Guides
Guides reviews, comparisons and buying guides from Professional Roofers.
Dry Ridge vs Mortar Ridge: Mortar Alone Ended in 2015
Dry ridge vs mortar ridge: since 1 March 2015, BS 5534 has required ridge tiles to be mechanically fixed, mortar or not. When a mortar bed is still right.
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Graded Roof Battens: Why Ungraded Timber Fails
Graded roof battens carry four stamps: maker, species code, BS 5534 and size. No stamp, no grade. How to spot ungraded battens on your own roof.
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Who Is Responsible for Roof Repairs in a Leasehold Flat?
Who is responsible for roof repairs in a leasehold flat: usually the freeholder, paid by all flats via the service charge, with consultation above £250 each.
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Lead Code Numbers: Code 3 to 8, and Which Goes Where
Lead code numbers run from Code 3 (1.32mm) to Code 8 (3.55mm). Each thickness, which code suits soakers, flashings, valleys and gutters, and the 1.5m rule.
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Bats in Roof? Roof Repair Stops: Survey, Licence, Delays
Bats in the roof and a roof repair due? Work must stop if bats are found. When you need a survey and a licence, the May to September window and the fines.
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Matching Discontinued Roof Tiles: Swap Slopes, Not Patches
Matching discontinued roof tiles: identify yours from its stamp and size, find reclaimed stock, and move old tiles to the front so the repair stays hidden.
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Nesting Birds and Roof Work: When the Law Stops the Job
Nesting birds and roof work: an active nest cannot be moved or blocked, so the job waits. Which birds, which months, and how to plan your roof around them.
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Snow on Roof UK: 30cm of Wet Snow Weighs 120kg a m²
Snow on a roof in the UK: a sound pitched roof carries normal falls, so leave it. Which roofs are at risk, why not to rake it off, and leaks after the thaw.
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Frost Damage on Roof Tiles: 5 Signs, and Replace or Re-Roof?
Frost damage on roof tiles shows as flaking faces, crumbling nibs and shards in the gutter. 5 signs, why some tiles fail, and when to replace or re-roof.
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Fibre Cement Slates vs Natural Slate: 30 Years or 100?
Fibre cement slates vs natural slate: man-made slates carry about a 30-year guarantee, good natural slate lasts 100. Weight, pitch, looks and planning.
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Lead Flashing Alternatives: Where Wakaflex Works, Where Lead Wins
Lead flashing alternatives like Wakaflex, Ubiflex and Leadax are BBA certified with 20 to 25 year guarantees. Where they work and where lead wins.
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Replace Roof Felt Without Removing Tiles? The Honest Answer
Can you replace roof felt without removing the tiles? Not properly: the battens pin it down. What inside fixes do, the eaves-only repair, and when to re-felt.
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EPDM, Felt, Fibreglass or GRP: Which Flat Roof Material Lasts Longest?
EPDM, felt, fibreglass or GRP for your flat roof? Compare real UK lifespans, costs per m2 and weak points before you get quotes.
Read guideAsbestos Garage Roof Removal: The Rules, and the DIY Line
Asbestos garage roof removal in the UK: how to recognise cement sheet, why it is non-licensed work, the HSE method, and the point a homeowner should stop.
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BS 5534 Tile Fixing: Every Perimeter Tile Needs Two
BS 5534 tile fixing requirements in plain terms: every single lap tile fixed, every perimeter tile twice, and ridge tiles fixed even when mortar-bedded.
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Minimum Roof Pitch for Tiles: 15° to 40° by Tile Type
Minimum roof pitch for tiles runs from 15° for some interlocking tiles to 40° for handmade clay plain tiles. Real UK figures, and why headlap matters.
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Roof Valley Types Compared: Lead, GRP, Dry and Mitred
Roof valley types compared: lead in 1.5m pieces, GRP dry valley troughs in 3m lengths, and mitred slate. How each one fails, and which suits a re-roof.
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