Roofers in Kingston Gorse

1.1 The roofline first

On survey we run along the fascia boards looking for soft timber, flaking paint or dulled plastic, then check the soffits above the walls and the gutters below. Each bracket, joint and outlet gets a look, and we sight along the run to confirm that water still falls gently toward the downpipe. The usual manufacturer recommendation is a fall of roughly 1:600 to 1:350, depending on the system. Downpipes get the same scrutiny: an outlet blocked with leaves or moss sends water over the gutter lip and down the wall. MyBuilder gives 10 to 20 years as the usual life before fascias and soffits are replaced, and salt can pull a board toward the early end. A rinse with fresh water now and then costs little and helps. Our gutters, soffits and fascias page covers repair and replacement.

1.2 Metals within reach of the sea

VM Zinc says zinc performs very well on the coast, though it can react with air that carries a lot of salt, and it sorts exposure into bands by distance from the shoreline. The sea front, up to 1 km from the water, is its most severe band. A fresh-water rinse a couple of times each year helps keep white salt crusts down. For lead, nails and clips, the right specification depends on the roof, and we confirm it on survey.

1.3 Fixing tiles in the open

Under Wienerberger's guidance, a single-lap tile, the interlocking kind, is never left to gravity alone: at least one mechanical fixing holds each one, laid out in a site-specific specification that weighs location and local wind exposure. Marley notes that a roof under 30 degrees faces heavy uplift on whichever slope meets the wind. On an open site we therefore fix to the specification, not to habit, and a disturbed ridge always gets a mechanical fixing too. Our pitched roofing page explains the choices.

3.1 When the membrane comes off

Approved Document L treats a fresh membrane laid over a flat roof deck as renovation of a thermal element. If over half the area of the element is renovated, the entire roof must reach the insulation standard. A new covering on a flat extension can therefore turn into an insulation job as well, and we price it that way. For garages, MyBuilder gives a single flat roof at £700 to £1,000, a double at £900 to £1,400 and a pitched garage roof at £2,500 to £4,500. Where a flat roof meets a wall, the upstand and its flashing get the same attention as the deck, since a perfect membrane still leaks at a poor edge. Our flat roofing page covers the build-ups.

3.2 Old sheeting on garages and barns

The HSE's advice for a home built or refurbished before 2000 is to presume asbestos is there. Weathered but sound cement sheeting can be removed carefully as non-licensed work; once it is substantially broken, the job becomes notifiable non-licensed work. Household asbestos waste needs a consignment note, and sheets are double-wrapped, never tossed into an ordinary skip. Where old sheets are sound, laying a non-asbestos covering over them can avoid disturbing them, and HSE guidance asks you to consider it. MyBuilder puts a single garage roof removal at £350 to £1,295. We tell you what we find before we quote, and we put forward the smallest job that fully solves it.

A re-roof sits at the standard VAT rate, so look for it on any quote. Before we leave, the site is left tidy and all rubbish goes away with us.