30 year old clay tile roof--??? (Sarasota, Naples: sales, HOA fees, insurance)

[movin-on-up!]

howdy fellow florida people!!!!

i am considering buying a house that has its original clay tile roof- it's 30 yrs old. not sure what shape it is in. but i understand that the life span of these is 30 - 50 yrs. does that sound right???

also what is cost to get a new clay tile roof ??? (1500 sf house, plus large lanai is under roof - so i guess total roof covers about 2000 sf)

also i heard there is some kind of treatment one could put on an old tile roof to extend its life. anyone know what this is called and what it costs??


thank you!!!!

movin on up!

[d4g4m]

There are many condo-villa communities in Sarasota that have tile roofs that are in the 20-25 year old range being replaced because of different reasons, mainly leaking. Lakeshore Village Clark Rd/Sawyer Rd replaced all the roofs last year and each owner was assessed $20,000 The units average 1600-1800 square ft. plus 450 square ft 2 car garage.
Another condo-villa community Crestview Wilkinson/Honore decided to coat the tiles with some kind of thick epoxy instead of replacing.
More than half the total cost of a new roof goes directly to workman comp insurance.

[dadeguy]

I have a 50 year old clay barrel tile roof with no sign of failing. replacement is about $12 a square foot here in miami. elastomeric paint is about $1 a square foot.

[imagardener]

When you make an offer deduct the roof replacement cost because you can be sure it needs replacement soon. We had a tile roof in Naples and only lost a few tiles with Hurricane Wilma. If you have a problem with 25% of the roof the whole roof should be replaced.

Get quotes from several places before making offer. Our replacement cost quotes were 200% apart (the Hispanic crew did a great job at lowest cost). Make sure they have insurance and license.

[imagardener]

[quote=d4g4m;9233697]There are many condo-villa communities in Sarasota that have tile roofs that are in the 20-25 year old range being replaced because of different reasons, mainly leaking. Lakeshore Village Clark Rd/Sawyer Rd replaced all the roofs last year and each owner was assessed $20,000 The units average 1600-1800 square ft. plus 450 square ft 2 car garage.
Another condo-villa community Crestview Wilkinson/Honore decided to coat the tiles with some kind of thick epoxy instead of replacing.
More than half the total cost of a new roof goes directly to workman comp insurance.[/quote]

This is one of the many (many) hidden costs with condo/villa ownership.

You don't make the decision to replace your roof and even if your roof is fine the board of directors (one of whom has a leaky roof) can make the whole community pay up so all the roofs match. Costly and perhaps financially impossible for many people.

[movin-on-up!]

hi guys! thanks alot for the responses. very helpful. i have alot to think about. i will check into the thick coating thingie. and also get a quote for a replacement tile roof.

have a great day!

[FLBob]

The tile is not the water-proof layer, the 90LB felt that is under the tile is the real water barrier.
An elastomeric coating is only a stop gap and will add a few years of life to the roof. A proper job will require completely sealing the tile so no water penetrates below the tile. There is also a foam coating that covers and seals, but requires periodic re-application of elastomeric every 5 years. The elastomeric protects the foam from UV breakdown.

I've had quotes for tile at about $750/sq. with a roof pitch of 5/12. steeper pitches will be more money.

[monkey182]

I have a 30 year old roof that was recently damaged in a wind storm. We purchased the house we would told it would hold up to anything but a warranty could not be given because the manfacture was out of business. I am sure there is a tile out there that would be of similar color match, but I am curious if the style and size might still be available out there even if the company is out of business?

[joeyddog]

My condo is replacing the tiled roofs on 1900sf(including garage) villas. Cost is under $10,000/per unit.Reason is cost of constant repairs on various units is getting excessive. Supposedly insurance rates will drop, passing insurance reduction onto owners via HOA fees. We'll see .My development is 25 years old.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by monkey182

I have a 30 year old roof that was recently damaged in a wind storm. We purchased the house we would told it would hold up to anything but a warranty could not be given because the manfacture was out of business. I am sure there is a tile out there that would be of similar color match, but I am curious if the style and size might still be available out there even if the company is out of business?

Don't trust the "warrantee" on roofs. They have so many outs you will never ever ever collect. You will lose all the paper work first of all before you ever try to collect. The manufacturer's will be out of business, or bought and sold several times making the original warrantee and the company that sold it to you impossible to recover from, and then it is only for the materials, and if the labor / installation was even slightly not installed correctly then they will void that. The "warrantee" on roofing is mearly a sales ploy.

That said - after 25 years, you should really do a throrough inspection, and expect to find water / moisture / rot damage to the substrate - which can happen for any number of reasons (and that will also void the warrantee). The substrate (most likely plywood) was manufactured a LONG time ago, and the engineering involved has improved substantially over the years, as has the code for installation, and the recognition of wind zones which now requires different nailing patterns and other nailing fastening, framing, clipping, and other requirements that were not required 25+ years ago. These have all definitely changed, and so a complete removal (including the felt paper) and a complete inspection should be done). When you develop a problem, of course - "if it isn't broke - don't fix it." These roofs are expensive, and installing a new expensive roof, should be done right, including making sure the substrate, framing, nailing, and all the other things are done right - your roofer is not the one to do the inspection either. He just wants to put the felt down, install the roof, and be done. Have an independent inspector review and inspect everything, and pay him enough so that he will do a complete job for you. I would recommend hiring an architect to do this. He will make sure that all the details are updated and the flashing details are done properly. Pay him to be there during the installation - it should only take one or two days. He is independent, and won't cut corners, and should help you write a contract that includes a complete scope of work, so you can avoid "extras" which should be included in the original scope of work, but were missed because you didn't know. The "extras" sometimes will cost more than the cost of hiring the qualified inspector.

Good Luck.
"Measure twice, cut once."