Tile fixing - Do you nail every tile?

[Ben100]

Hi all, I’ve been reading about tile fixing and have found some contradictory information out there.

 

Some are saying you just need to nail the 2 eaves rows and then every 3 or 5, while other information says you need to nail every tile. My tile manufacturer states “BS 5534 states that all interlocking tiles must be mechanically fixed.”.

 

Does this just depend on the type of tile?

[SuperJohnG]

Why not nail everything? Its a roof male sore it's done proper. 

 

My roofers are nearly finished doing mine, 10000 slates all double nailed but it's solid. 

[James Newport]

With slates you have to nail every one because they'd slide off otherwise. But interlocking concrete tiles have a ridge at the top that hooks over the batten, and then the weight of the tiles above holds the row below down, and so on.

 

On my nineteen sixties roof that I stripped, not a single concrete tile was nailed, although they had used tile clips(although I think these are just to stop the tiles rattling in high wind). But according to Marley - who made my new tiles - everything tile has to be nailed these days. Apparently it's windier than it used to be. You're also supposed to have double fixings at certain places, such as the eaves or the verge e.g. a nail *and* a tile clip. The tile manufacturer will provide a guide about exactly what they want. 

 

But the problem with nailing every single tile is that it's much harder to swap out tiles if one gets broken. So it's a choice between following the guidelines to the letter, or being pragmatic and making life simpler in the future if a tile ever needs to be replaced. 

 

One thing to definitely bear in mind is your location. There are different zones for wind strength around the UK. So here down south my original un-nailed roof survived for 60 years, but if it had been up in Scotland it might have been a different story. 

[Temp]

Marley say..

 

https://www.marley.co.uk/blog/what-are-the-fixing-requirements-of-bs-5534

 

[Ben100]

I'm using plain clay tiles, which have a batten lip, on a 30 degree pitch roof. I also live in the East of England in zone 1.

 

If I need to pin each one I will, I just don't want to do unnecessary work

 

Here are the tiles https://edilians.co.uk/media/productattach/t/e/technical_brochure_-_20x30_-_2020.pdf

Edited September 6, 2021 by Ben100

[joe90]

I think it depends on the exposure where you are, altitude, direction of wind. I have come across examples of everyone one to none. My last house with plain tiles had every 6th row nailed ?

[Ben100]

I'll play it safe and fix each one, with two nails at the edges.