What should you do with that old roof?

Roofs are an important part of comfortable living though most people don’t think of them all that often. That’s especially true if you live in a single family home and you rarely look out from the upper story windows down on the dirty, rotting roofs of your neighbours. And, properly installed roofs last a ridiculously long time, so there’s not really much call to think about them - until there’s a problem. Indeed, you probably just had a feeling that your roof needed work long before you climbed on top of your home to check it out.

Once you have established that your roof needs work, just what are you meant to do? What are your options? What will last the longest? What will be the most cost effective means of dealing with that old roof?

If you’ve lived in the same house for over 20 years and you’ve never needed to do anything to your roof (or you haven’t, for one reason or another), then you need to get up there to inspect it. You’ll only a have a few years, at most, before you run into problems. If you’ve been in your home for longer than 25 years without replacing your roof, it’s probably time now.

However, age isn’t the only determiner that necessitates roof work. If you can see loose roof tiles (or missing ones) or there’s obvious rust on metal roofs, you have a problem. If there’s any point where the roof sags a bit, you really need to attend to it quickly. (In this case though, it’s likely to be damaged support beams that need to be replaced and properly treated before installing a new roof.

If your roof is almost at the point of collapse, you’ve left it too long to give yourself many options. In these (rare) instances, you’ll need to remove and replace the roof - and likely the support beams underneath it. Either way, a professional roofing com-pany must investigate and make recommendations specific to your property.

However, there are a few ways to deal with a roof that’s on its way out. In some cases, a treatment may work well for a number of years, giving you time to save and prepare for the big job. In general, your options are:

• Roof removal and recladding• Over cladding an existing roof• Roof coating• Cut edge treatment

The one that’s right for you depends on the type of roof you have, its condition and, of course, your budget.

This is the big one - and every structure needs it from time to time. After awhile, the patchwork on roofs becomes too much, or the structure itself needs repair and it’s time for a sparkling new roof. And to do that, you need to remove the old roof struc-ture.

It’s important to note that all roofs can be removed, regardless of their pitch, manu-facture or whether they contain asbestos elements. But, this is a specialised job.

Today’s roof cladding offers homeowners a great deal of variety. You’ll find that clad-ding is available in:

• Copper• Zinc• Aluminium Plastisol coated galvanised steel• Ordinary galvanised steel

Prices range, but so does the expected life of your new roof. And, it’s important to note that Part L of the UK building codes stipulate the materials and the level of insu-lation required on a basic roof.

If you have an old asbestos roof that requires removal, you have every reason to be concerned. While intact, asbestos products do not present a risk. It’s when they crumble or break, and the asbestos dust swirls around your space. Removing an as-bestos roof is a risk.

For a start, the UK mandates that only properly trained and certified contractors and construction workers may deal with asbestos. If you’re concerned about the level of training of your crew, you can ask.

During the removal process, you and anyone else in your property will be required to vacate it. You should also advise neighbours (especially those with young children or elderly parents on the property) of the work so they can adequately protect them-selves.

Once the roof has been removed by a qualified team, the area is thoroughly cleaned, and air tests undertaken. Waste is contained and removed for safe dispos-al. (In other words; it’s safe if you hire the right team to do it.)

Over cladding is a terrific solution if you need to extend the life of your roof with ex-periencing the cost of removal at the moment. It’s essentially adding another layer to the top of your existing roof. But, this work can only be undertaken if certain condi-tions are met.

For a start, the support structures must not only be intact (they obviously need that); these supports must be able to add to their existing weight bearing without compro-mising the walls or the stability of your building. This can be done over roofs that cur-rently contain asbestos. And, it also allows homeowners the possibility of adding roof insulation where there previously was none. However; this can be a time-consuming process, just as you would expect if a new roof was on order. Above all, it’s important to remember that you probably can’t make the decision on what to do with that old roof on your own. Well, you can if you opt for the most intensive of removals and new cladding. Anything else requires a professional consultant to assess and guide you through the process. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place for that.