Dry hip tile system versus wet (mortar)

[SenileGit]

I've been investigating dry hip tile systems for the past few days, because my hip tiles' mortar is crumbling and cracking all along the length of the hip, and when I was up there yesterday, I was able to pull six inch lengths of it out with my hands, leaving a powdery surface on the remaining mortar under the tile, which I don't think will allow new mortar to adhere very well.
Building standards were changed in 2015 (in the UK) to say that a mechanical fixing (such as a dry hip tile system) has to be used from now on, even if mortar is also used.
I have watched many Youtube videos about various dry systems and most of them have negative comments, some saying that mortar is 'just as fast', 'looks better', etc. but no real arguments are given by these people as to what is wrong with dry systems.

For a start, mortar is HEAVY. I have two hips about 7m long. I imagine a metre of roof's mortar on a hip is probably 10kg in weight (I'm sure roofers can give me a more accurate figure), so a dry system would surely reduce the total weight on my roof by 100kg or even more. Then there is the fact that mortar will crack as the wood in the roof moves due to temperature changes, and eventually the mortar will need replacing, which is a time consuming job. With a dry system, any failures can be much more easily repaired - for example, if a plastic clip fails somehow, it takes a few seconds to remove the screw holding it in place, and insert a new one. Many dry systems come with plastic trays which go on top of the ridge roll, so you not only have the existing tiles keeping the roof dry, but any water that somehow manages to get through to the underside of the tile, is unable to get past the plastic trays.

So all I can see are advantages in the dry systems, and no benefits at all in mortar systems - can anybody chime in with their two penneth on this, are there problems with the dry systems that I haven't noticed?

 

[noseall]

Conv2

• noseall
• 6 Feb 2022

We have gone 'dry' recently. Absolute boon not having to worry about wet work (weather, shrinkage cracks etc). No dramas on the hip below...

Key

• noseall
• 12 Feb 2022

 

[blup]

So all I can see are advantages in the dry systems, and no benefits at all in mortar systems - can anybody chime in with their two penneth on this, are there problems with the dry systems that I haven't noticed?

They have the advantages that you mention, but traditional hip tiles just look much better i.e. blend in with the tiles.

Blup

 

[noseall]

They have the advantages that you mention, but traditional hip tiles just look much better i.e. blend in with the tiles.

Blup

Aesthetically, mortar is more pleasing - initially. As with every cement based bedding - it cracks and attracts muck and moss. As I have said many times, who really studies their roof in any case. I like mechanically fixed ridge especially the fact that you drill and fix the ends or starter ridge. Always the first mortared ridge to get blown off in strong winds.

 

[^woody^]

A dry hip on flat tiles can look nice.

The problem comes with deep profiled tiles when there can be some slight undulating of the line of the hips, even with trays.

 

[datarebal]

Mortar all the way...done well

 

[SenileGit]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I had to replace a broken tile that was right next to a hip tile yesterday, and because the hip tile was attached using mortar, it took me about an hour to do what would have taken five minutes if it was a dry system. I had to chip out multiple amounts of mortar from under the hip tile before I could remove the top part of the broken tile, then I had to mix new mortar and put it under the hip tile after I replaced the broken tile. If it was a dry system I would only have had to undo two screws to remove the hip tile completely (I didn't have to remove the hip tile in this case, just the mortar that was holding in the broken tile beneath it, and holding in the tile above that one, which I obviously had to lift a little in order to remove the broken tile below it.)
I have to say that nobody, literally nobody is going to be looking at hip tiles to see if they are perfectly straight - except for a roofer! I didn't ever look up at my roof until several years after moving into the house, when I had to go onto the roof to fit a new aerial, it was then that I noticed the problem with the mortar on the hip tiles.
But what I did discover while removing the old mortar yesterday, was that the tiles that are under the hip tiles don't have much space between them - I would probably have to cut every single tile that reaches the hip if I wanted to put a dry system in, so I'm just going to replace the broken mortar as and when it needs it - there are two other places with broken mortar that I could pull out with my fingers, and all of the rest of the mortar on both hips has very visible cracks all along its length. I am sure whoever did it used the wrong mix. It isn't rocket science, I used 1 cement to 4 sand when I replaced the mortar, and I can see it looks different (better, more solid) than the existing mortar.

 

[tell80]

As he has "said many times, who really studies their roof"?
Well how about prospective house buyers, the majority of whom love a traditional house appearance?
Or Estate agents who stress the traditional features of houses?

The names of the fittings you failed to notice or understand the purpose of are called Hip Irons and Ridge Irons.
They are also traditional and very noticeable especially when shaped as decorative features.

 

[Nige F]

The names of the fittings you failed to notice or understand the purpose of are called Hip Irons and Ridge Irons.
They are also traditional and very noticeable especially when shaped as decorative features.

You have a model of a chicken on your ridge ?......no, sorry it's a cock