As soon as a corner breaks it reduces the effective headlap at that point allowing wind driven rain and water seeping up the surface of the tile by capillarity to breach the headlap.
Roof tile broken corner.
In areas where the crack has led to a full horizontal or vertical break it is unwise to use adhesive to fix the crack.
Using an adhesive specifically formulated for concrete or clay roof tile follow the manufacturers instructions to form a complete bond along the fracture.
Roof tile cracks can happen due to several causes.
Sometimes the hard part is getting up there so that you are in a position to make the repair.
There are four weak corners on an interlocking tile and any one could be affected.
The high kinetic energy of the hail impact on the lower corner of the roof tile can cause a point load break or crack at the over lock corners.
Expert advice from bob vila the most trusted.
Many roofing tiles are designed with a longitudinal interlock to allow proper water shedding in order to match the current surface elevation.
If the cover lock corner is broken less than 3 inches and the broken piece is available it may be possible to repair the corner by proper adhesive application.
The most typical causes of roof cracks are foot traffic protruding nails from underneath and severe storms.
Using an adhesive specifically formulated for concrete or clay roof tile follow the manufacturers instructions to form a complete bond along the fracture.
Vulnerable areas include roof valleys and areas of penetration.
Broken roof tiles are easy enough to find and replace.
At the photo lower left corner you can see a pair of replacement clay tiles that have been put in place but more replacements are needed wherever a broken roof tile is found.