What should you do with your old roof?

1. What should you do
with that old roof?

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.