Everything New Homeowners Need to Know About Roofs

If your home has a tiled roof, you can add prolong its life and add kerb appeal to your property by painting the tiles.  A neatly painted tile roof can really add value to your house, which is an important consideration if you're planning on selling.  You can tackle this job yourself if you're fit and have some DIY experience, or you could choose to hire a professional roofer to do the job for you if you prefer. Here's a quick overview on how to paint your tile roof.

Preparation

To ensure a good result, it's important that you prepare properly for the job.  A dirty roof will not be easy to paint, and the end result will look messy.  Therefore, before you begin painting, you'll need to give the tiles a good clean.

The easiest and quickest way to do this is by using a pressure washer to get rid of any loose debris and dirt from the tiles.  Be careful that you don't direct the jet of water underneath the tiles as you could loosen or damage them.  Begin working from the apex of the roof and work your way down.  If the roof has lichen or moss growing on it, you'll need to apply a suitable chemical treatment and then rinse the tiles off again.

When the roof is clean, check it over for any damaged tiles that might need replacement.  Look out too for any loose or cracked mortar around the ridge caps.  This will need repair before you can begin painting.

Painting the tile roof

When choosing paint, bear in mind that lighter colours will reflect heat away from your home, and this could be an important consideration if you live in an area where the summers are hot.  You will probably need two coats of paint so calculate the area of the roof and make sure that you buy enough.

You can use a water-based paint for your tile roof, although if it has lost some of its colour, you may need to seal it first.  If the roof is quite small, you could paint it using a brush.  However, the quickest way of tackling the job is to use an airless spray gun.  Choose a still, dry, cool day for this job so that the paint doesn't get blown around as you apply it.

Always start painting from the apex of the roof so that you can catch any drips and move around the roof without walking through wet paint.

In conclusion

Painting your tile roof can make your home look great and make your roof last longer.  If you don't fancy taking on the job yourself, have a chat with your local roofing contractor for more information and an estimate.