just had her roof painted and repaired (tho I couldnt see any real issues and I know I am NOT a roofing specialist lol) She chose a colour that matches her trim around the patio and gutters and it came up really nice. It looks like new which is what I think she wa sreally after. 

It pretty much comes down to how you feel, how it looks and how all the pointing (joins along the crest, slopes) has held up.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @sjejani 

First and foremost when it comes to roof tiles, is that they are checked for cracks, Broken off corner sections and the condition of the mortar on all the ridge caps and that its all in place with no cracks. Any discrepancies here need to be addressed to ensure the house remains watertight.

I can see by the photo there are lots of areas of blackened tiles. A pressure wash would bring a new lease of life to them cosmetically and reduce the potential build up of moss (region dependant). This needs to be done with care though to ensure the high-pressure water stream doesn't cause more harm than good.

As far as spraying the tiles, though this is a good opportunity its to change the colour to something more modern especially if renovating, it does play a part in extending its life which, is a point @JacobZ mentioned. They are less likely to crack, reduce build up of debris and increase water runoff to the gutters. But I would class this stage as a luxury, unless renovating/preparing the home for sale.

If you ever decide to have the roof sprayed get several quotes and check what precautions the services off to protect all other areas of over-spray. A mate of mine fell victim to a new glass pool balustrade covered in over-spray as was some other areas.

For your reference I have attached a few photos of a roof I was doing a condition check on just last week showing samples of broken and cracked tiles, mortar breaking away and a small area I pressure-cleaned to highlight to the client the benefit of having her roof restored by a professional roof restoration service.

Nailbag