Roofing Advisory
Avoid the roof top rip-off
The home is often the biggest single investment most people make. A weather-tight roof protects this investment by safeguarding the fabric of the building itself and the appearance of the roof can also enhance the value of the property.
In it’s lifetime your roof will be buffeted by winds with speeds up to 90mph, drenched by more than 75,000 gallons of water weighing some 3,500 tonnes, baked by over 90,000 hours of direct sunlight and be subjected to approximately 20,000 changes of temperature ranging from -5ºC to +30ºC. Therefore it is inevitable that as years pass some deterioration of the roof covering will occur.
Obvious signs that a roof covering is defective
There are some obvious signs that a roof covering is defective, for example a water stained ceiling. However, more serious than this is the damage being done that you cannot see for example damp inside the roof-space and cavity walls, which if unnoticed can ultimately lead to wet rot and extensive structural damage.
Avoid Rogue Traders
Unfortunately, the roofing trade like many others in the construction industry, attracts a Rogue Traders element that is able to take advantage of the ill-informed and inexperienced householder. All too often one reads newspaper articles detailing cases of people being charged many thousands of pounds for minor roof repairs, the ‘Contractor’ disappears leaving the householder poorer, but still with a leaking roof. It is, therefore, the intention of the following notes to offer worry-free practical and money saving cost effective guidelines to the uninitiated property owner.
Visual roof inspections
Property owners should as a matter of course carry out a regular visual roof inspection, from both outside the building and from inside the loft. Look out for such danger signs as:
• Loose, slipping or missing tiles or slates
•
Crumbling mortar bedding at ridges, hips and verges
• Damaged fascia and barge-boards
•
Blocked or leaking gutters
•
Decayed or torn roofing felt lining
• Loose or cracked lead flashings on chimneys
• Defective brickwork pointing on chimney stacks
• Split or loose lead linings at valley junctions and abutments
• Missing or dislodged ridge or hip tiles
• Cracked or flaking tiles or slates
• From inside the loft space check for signs of condensation or daylight indicating damage to the roof fabric.
If after a visual inspection you then feel in need of some advice, contact a professional and reputable roofing contractor, who will generally be a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (tel: 0207 436 0387 or www.nrfc.co.uk)
Their professional service will include a roof inspection, which will either reassure you there is not cause for concern or they will recommend a remedial course of action to resolve any problems.
There are generally three separate courses of action that can be followed:
• Patch repairing
• Surface treatment coatings
• Re-roofing.
In the case of patch repairing, if the faults are minor and located in small areas, for example a missing tile on a verge and the rest of the roof structure and covering is sound, replacement of the missing tile is more than adequate. If there are various faults in different roof areas they can of course be rectified, but one bad patch usually indicates the rest of the roof will be needing attention sooner rather than later. Patch repairs can spoil the appearance of a roof and will draw attention to the fact that there are problems with it. The charges for patch repairs will rise in cost, and their frequency will increase with the passing of time and this course of action should not be regarded as either an economic or long-term solution.
Surface treatment coatings
The use of a surface treatment coating involves the application of a compound applied in liquid form, which then sets sealing gaps and holding the slates or tiles in place. This method of treatment will not cure any defects in the roof timbers and by preventing any natural ventilation of the roof void could well result in timber decay from excessive moisture becoming trapped in the roof-space. Furthermore, the effective life of such coatings is not clear, however British Standard BS 5534 Part 1 1990 – Section 5 Note 50 clearly states… ‘The use of surface coatings to weatherproof roofs externally or internally is not recommended’.
Re roofing
Finally and often considered the most daunting course of action is to completely re-roof the property. This offers numerous benefits over either patch repairing or surface treatments, but it is vital to remember that by law the roofing contractor is required to erect scaffolding in accordance with current Health & Safety Regulations, enabling the work to be carried out safely and correctly. After removal of the existing roof covering, the roof timbers can be inspected and repaired as and where necessary, insulation to current requirements can be installed, new roofing felt and tiling battens provided and also an appropriate roof ventilation system. Lead flashings to chimneys or abutments are renewed and the roof re-tiled, with tiles or slates chosen by the client.
Many people choose to re-roof using the existing slates or tiles, which is perfectly adequate, if only the very best sound existing slates or tiles are re-used and of course the replacement second-hand make-up tiles are also of the very best quality. However, it should be remembered that they are second-hand or rather partly used and some of their effective life has gone. It should be acknowledged that at some point in time they are liable to fail and no long-term guarantee should be accepted in respect of the number of years that will pass before this failure begins. Unless the roof poses unusual problems the whole process is carried out with the minimum of inconvenience to the occupier, leaving the property with a sound and effective roof that will generally have added to the value of the property.
Whatever work is to be undertaken choosing a proficient roofing contractor can often prove to be difficult, as we have noted earlier generally such companies will be a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Endeavour to obtain two quotations, remembering that a reputable company will carry out the inspection and provide the quotation Free of Charge and without obligation. Always obtain a written quotation, being sure that it gives full details of work being done and clearly indicates the prices in full for that work. There should be no doubt whether or not the contractor has included for any work required to chimneys, abutment walls, roof timbers, leadwork, insulation or ventilation. Check and if necessary obtain written confirmation that the contractor has Public Liability Insurance of not less than £10,000,000.00. Clarify exactly who will be doing the work, if it is sub-contracted establish who is liable if problems arise. Be sure of the cover of any guarantees offered and how long they last. Make sure of the quality of materials being proposed for use. If there is any doubt obtain a reference from a satisfied customer of the contractor’s performance and quality of work. Finally, be particularly wary/careful about paying large amounts of money in advance of work being carried out.
