What Should You Do if Tiles Blow Off in a Storm?

First, make the area safe

Loose tiles can still fall. Keep people and pets away from the area under the damage, including paths, driveways and the garden below. If tiles have landed on a car, a conservatory or a neighbour's property, tell them. Pick up fallen pieces only when the wind has dropped, wearing gloves, since broken tiles are sharp. Do not go on the roof or lean a ladder against a damaged section. Our guide to checking roof damage safely explains how to look from the ground.

Record what you see

Take photographs before you tidy anything. Include the wider view of the roof, the gap, the tiles in the garden, and any damage to gutters, fences or cars. Note the date, time and the weather. Photograph inside the house too, if there is water. These records help a claim, and our page on insurer evidence after roof damage sets out what to gather. Keep broken tiles until the insurer says otherwise, as they show the break.

Check inside

Look in the loft if you can do so safely. Daylight through the roof, a wet patch on the felt or timbers, or dripping show that water is getting in. Look at the ceilings for new stains. If water is arriving, catch it and follow our guide to stopping a roof leak from inside. If water is near electrics, switch off the circuit at the consumer unit.

Why tiles blow off

Wind rarely strips a sound roof. Tiles blow off because of a weakness. The common reasons are:

• Rusted or missing nails and clips. Tiles are held by nails through a hole in the head and by clips on the lower edge. When the fixings corrode or were never fitted, a gust lifts the tile.
• Perished battens. Old or rotten battens do not grip the nails.
• Exposed positions. The ridge, the verge and the eaves face the most wind pressure and need extra fixing.
• Tile age. Brittle tiles crack and break away.
• Previous patch repairs. Tiles bedded in mortar or sealant fail before mechanically fixed ones.

This matters, because replacing the blown tile without finding the reason will not stop the next one going. Our guide to what wind speed damages a roof explains how wind loads vary around the roof.

How the roof is made good

First comes a temporary cover if the felt or battens are open, because rain will arrive before the repair does. Then comes the permanent repair. The roofer strips back to sound battens, replaces any rotten ones, and checks the felt. New tiles are fitted, matched as closely as possible in type, colour and age, and secured with nails and clips that suit the exposure. Where many tiles have gone along the ridge or verge, those edges may need re-fixing with mechanical systems. On an older roof, matching is not always perfect, and we will tell you if it is not. Where a patch is just a symptom of a tired roof, we show you the evidence so you can compare repair and replacement.

Matching old tiles

Finding a tile to match is often the slowest part. Concrete interlocking tiles are easy to source in most profiles. Clay plain tiles and old pantiles vary in colour and size, and a new one next to weathered ones will look different for a few years. Roofers keep a stock of reclaimed tiles for this, and may take tiles from a hidden slope, such as the back of the roof or a low extension, to patch a visible one. Slates are sorted by size and thickness. We tell you at the survey whether a good match is available.

If the roof is a listed building or sits in a conservation area, like-for-like repairs are normally fine, but check with the council's conservation officer if the materials or appearance will change.

Neighbours, scaffolding and access

Small repairs are done from ladders or a tower. A larger area, such as a run of tiles along the ridge, may need scaffolding, which affects cost and timing. Where tiles landed on a neighbour's property, tell them, and keep photographs. If the house is attached, your roofer may need access from next door, so a quick word helps.

What we do

We survey the damage, photograph every defect, and put a temporary cover on if the roof is open and the weather is poor. A repair price follows in writing, fixed. If a few tiles are the only issue and everything else on the roof is in good order, we say so. The wider range of repairs is listed under emergency and general roof repairs, and our page on storm damage to roofs covers the first steps after bad weather.