How To Walk On Clay Tile Roof

Image showing how concrete tiles are installed on a roof.

How to walk on clay tile roof.

Most concrete tiles are lifted a little off of your roof and sit on wood batten strips creating a gap under the tiles for ventilation. Whether a structure has an asphalt shingle metal clay or concrete tile roof walking on the roof for seasonal inspections and cleanings is inevitable. When you walk on your roof make sure you are walking on the reinforced part the lower third of the visible tile. The basic guide to walk on clay tile roof is similar to guide on how to walk on roof tiles but you need to add extra carefulness.

Steps where the roof tiles are overlapped with each. You ll have to go up on your roof periodically to clean the surface and make repairs. If you don t apply the right technique you can easily cause breaking and even the potential for you to seriously be hurt. Walk on your tile roof very carefully.

Here are the applicable steps to prevent and minimize damage for clay roofing materials. Clay and concrete tiles are a great roofing material since they re more durable than shingles but they can break or crack if you apply too much pressure while you re walking on them. Tile roofs are usually made of red claylike materials although they can also be made from cement. Tile roofs are made in the traditional roman style with rounded tiles and overlapping edges.

You want to walk on that overlapping. Essentially with each step place the heel of your foot in the gap between tiles roll the arch over the tile and end up with your toe in the next gap. Before you can start walking you need to understand a little more about roofs in general. Wear anti slippery shoes because clay tiles are infamous for being slippy.

However when it comes to tile roofs in particular there is a proper way to walk on the tiles in order to avoid damage. Instead transfer your weight gradually as you walk and curve your step with the arc of the tile as it falls. A normal walk is not generally the best approach upon a tile roof. Walking on a roof can be an unsettling affair doubly so for tile roofs.

While it s usually best to stay off your roof if possible you can still walk on the tiles if you need to make repairs. Often times roof tile manufacturers do not. The key to walking on a tile roof is distributing your weight over and area wider than your foot.