Clay Tile Roof Staggered Cedar Shake Roof Tapersawn Cedar Shake Roof Concrete Tile Roof Roof Areas Asphalt Shingle Roof
Heavy Cedar Shake Roof Staggered Concrete Tile Roof Z Bar Wall Flashing Concrete Tile and Primary Wall Flashing Slate Roof Rake Wall Z Bar Flashing


Tile Eave To Rake Wall Installation

 

Below are step by step sketches and tips for the proper installation of Concrete Tile Roofing Materials and accessories at the Eave to Rake Wall/Side Wall Intersection using the proper Eave Flashing and Rake Wall/Side Wall Flashing.  The sketches below are showing what happens after the underlayment and the eave and rake metal drip edge have been installed.  The following web pages should be read and understood prior to reading this web page: Eave Framing/Trim Problems, Roof to Wall Intersections, Eave Roofing Material Installation, and Eave to Rake Wall Flashing.

 

2D Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 7a

The above sketch is what the Eave to Rake Wall Intersection should look like before a Concrete Tile Roof is installed and after the Metal Drip Edge and Underlayment have been installed and the Trim has been properly completed including the Vertical Blocking/Backing Material and Through the Wall (Z Bar) Flashing.  

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 8a

The Secondary Flashing at the Rake Wall for Tile Roofing is the (Pan) Flashing sometimes called "J" Metal. 

The Secondary (Pan) Flashing:

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 9a

Vertical Battens or Risers minimum 3/8" thick of decay resistant material or cedar are placed over the underlayment. 

Horizontal Battens do not need to be decay resistant since they do not set in water that sheds off the roof under the tile as the Vertical Battens do.  The minimum size for the Horizontal Battens is Nominal 1" x 2".  This minimum will increase in size depending on the City/County Criteria for Ground/Roof Top Snow Loads.  If the Snow Load Criteria is 30 pounds or less most any type of wood of Nominal 1" x 2" can be used for most concrete tile weighing 10 or 11 pounds per square foot.  Snow Loads that are greater will require larger dimensional lumber and may need to be of a certain species of stronger type lumber.

 Do not install wood with rot, large knots, sap wood, bark, or wane.  Also replace any that are broken or split.  This inferior wood reduces the deflection resistance and causes breakage of the Tile.  Plus it simply will not last as long as it should.

Vertical Battens:

Horizontal Battens:

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 10a

For most Flat Profile Tile, if using Nominal 1" x 2" Horizontal Battens, install a Nominal 2" x 2" piece of lumber at the Eave within 1" of the edge for an Eave Riser.  Using a Horizontal Batten that is the thickness of the Field Tile plus the thickness of the Field Horizontal Battens keeps the butts of the Tile in the first course on the same plane as the butts of the other Tile in the courses above.  For High Profile Tile an additional or sometimes alternative Eave Riser may be required.

Next install a Weather Blocking Metal Drip Edge over the Eave Riser Board. 

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 11a

The Tile roof can then be installed.  Most Colorado City and/or County Building Departments recognize that they are in high wind areas (100 mph 3-second wind gusts) and in snow load areas of 40 lbs. per square foot or more which then require the following for the attachment of Tile Roof Coverings:

The Tile installation sketch above looks complete.  Doesn't it?

No, it really is not completed at the Rake Wall.

Most Rake Walls, Skylights, and Chimneys look like this (see photos below) after just a few years, completely clogged with debris because there is rarely any Weather Blocking Material installed. 

 

Debris at Rake Wall Tile

Debris around Skylight Tile

 

The 2006, 2010, and 2015 Concrete and Clay Roof Tile Installation Manual for Moderate Climate Regions clearly states "Typically used in areas where debris can accumulate" referring to the illustration for the use of step flashing.  It also states "Openings at hips, ridges and head walls including chimneys, skylights, solar panels, and down slope horizontal abutments shall be fitted with weather blocking material to keep water on the surface of the field tile."

It is even more clearly stated in the 1997 Concrete and Clay Tile Roof Design Criteria Manual for Cold and Snow Regions "Flashing for tile roofs must do more than just keep water out of the building; it must also keep water out from under the tile....Along walls, a water proofing membrane shall be used from the deck up the walls 6 inches.  The tile surface shall be flashed to prevent water from getting below the tile.  This is critical in snow areas since the tile can be lifted by the collection of ice below the tile."

More than enough rain and snow, debris and critters get in under a Tile roof through the field.  Why make it even easier at rake walls when every other roof area opening requires a Primary Flashing of some type to keep water on the surface of the tile.  For that matter, for all other roofing materials, the roof flashing at Rake Walls is installed to keep water on the surface of the field roofing material.  Tile is no different.  The Primary flashing is the (Step) Flashing and is the best way to keep as much of the water on the surface of the Tile while stopping most debris and critters from gaining an entrance.  

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 12a

Install (Step) Flashing to serve as the Primary Flashing to keep as much water as possible on the surface of the Field Tile.  For profile tile a malleable metal must be used to form to the curvature of the tile.  

Primary (Step) Flashing:

 

2D Tile Z Bar Eave to Rake Wall 13a

Now this Tile Eave to Rake Wall Installation is correctly completed.  It not only looks very good but looks finished.  No gaps or unfinished edges, and it will stay looking that way for years with superior performance compared to the Tile installations without Primary (Step) Flashing, Through the Wall (Z Bar) Flashing, and Eave Weather Blocking Metal Edge.

 

Visit our Roof Inspection Services web page and the many other web pages throughout this website to find
answers to your roofing questions and solutions to your roofing problems.

 

Page Revised/Updated 2/27/2023