Pitched Roofs – Repair or Replace
When homeowners want an aesthetically traditional roof, they will often opt for pitched tile roofing. A pitched roof can stay intact for over a century from the date of its installation and help protect the property’s occupants from adverse effects of harsh weather, but damage can still sometimes arise.
You might fear that your roof is damaged, perhaps because the ceiling appears to leak after a spell of rain. However, you can arrange for us to inspect that roof for free. If we do pick up on issues, we can carry out cost-effective repairs or fit a replacement roof should we deem fit necessary
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Roof Damaged? What should you do.
The choice to repair or replace a roof can only be made after a full roof MOT inspection. Your estimator will be able to advise on the cost of carrying out repairs or replacement of a pitched or flat roof.
Things to consider for repairs
All roofs should be inspected at least twice a year, ideally, before and after winter. This will ensure your roof is able to withstand the storm periods which are prevalent in the South West to North East between November and March.
Conducting tiling repairs, cleaning out gutters, repointing ridge tiles and fixing rainwater goods are all common maintenance items on older roofs. Roofs dating back to before 1950 often begin to suffer from nail sickness.
Nail sickness
Nail sickness occurs when the copper and steel nail heads rot due to a lifetime of acid rain trafficking. This is often the main cause of tile and slate slippages and subsequent leaks. Where nail sickness is prevalent or rampant, a decision should be made on the roof replacement. Your estimator is best placed to advise on this course of action. Localised repairs can be carried out and slates can be refastened with new copper tiles or lead straps. This is not ideal but, nevertheless, can be carried out.
Rotten timber
In older, pre-1950 homes, most of the timber battens or laths were not pressure treated or impregnated with any sort of protection. Nowadays standards are, of course, much higher and all timber work must be pressure treated.
In the absence of such treatments, it is clear to see that homes exceeding 70+ years of age suffer badly from rotting laths around the eaves and verges again causing tiling problems and roof failures. Leaks will persist and tiling repairs will be ongoing if the laths continue to fail. This is sometimes difficult to spot at estimate stage and a full loft inspection should be done to try and investigate suspicious areas of roof damage.
Cost Considerations
Repairing a roof can be a perennial thing. If you are happy to repair and maintain a roof yearly, then be prepared for some regular expenditure. The financial case to answer is often one of: How many times do you repair an old roof before you save up and have it replaced? Your estimator is best placed to give advice on cost considerations going forward, and if it may be financially beneficial to renew the roof on perhaps a Bank Finance scheme.
Porous tiling and frost damage
Most roof coverings have a determined life expectancy as set by the manufacturer. These should be adhered to and a common sense approach should be applied when repairing old roofs way past their designated life expectancy. Early indications of such issues may be: Porous concrete tiling problems when the tiles are turned over, and extensive frost damage and delamination to clay and slate tiles. Ask your Skyline Roofing estimator to see evidence of these issues if they present themselves.
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