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Tar and gravel flat roofs are popular because the gravel weighs down the surface of the roof so it doesn’t blow away and it also protects it from sun damage. The tar makes the roof watertight, so you won’t get any leaks. However, sometimes problems occur and you’ll get cracks and leaks. So how do you repair a tar and gravel flat roof?

If you notice leaking coming through your flat roof, try to find the source of the leak. Since water can travel easily, it might not be where you think it is. The first place to check is the flashing, then any parts of the roof with gravel missing. Once you’ve found the crack, sweep away any remaining gravel and clean the area.

Apply a primer to the area and allow it to dry. Then, apply a tar and gravel roof patch that you can get from most DIY shops. Patch 2-3 inches around the damaged area, creating layers, and ensuring that there aren’t any air bubbles or gaps. Then you should cover the entire patch with gravel.

Before you try to repair a tar and gravel flat roof yourself, consider how much of the roof needs repairing. Professionals often say that if cracks and faults make up 25% or more of the roof, then you should look to replace it. It might be tempting to try and replace your tar and gravel roof yourself, but it’s best left to the specialists. They will ensure that your new roof is watertight and strong enough to withstand sun damage and storms.

Velux windows are a great way to add lots of light to your loft space. Velux is actually the name of a brand of roof window – not to be confused with roof lights, which are usually installed on flat roofs, or skylights, which are normally used to add natural light into a room without being able to open it. Roof windows open like regular windows and are fitted within your roof. But how much are Velux windows? Whether you choose a Velux window or another brand of roof window, they’re not cheap. Since they require special installation, including cutting roof timbers and replacing them to keep the structure strong enough, they take longer to install than a normal double glazed window. It can take up to a day to install a large Velux window, and it could set you back anywhere between £1,600 and £2,000. If you only need a small roof window in an area like a bathroom, you can expect to pay up to £1,300 for it to be fitted. Usually, there won’t be any need for scaffolding or towers because Velux windows are designed to be installed from the inside of your home. However, it’s worth setting aside an additional £500 in your budget in case unexpected problems occur and an installer needs to get on your roof to finish fitting the window. All of these prices are based on a standard roof window without any additional features. If you want to be able to control your windows with an electric switch or remote, this could set you back as much as an additional £400. For extra-low energy glass, you can expect to pay up to £200 more.

What Is The Average Cost To Replace A Flat Roof?

Are you interested in knowing how much it costs to replace a flat roof? Here, you’ll discover a price breakdown for replacing flat roof. This includes a number of price determining factors such as materials costs as well as cost of labour and cost per square metre. All these enables you to make easy calculations so that you can determine a flat roof replacement estimate for your own project.

The type of flat roof that is the most common type is the garage roof and for the replacement of a single garage roof, the cost will fall between the range of £700 to £1000. Meanwhile for a double garage, you should expect a price increase of about 40 percent to 50 percent. The main price determinant that’s affecting the price of a new flat roof is the material incorporated in making it. For instance, lead or fibreglass are much more expensive when compared to felt roofs.

Generally, the cost of a flat roof replacement will fall within the range of £700 to £1300 varying largely due to the type of materials to be used by the roofer, the roof’s size as well as whether or not scaffolding would be used. Multiple flat roof applications also comes with different costs which includes:

• Felt roof ( £40 to £60 per square metre).

• Fibreglass roof ( £70to £90 per square metre ).

• Rubber roof ( £80 to £85 per square metre ).

• Lead bay roof ( £90 to £105 per square metre ).

• Fibreglass bay roof ( £40 to £60 per square metre ).

Several professional roofers work in pairs and to hire them you’re likely to be charged between £200 to £300 per day. The project can be completed with just a day’s work, but the installer should be back to make sure there are no leaks.

Chimney liners are a very important component of the chimney, but the fact is most home and property owners either continue to overlook them or aren’t even aware of their existence. This is, however, quite understandable given the fact that they usually last a long period of time – more than 50 years. To ensure that they last that long, the question that arises is, do chimney liners need to be swept and cleaned? The short and simple answer to this question is yes, chimney liners definitely needs to be cleaned on a frequent basis. A chimney liner happens to be an essential part of your chimney. When it’s not cleaned, it tends to accumulate dust, soot and dirt which can give rise to a number of problems you’d rather want to avoid. Chimney liner are able to provide adequate protection to your flue but even at that the water, creosote and other contaminant build up can make the liner to deteriorate, and making it unsafe for usage. In other words, contrary to several belief, chimney liners do need the same amount of cleaning as chimneys without liners. Failure to sweep your chimney liners can give rise to the following problems:

• Creosote buildup. If your main source of fire is wood, then you’ll definitely have creosote present in your chimney. This is highly combustible and its buildup may lead to fire outbreak.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is said to be on the rise by NCBI and its primarily generated from heating systems which are terribly ventilated as a result of uncleaned or dirty chimneys.

How Much Does It Cost To Have Roof Cleaned?

If your roof is dirty, it’s highly recommended that you have it cleaned by a reliable and professional roof cleaning contractor who specializes in cleaning of all types of roofs rather than making it a DIY project or hiring an odd job man who is a jack of all trades. This is due to fact that major mistakes like incorporating inappropriate cleaning agents, pressure as well as wrong cleaning techniques can have a serious negative impact on your home while also putting in mind the several dangers that comes with working at height. However, when hiring a professional roof cleaning person or company, do make sure that the cleaner is fully insured, possesses the relevant training working at height and has the ability to operate access machinery. In other words, when it comes to roof cleaning where safety is the first priority, it shouldn’t always be about the price of the job but the quality of the service you’re going to receive.

There are several variables that determines the cost of cleaning a roof and these includes both the type of the roof in question as well as the size of the house. Let’s take a look!

✓ For a small semi detached or terraced house with a standard front and rear elevation with no side hips, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £390 and above.

✓ For a semi detached or detached house which is a free standing residential building, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £490 and above.

✓ For a averaged sized detached house which is a stand alone property, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £590 and above.

✓ For a large detached house featuring several additional roofs including a porch, double garage and even an extension, the average cost of cleaning the roof usually starts from £790 and above.

How To Clean Moss Off Roof?

Although moss attack on your roof is a less common occurrence, but when they occur they can be very harmful to your asphalt shingles if not attended to. Generally, moss are commonly found in damp environments such as the North slopes, overhanging treses or overhanging regions of the roof which causes shade which enables moisture to be stagnant and moss to develop. If you observe a green fuzzy stuff appearing on your roof, that’s likely to be moss.

The same way algae navigated its way to your roof as they can be airborne and travel via wind, squirrels, birds or other little flying or climbing animals, moss also gets carried similarly. One moss finds its way up your roof, they’ll find spaces between the shingles where they’ll form thick spongy moss which can be difficult to clean off if you don’t know the best way to go about it.

If you’re not a competent DIYer or confident enough to carry out this task, we’d strongly recommend you hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results effortlessly.

The best way to go about the cleaning task for both your roof and environment is to incorporate a product called Spray and Forget or Wet and Forget. You can get these at most local hardware stores. Simply put the product into a hose end sprayer and can be applied from the ladder at the edge of the gutter or even from the ground. This method may take a up to 6 months before you’ll start seeing the results but it happens to be the safest. Another method that can be used is bleach and water which is very aggressive but provides a quicker result. However, this is best done by a professional to avoid seriously damaging your roof.

How To Clean And Maintain Metal Roofs

If you already have a metal roof or just planning to get one, you’d probably be interested in knowing the cleaning and maintenance procedures. Although, metal roof are widely known to be very easy to clean and maintain and also very durable and long lasting, it’s still strongly recommended that homeowners should do all in their power clean and to take care of their metal roof in order to ensure it they live up to their potentials. Cleaning your metal roofs regularly helps to minimize damaging element such as airborne dirt, pollen, organic material debris, pollution, mildew and lots more. If left unattended to, these unwanted elements can result in several negative issues over time as such as chalking. Due to fact that metal roofs normally features special coatings as well as paint, cleaning the roof is both easy and environmentally friendly, which removes the need to use toxic chemicals. With just plain water, you can effectively wash down dirt, dust and other debris from your metal roof.

While the cleaning process is quite simple, working at height can be incredibly dangerous. It requires skills and confidence, so if you lack either of these qualities, it’s advisable to call in a professional roof cleaning contractor for help. Below is a simple cleaning solution usful for most metal roofs.

✓ In the event whereby water alone isn’t enough, make a cleaning solution using a quarter cup detergent ( which should include car washing soap, mild laundry detergent, mild dish soap) for each gallon of water.

✓ Apply the mixture to the surface of the roof with a wash cloth and ensure to the application gently.

✓ After application, allow it sit for up to 15mins.

✓ Rinse the roof surface with plain water.

A pitched roof is a type of roof that is defined to have a sloping surface that has an angle that is greater than 20 degrees. Pitched roofs offer a more classical appearance. They remain the most communal and effective answer in wet and cold weathers to guarantee all-out protection.

Eaves

In the roof, the lower part of the inclined roof which is prominent outside the external face of the wall. The chief purpose of eaves is to pour the rainwater from the roof straight on the exterior wall. It also provides protection from sunlight. Eaves are sometimes decorated to an architectural beauty.

Gable

The Three-sided higher part of the wall at the end of a ridge roof.

Flashing

A band of impermeable material, typically metal, used to eliminate water from the intersection between a roof covering and another part of the structure. Flashings are provided to stop moisture from inflowing the wall and roof through joints in copings, parapet wall, and other infiltrations through the roof plane.

Hip

The Hip is defined as the exterior angle, which is generally greater than 180 degrees, which is formed at the inclined ridge of the roof slopes.

Ridge

The ridge is defined as the horizontal intersection made by the rising roof surfaces that are inclined in opposite directions.

Purlins

Purlins are the horizontal members which are laid on the principal rafters which help to support the common rafter of a roof. This is usually done when the span is large. Purlins are made from wood or steel. The top surfaces of the purlins intend to be unvarying and plane.

Fascia

This is the wooden board that is fixed to the feet of the common rafter at eaves. The Fascia helps the lowest ends of the roof covering material to rest on it.

Rafter

One of the major structural components of a pitched roof is a rafter. The rafter generally begins for the support of the roof to the ridge or hip. The purlin is supported by equally spaced rafters used side by side.