Why tiles come loose
- Wind lifting tiles that were never fixed down
- Fixing nails rusting through
- Frost cracking older tiles
- Battens rotting underneath
- People walking on the roof
How urgent is it?
The felt beneath your tiles is a backup. Exposed to sun and rain it becomes brittle and tears, and then water reaches the timber. Treat a missing tile as a job for this week.
What the repair involves
The tiles around the gap are lifted, the felt and battens are checked and replaced if needed, and a matching tile is fixed in. Profile matters more than colour, because a tile of the wrong shape will not sit flat.
When it is more than one tile
Tiles slipping all over one slope suggest the fixings or battens are failing generally. Ask to see photos of what is under the tiles before deciding between a repair and re-tiling the slope.
Leave the ladder alone
Walking on tiles breaks them. For anything higher than a porch, a roofer with the right access is the safer choice.