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How To Clean Roof Lights

If you have existing roof lights or perhaps you’re about to have them installed, it’s important to know just how to have them cleaned, even if you wouldn’t be doing it yourself. Generally, glass roof lights fitted in flat roof applications are more likely to be a major victim of staining and discolouration by several elements like rainwater, bird droppings, vehicle exhaust pollutants as well as tree sap. Therefore, just like any other parts of your home, periodic inspection of the units as well as regular cleaning is highly advised to help maintain their top performance for a lengthy period of time.

Firstly, when installing the roof lights, it’ll be helpful if its fitted at the right pitch so as to help keep the exterior clean as it enables the elements such as rainwater to run off the surface naturally. Cleaning roof lights involves working at height which can be very dangerous. Therefore, if you lack the skill and confidence to pull this off, it’s advisable to hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we aim to give you a good insight into how the roof light cleaning process works. Let’s have a look!

Rooflight Interior Cleaning

✓ Spread plastic under the roof light to catch dirt and spills

✓ Dust to wipe clear all loose dirt and cobwebs.

✓ Use a squeegee with a warm soapy water or any other glass cleaning product to clean the glass ( steer clear of any harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners)

✓ Dry the roof light with a soft and lint-free cloth.

Rooflight Exterior Cleaning

✓ Access the roof safely with a specialist ladder

✓ Put mild detergent into a bucket and carry up to the roof before filling with warm water from a hosepipe

✓ Use the soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth or squeegee to clean the roof light, its surroundings as well as fixings.

Yes – you can repair a flat roof in the winter. Contractors will still be able to help you repair leaks, and it’s a myth that they will charge more. Most won’t have any additional costs just for coming out in the winter.

You'll have to wait for any snow and ice to melt before you can repair your flat roof. Depending on what type of flat roof you have, some repairs might have to wait until temperatures reach a certain level above freezing – some coating products won’t adhere (stick) in low temperatures, but a roofing professional will be able to advise you on what is best to use in the winter. If you have an EDPM rubber roof, most of the adhesives won’t mix in cold weather, so you might have to wait until temperatures rise to get a proper repair to your flat roof.

The best way to avoid needing to repair your flat roof in the winter is to inspect it at regular intervals. During the summer, even in the UK’s mild weather, the sun’s UV rays can damage and weaken flat roof surfaces, potentially causing cracks and holes. As autumn approaches, take a look at your flat roof and see if you notice anything untoward. If you do, speak to a reputable roofer who can repair your flat roof for you before winter arrives.

Chimneys are certainly on top of the commonly overlooked features when it comes to cleaning a house. This is quite understandable given the fact that they’re not readily accessible and not in plain sight, hence, home and property owners tend to overlook the relevance of any chimney cleaning effort. But this can be a grave mistake! The importance of having your chimney swept on a regular basis cannot be over emphasized and even more so if it happens to be on a wood burner. Not only can a dirty chimney constitute fire hazard, but when left uncleaned it can also give rise to blockages which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact, from 2014 to 2018, one of the top factors contributing to about 25% of home heating fires is due to lack of cleaning, mainly from solid-fueled heating equipment, mostly chimneys. Therefore, sweeping your chimney regularly is a safety precaution and when they happen to be on a wood burner, this exercise becomes a lot more important. With that in mind, the question that arises is just how often is sweeping of a chimney on a would burner needed?

Well, it’s strongly advisable to sweep chimney on a wood burner at least twice a year by a qualified professional depending on the usage. If you happen to own an oil burning fireplace, the same also applies. In other words, this means that regardless of the type of chimney you possess, the cleaning must be done regularly. However, most chimney would only need to be swept once in a year by a qualified professional.

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.

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 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 Much To Replace A Flat Roof

There’s no straight answer to this question. However, the average cost lies within the range of £1000 to £5000. This range may look too wide but the price is greatly influenced by a number of factors which is capable of making the price increase or decrease. Some of the factors affecting the cost of flat roof coverings and replacement include: the type of flat roofing system and materials you want, the area size of the flat roof in M2, the project’s location, the roofing company to be used, the ease at which to reach the roof, cost of removing the old flat roof as well as cost of removing the other waste.

Although there are many factors to be put into consideration but the most crucial factor is the size of the house or the area size of the flat roof in M2. for instance, a one bedroom apartment’s flat roof will have a price between £1500 to £3000. This is, however, with the assumption that the flat roof is going to be used as the main roof of the house. But if you’re only using it for a section of the house like your garage, the price could range between £700 to £1000

There four commonly used types of flat roof materials which includes fibreglass, felt, rubber and lead. If you need a felt roof, for example, the price is between £40 to £70 per m2. And in the same tone, a metal roof will generally cost more than a a flat roof made from rubber.

Another important factor we’ll discuss is the labour or the roofing company to be used. Different roofing companies will charge different prices. As a result, you should carefully compare the prices of the companies in order to get a great deal.

Commercial roofing simply refers to any roofing work, including installation and repair, that is done to commercial buildings. This might include office roofs, shop roofs or commercial unit roofs. Every building needs a roof to keep out the rain!

Since looks aren’t usually the first priority with commercial buildings, lots of commercial properties have flat roofs. These are often made from felt, EDPM rubber or fibreglass. Felt is the cheapest commercial roofing material, while fibreglass tends to be the most expensive. In felt roofs, roofers use an adhesive to stick roofing felt onto a frame. EDPM rubber roofs have a rubber membrane that is laid down and glued onto the roof and coated with a contact adhesive, while fibreglass uses a cut glass fibre mat that is pressed on before a resin and topcoat are applied.

Not all roofing companies will offer commercial roofing services, because generally the buildings tend to be bigger. Small companies won’t have enough tradespeople to work on a roof without making it very expensive for you. Commercial buildings also tend to need more scaffolding to make it safe for the professionals to work, so some smaller roofing companies won’t offer commercial services. Make sure you check a company’s website or social media if you’re looking for commercial roofing – on the Quotatis Directory, our roofers will show whether they do commercial roofing to make your search easier.