Find a Roofer you can trust in Cookstown.

Roof tiles should be replaced as soon as possible to ensure that your roof stays waterproof. Use crawl boards when replacing them to avoid damaging other tiles, if not ask a qualified roofer to carry out the work, particularly if the tiles are higher up.

A roof serves as something which is so much more than just a top of a building. A roof delivers guard from the elements and precipitation, it also helps drain water from a structure, and helps to provide insulation to the structure allowing it to keep the interior of a building cool or warm, according to season.

There are several steps to building a roof

Mount the trusses.

This step requires the building’s wall frames to be completely level, square and plumb. If you are building the roof onto a building that is still a frame you must use ladders or scaffolding. Hoist the trusses onto the roof.

Install temporary braces.

You will need to install temporary braces that the trusses can rest on until the sheathing and permanent bracing are installed, this has to be done before you install the trusses. At the centre of the back wall, nail the bottom half of one two-by-six board that's 16 feet long to the top of the outside wall, making sure you fasten it to a stud.

Install the end trusses.

Install the two end trusses at the front and back of the building, making sure you affix them to the temporary bracing. The batten you take will have to be a bit longer than the distance will separate the trusses.

Install the standard trusses.

According to the instructions provided by the manufacturer, you will first need to install the first standard truss. You will also need to nail it to the batten from the first truss.

Sheath the roof.

Once your trusses permanently braced, you can begin with the sheathing of the roof. Starting from the bottom corner and moving across the bottom, the sheathing is installed lengthwise.

Install the roof cover.

Like the sheathing and underlayment procedures, the roof cover is installed lengthwise from the bottom up. The shingles should be staggered, and they should also overlap at the same time. You will need to work up to the ridge and use a ridge cap shingles to finish the ridge.

Most Sun Tunnel Kits are available in sizes from 250mm Diameter to 550mm Diameter. This gives you a good range to choose from depending on the size of the room you are trying to brighten.

• 250mm Sun Tube – Perfect for room sizes up to 10m2. (Hallways, Small Bathrooms)
• 350 – 450mm Sun Tubes – Perfect for rooms 10 to 15m2. Larger Hallways, Stairwells and Bathrooms.
• 550mm Sun Tube – Ideal for rooms 15 – 22m2. Kitchens, Bedrooms, Living Rooms.

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.

How to repair your flat garage roof will depend on what it’s made from. Lots of flat garage roofs are made from EDPM rubber, asphalt or felt. We’ll explain how to carry out repairs on your garage roof here. EDPM rubber flat roof repair EDPM rubber is an excellent choice for a flat garage roof and should need little maintenance. But if you do need to repair it, there are a few easy fixes. If it’s a small crack or tear, apply some lap sealant to the area, but don’t use too much. If you go for a more professional repair later, the sealant will need to be scraped off, so if there’s too much it might cost you more in labour. If you need to repair the flashing, buy some malleable flashing tape so you can form it into the right shape. Clean and dry the area that needs repairing, then apply an EDPM primer. When that’s touch dry, stick the patch of flashing tape down from the centre outwards with a roller. Repairing an asphalt flat garage roof Asphalt is also very hard-wearing, and when it does need fixing, the fixes often last a long time. So if you do get cracks or blisters, you can use a paint-on fix from a tin as a temporary repair. When it’s time for a more permanent fix, you can add a small patch of torched-on roofing felt or use a liquid system, but the high-quality ones are often only available to trade customers. How to repair a felt flat garage roof Felt can be repaired in a similar way to asphalt flat garage roofs. For small cracks or a temporary fix, try a paint-on treatment from a tin. But for something more permanent, use a patch of torched-on roofing felt or a liquid system. If these don’t stick, unfortunately it means it’s time for a new felt garage roof. If you do need a new flat garage roof, leave it to the professionals who will ensure that your new roof will last for years.

Velux windows, or roof windows, are very easy to clean. Regular cleaning helps to keep them looking bright and shiny for years to come. So how should you clean Velux windows?

If you want to clean the air filter, you can remove it and wash it with your normal household cleaners. Velux windows have a cleaning position, so rotate and secure it into this position then remove the filter. You should be able to buy new filters from the manufacturer of your roof window.

To clean the outer pane, there’s no need to lean out of the window and risk falling out. Simply rotate the sash (the opening part) 180 degrees and secure it into position. Then you can clean the pane with a soft, lint-free cloth, sponge or squeegee and clean water. If you live in a hard water area, add some detergent to the water and wipe the window dry when you’re finished. You can also use normal non-abrasive household cleaners.

It’s recommended that you clean the flashing around your roof window at least once a year. You can use a brush to do this. This will allow rainwater to flow freely and stop any leaves from collecting.

If you’re in any doubt about using certain cleaners on your Velux windows, get in touch with the manufacturer who should be able to help. You can also do a patch test on an inconspicuous area if you’re unsure.

How To Replace A Flat Roof

Is it high time you replaced your flat roof with a new one? If it’s time, then you probably shouldn’t waste another minute! Flat roofs come with multiple upsides and happens to be a lot more affordable than many other options (especially for starters). Not only do they add to your home’s curb appeal and requires a relatively low labour costs as there are minimal risks involved, but they’re also more accessible for maintenance purposes and aren’t as exposed to damage as a pitched roof. However, we’re not here to discuss the various benefits of installing a flat roof, but rather tell you how to install one. If you lack proper training and experience, we’d recommend you hire a trustworthy professional that can guarantee the best results.

• Wipe the entire roof system clean.

• Detach and replace rotted roof sheathings.

• Detach and replace rotted fascia

• Hire a qualified air conditioning professional to disconnect the existing AC units.

• Introduce new aluminium air conditioning stands and secure against the deck.

• Let you qualified air conditioning professional reconnect the existing AC units.

• Put in place the new air conditioning quick disconnects.

• Attach EPS fanfold insulation in such a way to cover the surface of the entire roof and secure it firmly in place.

• Attach the tie-in roof materials where necessary.

• Attach roofing membrane to cover the entire area of the roofing.

• Attach membrane to the entire roof’s perimeter.

• Attach new perimeter flashings (fascia bar, fascia cap and drip edge), secured on the centre at 6. Make use of a good sealant to secure the fascia bar or fascia cap’s top flange.

• Attach boots on plumbing seal and stacks.

• Identify the existing vent stacks and seal, and put curbs

• Put safety walk pad network from the access point of the roof to the air conditioning units.

• Attach rooftop signs for roof traffic personnel

• Tidy up and clear out the debris

A Velux window is a brand of roof window, but the brand is so popular that people often use the name to describe the entire type of window. They are windows that are installed at the same orientation and ‘in plane’ with the surrounding roof, and they’re usually installed at a minimum of a 15-degree pitch. You can buy roof windows that offer completely frameless internal views for a really clean look in your loft conversion, while some come with built-in shutters.

Velux windows aren’t to be confused with rooflights which usually refers to a glazed unit that’s installed on a flat roof. It might also mean a window that’s been installed on a pitched roof out of plane with the level of the tiling.

People also confuse roof windows with skylights, which normally can’t be opened or closed and are usually smaller than Velux windows. Skylights, therefore, only let daylight into the room whereas roof windows also help with ventilation.

If you’re using your loft as a room in your home rather than simply for storage, you must have a roof window installed. Skylights won’t be enough as they don’t allow for ventilation. It doesn’t have to be a Velux window – it can be any type of roof window. Luckily, they tend to come in standard sizes and they must be CE marked if they’re sold as a roof window, so they should be easy to find.