Installation of ceramic tiles
The use of modern ceramic tiles to close the roof involves taking into account a number of requirements related to the significant weight of the roofing material used. With all the undoubted advantages of this type of coating (such as, for example, reliability, durability and originality), the installation of ceramic tiles can be made only on pre-reinforced truss structures.
Due to the large weight of the natural material, it is allowed to lay ceramic tile only on the roofs, the slope of which does not exceed values ranging from 12 to 50 degrees. At high angles of inclination, the need arises to strengthen the truss system by using additional elements that increase the rigidity of the entire structure as a whole.
Foundation preparation
After strengthening the rafter system and immediately before laying the ceramic tile, you will have to perform a series of standard operations related to the arrangement of the so-called “roofing pie”.
The list of these measures traditionally includes the following standard operations:
- preparation of waterproofing to protect the entire structure from moisture and to avoid fungal infections of wood;
- arrangement of thermal insulation coating that additionally protects the roof against heat leaks through the “cold bridges”;
- laying of the vapor barrier layer, due to which the roof will be reliably protected from condensate.
Waterproofing protection is needed when the angles of inclination of the roof to 22 degrees. When calculating the material requirements (taking into account all necessary allowances), the total area of the slopes should be simply multiplied by 1.4.
To fix the waterproofing layer on the rafter beams, you can use a special stapler used to secure the roll materials. In this case, the size of the overlap of each subsequent layer to the previous one should be at least 10–15 cm.
In order to avoid heat loss through the roofing structure, it will be necessary to lay a layer of insulation under the waterproofing, which can be used as mineral wool or foam plates. When forming this layer of the “roofing pie”, it will be necessary to provide for ventilation gaps created artificially. Such gaps can be formed in the intervals between thermal insulation and waterproofing (by building up the elements of the batten) or by mounting the so-called counter lattice.
When preparing the batten itself, it should always be remembered that it will be the tiles that will be laid in the future, so that the distance between the individual bars should be chosen taking into account the size of the tile sheet.
When arranging the roof should not be overlooked and the question of its vapor barrier, since the presence of condensate in the area of insulation significantly reduces the effectiveness of thermal protection. For reliable protection of the insulation layer from the destruction by condensate, the overlap of the vapor barrier film within 10? 15 cm is quite enough.
Stacking procedure
Before starting the installation work, first of all you will need to raise the entire prepared tile to the roof; at the same time, due to the large weight of the material, external assistance is required. Upon completion of lifting the tiled sheets, they should be spread out in small piles (3 × 4 sheets each) evenly over the roof surface, which allows avoiding deformation of the batten under the weight of the temporarily stored material.
In accordance with generally accepted rules, tiled sheets are laid on all roof slopes simultaneously with alternation every two to three rows.
One-sided laying of sheets on any of the pitched structures can lead to an uneven distribution of loads on the base elements, which creates the risk of damage to the latter.
The construction instruction for the installation of natural tile contains typical requirements for the order of its installation, produced in the direction from the overhang of the roof to its ridge and from left to right. This procedure involves the formation of the lower row of tiles, laid out along the eave of the roof, without fixing it on the truss base (batten). This technique allows you to adjust the position of the elements of the cornice strip when laying the next row.
When forming individual parts of the roofing, we advise you to pay attention to the following details:
- For fixing the first and second rows, it is best to use special galvanized screws.
- Do not forget to leave in the area of the eaves overhang a small ventilation gap (about 1.5–2 cm) used to ventilate the under-roof spaces.
- For reliable fastening of the eaves and ridge rows of tile covering, it is desirable to provide for them several additional attachment points.
Adjacent to the chimney
Even at the stage of placing the waterproofing, the material used is neatly trimmed and inserted onto the wall of the chimney adjacent to the laying plane. After that, it can be mounted on the wall in any way convenient for you.
Directly near the chimney, the tile is laid with a small gap (about 2? 3 cm). To obtain a reliable junction, you can use a special corrugated tape made of aluminum or copper, painted the color of the tile. In this case, with the help of a segment of tape of the required length, the front part of the pipe is first closed (with a small overlap), after which the same operations are repeated for its lateral sides.
Experts believe that to protect the back of the pipe, it will be safer to use two bands at once, combined into one with a small overlap. Strengthening the protective layer on the back of the chimney will allow you to get a very reliable connection, eliminating the possibility of rain and snow inside the structure.
Read more about the installation procedure below:
Arrangement of roofing
When arranging tile covering in the area of the roofing ridge, the main attention should be paid to proper placement of material in the area of the ridge beam. Special tiled blanks (slats) are used for the decoration of the ridge zone, which make it possible to round off the upper edge of the roof, thereby ensuring reliable coupling of all the elements of the coating.
Individual blanks of the ridge zone are fixed on the elements of the batten with screws (self-tapping screws) of a suitable size.
The position of each ridge rail is chosen so that there is a gap of about half a centimeter between it and the sheets of tile being laid.
Note that such ridge blanks should be mounted on top of a special sealing tape that allows you to create a small gap necessary for ventilation of the roofing spaces. In addition, each individual rail is mounted on the supporting structure with a small bracket that is included with the ridge cover. At the end of their installation, special additional elements are installed, covering the end of the ridge.
We also recommend reading the articles:
How to make waterproofing roof
How to lay a vapor barrier
How to insulate the roof from the inside
Video
Details of the installation of ceramic tiles are discussed below: