Karyn44

I'm ready to put a bid in a 100 year old home that has a terra cotta roof. They are not flat tiles but rather rounded, as if I had a cylinder and cut it in half. I have been looking for someone to inspect it and no one knows anything about them. How long do these roofs last?? What is underneath the terra cotta?? How can I determine it's integrity?? Are there any sites anyone knows of that I can read up on these? I have looked but haven't come up with much.

CraigFL

I consider terra cotta(barrel) tiles decorative. They virtually last forever although most places will say 50+ years. They need to be installed over a base that is waterproof and will last equally long. Because of their weight, roofs need to be built to support the extra load. I've seen 50+ year old roofs stripped of the tiles, a new base applied and the old tiles put back down. You should be able to find someone to inspect them for you by asking around for the specialty roof installers. They would do things like tile, concrete, slate-- maybe even shakes.