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How To Repair Roof Leak

Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing material options for most UK homes in recent times. Thanks to them, roof repair is now all about identifying the leak and sealing it the right way. If you’re a competent DIYer and confident enough to pull this off, then this should be done within a short period of time and saving you money as well. However, if you don’t have the confidence to pull this off, then calling on a professional roofer who can guarantee the best results will be your best bet. In this article, we’ll consider four simple steps you can take to repair an asphalt shingles roof.

✓ Locate the spot of the roof leak. Roof leaks are mostly made evident by water stains on the ceiling. Simply note the spot of this water stain, grab a good pair of binoculars, then go outside to identify the location of the roof leak. Search the area for any curls, cracks, missing shingles or anything that looks odd. Leaks can also occur at any spot where caulking and flashing have been affected or compromised.

✓ Secure curled shingles. To do this, simply brush on a generous amount of asphalt roofing cement to the underside of the shingle and press firmly to set.

✓ Replace damaged or missing shingles. In the event whereby the shingles are cracked, rotten or missing, your best bet would be to have them replaced. Simply remove the damaged shingle then slide in the new one under the one above and align it with those on either side. Once done, you can then secure it with 6d galvanized roofing nails at each corner. After completion, make sure you cover the nail heads with roof cements.

✓ Fix flashing. To do this, simply reseal joints with the help of a caulk gun loaded with roofing cement.

How Often Do Flat Roofs Need Replacing?

When a flat roof needs to be replaced is determined by a number of factors which includes the roof’s exposure to the weather, the condition and age of the roofing materials as well as the construction of the roof. However, with proper maintenance and regular inspection, they should be used for nothing less than 50 years. There are some commonly used types of flat roofs which includes Felt flat roof as well as a GRP flat roof.

Felt Flat Roof

The lifespan of a felt flat roof also varies depending on the quality and grade of the felt roof incorporated. This can make the roof last within the range of 2 to 20 years. More often than not, felt flat roofs are usually installed in such a way to keep the costs down which implies the grades of felts that are mostly used are the economical ones implying a very short lifespan.

In the event whereby a premium grade of felt is incorporated in constructing a roof by professional contractors, will be guaranteed by the manufacturer to last between 10 to 20 years.

One of the major causes of a short lifespan in felts is leaks which should be regularly inspected and repaired once identified. If not, the roof will gradually deteriorate and become a lot weaker due to the action of the sun. However, when a felt roof starts to leak, it’s usually a sign that’s approaching the end of its lifespan and a replacement should be taken into account.

GRP Flat Roof

The GRP flat roof or fibreglass flat roof usually comes with a manufacturer’s guarantee of 20 years and is expected to have a lifespan of a minimum of an additional 10 years.

Unlike felt roofs, they’re more resistant to leaks. However, they should also be regularly inspected for leaks which are caused mostly as a result of installation error rather than the GRP roofing approaching the end of its useful life. If the GRP roof repair does not totally resolve the leak, you should start considering a replacement.

Ponding is where you see pools of water appearing on your flat roof. Unless your roof is leaking or showing other signs of damage, you don’t need to replace it. When you do have your flat roof replaced, tell the contractor so they can find out the cause of the ponding.

In the UK, fireplaces are a very common addition to homes and property and reasonably so. Not only do they represent a great source of heat, but they’re also quite timeless in their beauty, thereby adding more value to your property. Now every fireplace possesses some sort of chimney, asides from the ones that are ventless. And while you might not be aware, every chimney poses a number of dangers which includes being a fire hazard and can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of improper or lack maintenance.

Since your chimney will be clogged up over time with all sorts of soot and often cleaned from the top of the roof, cleaning of a chimney comes with a huge amount of risk. As a result, you run the risk of falling off if you decide to clean one by yourself. And even if you’re the type that’s comfortable being on high level places, you should know cleaning a chimney is not the most pleasant of jobs. It can be quite messy as accumulated creosote and soot can drop into your home causing a cloud which covers both the floor, furniture and any other thing you have in the room. Furthermore, chimney cleaning requires specialized skills and knowledge which professionals have acquired after several practices. For instance, missing out on a spot can result in an unchecked chimney fire or a masonry crack.

The simple answer to this question is, therefore, a big NO - you should leave the cleaning to the professionals.  Professionals are not just limited to chimney cleaning; they’re trained to identify any structural issues while also being able to carry out a close analysis of the chimney. They’ll fix minor issues on site and give you a peace mind for any future wood burning activities.

How To Identify Asbestos Roof Tiles

Found in some particular rocks, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that’s commonly used before the 1990’s as a building material specifically for roofing. This material was banned in the UK as it was discovered to possess harmful fibres which is potentially dangerous to human’s respiratory health when disturbed and inhaled. According to several reports this health conditions include non cancerous lung disease, mesothelioma and asbestosis, which are all untreatable. Therefore, be it in a domestic or industrial setting, there’s the need to know how to identify asbestos and if found, start the removal process as quickly as possible.

While the three types of asbestos used in roof tiles can be quite easy to identify by themselves, a total reverse is the case, when mixed into a tile. Generally roofing tiles that includes asbestos will mostly have colours such as grey, white or blue-white colour, but so does several other roof tiles made from other materials that are totally safe. As a result, the only way in which you can identify if a tile contains asbestos is by looking for an identification mark. These marks are mostly inscribed onto about one in twenty tiles, therefore if you have a strong feeling that your roof tiles contains asbestos, you may have to remove several tiles before you can identify the marked one. Otherwise, the only way you can confirm is by sending a sample to a certified asbestos testing lab. These labs are knowledgeable and possess the right equipment, tools as well as testing kits to determine the levels of asbestos in your premises. With this, you have a better chance of getting quality results than any other means. What’s more? They’ll also recommend expert asbestos removal services if the harmful material is found to be present in your house.

Leaves, twigs and moss all have one thing in common which often annoys home and property owners - they are the three main materials that negatively impacts the proper functioning of a roof guttering system. The major cause of water drainage problems for most homes and buildings are these organic materials. Wondering how some leaves and few twigs can cause such a big problem? Over time there’ll be a gradual build up of the natural debris in your gutter system which starts to rot and turn  to a thick and muddy goo which obstructs the flow of water in your drainage. As a result, there’s the need to make sure that your gutters are thoroughly cleaned at least twice annually in order to prevent bigger issues that can be caused by the blockage of a drainage system.

So if you’re considering getting your gutters cleaned by a professional, you’d probably be interested in know just how it’s going to cost. Well, there’s not straightforward and simple answer to this question as there are a number of factors that contributes to the final cleaning cost of your gutters.

In general, in the UK, the average cost for cleaning of gutter is usually around £18 to about £25 per hour. However, you can also be quoted a day rate which is usually ranging between £150 to £200 per day.

The factors that can affect gutter cleaning price includes the type of your property (such as a terraced, end of terraced, detached and semi detached homes) which possesses a varying gutter cleaning price largely due to their size differences, the height of the building ( if you require the service for a property located on the second floor of a building, this would be a bit higher than if it were to be on the ground floor) as well as additional requests.

The cost for a sun tunnel is affected by 5 key factors:

1. Tube size: Small areas or stairways can gain from a 10-inch size tube, whilst bigger rooms will require a bigger tube. The higher television size, the greater the price.
2. Kind of tunnel and also roof type: You can pick from stiff or flexible tunnels and also domed or flat roofing system panels. Each choice will have a different price.
3. Place: Where you stay in the country will certainly impact the price of your sun tunnel installation. Generally, the higher the living prices in your location, the greater the price of employing an expert will certainly be.
4. Length of the tunnel: Longer tunnels will be charged at a greater price than their shorter equivalents so whether the tunnel runs from the roof to the 2nd or very first flooring will certainly impact the sun tunnel price.
5. Ease of gain access to: Flexible tubes are fantastic for homes where sun tunnels do not run in a straight line from roofing to ceiling. The tubes can then be fitted around challenges in your loft space. Frustratingly, these alternatives do not allow as much light as stiff tubes and also due to their hard setup can be much more expensive.

How To Replace Flat Roof Fascia

Whatever makes you decide to install your flat roof fascia by yourself and not a professional company, then you must have a clear idea of what to do and do it appropriately. If you lack proper training and experience, we’d recommend you employ a reliable professional to help with the task for the best results and save you some time and money. This step-by-step guide will give a clear insight on how to go about the replacement of your flat roof fascia.

The tools to be incorporated includes the fascia boards, table saw, plane, crimper, clamps, power nailer, compound saw and chalkline.

• Prepare and get all the necessary tools to complete the task before commencing as this would save you time from stopping and going back and forth looking for the next tool needed,

• Install the sheathing and board.

• Fix white fascias with at least 600mm centres ( a foiled fascia needs just 40mm centre) using a marine grade stainless steel plastic headed nails.

• Make a space of up to 10mm between the joints for possible building expansion, using super glue to secure the joints to just a side of the fascia.

• Place this directly on the fascia board’s top (if you’ll be installing ventilation) to create an air pathway.

• Take note that the type of roof to be installed will determine how you’ll have to install the fascia board. For instance, a hip roof permits you to attach the fascia board onto the roof in a quick fashion, whereas a gabled roof may need you to make markings on the board to achieve the right fit.

• Consider the depth of the fascia board as it also play a huge role in the installation of the fascia board. For instance, there’ll be additional weights on tiled roofs that will push up against the board. Therefore, if you do not get the appropriate amount of depth, it could eventually collapse.