If you're renovating an old house that has a tile roof with several damaged tiles, you'll probably want advice from a roofing contractor about whether the roof needs to be replaced or if repairing the tiles is a suitable option. The choice may depend on whether the deck of the roof is in good shape or water damaged. Here are some points to consider.

Clay Tiles Can Often Be Repaired

If only a few scattered tiles are cracked or chipped, it might be better to repair them rather than replace the entire roof if cost is an important consideration. Clay tiles can be repaired by sealing the cracks or gluing the chipped piece back on with adhesive. The repaired area can then be touched up with paint so it blends in with the rest of the tile.

If there are many damaged tiles, the roofing contractor may recommend replacing the roof instead. While it might be possible to replace only the damaged tiles, it would be difficult to find tiles of the same color as your old weathered tiles. When you need to change several tiles, it could make your roof look unattractive if the new tiles aren't the same color.

Old Tiles Can Be Taken Off And Put Back On

If your roofer wants to remove the old tiles to repair a rotting deck, it might be possible to take the old tiles off and then reuse them. It's not uncommon to reuse clay tiles since they last so long. When your roofer looks for tiles to match an old roof, they may look for used, reclaimed tiles that have weathered over the years.

When repairing the deck, your roofer might take the old tiles off, replace the deck, put down the new underlayment, and then place the old tiles back on the roof. This wouldn't be suitable if the old tiles are not in good structural condition.

Different Roofing Can Replace Old Tiles

If your clay tile roof has a lot of damaged tiles due to severe storm damage, the old tiles will probably need to be replaced. However, you don't have to choose new clay tiles. Instead, you have the chance to put different roofing on.

Clay tiles are a good choice and they're durable, but they're also expensive. If you're renovating the house to flip it, you might want to switch to asphalt shingles since new shingles would still be appealing to potential buyers and they cost less. Let a roofing contractor check your roof first to determine if the clay tiles can be repaired or if they have to be replaced. Then you can find a solution that fits your budget and works with your renovation plans. 

For more information, contact a local roofing company.