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Flat Roofs Pros and Cons

Flat roofs have a mixed reputation, so it’s worth taking a considered look at flat roofs pros and cons before making decisions.

Flat roofs pros and consFlat roofs are often a feature of commercial and civic buildings – think 1960s primary schools and low-rise industrial estates. With limited kerb appeal in many cases and a reputation for leaking, it is sometimes hard to understand their enduring use, but architects love them! 

It’s not just new office blocks that often have flat roofs. It seems that every expensive and innovative new house-build now has a flat roof as a main design feature too. Pitched roofs are starting to look rather dull by comparison.
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Posted in Site Index |

Roof checks don’t have to just be when you move house

As anyone who has ever bought a house will know, it is a requirement to have some form of survey and, for older properties the need for greater investigation is typical.

The surveys typically throw up all manner of issues, some most purchasers decide can be put on a back burner, if not ignored. Others are inevitably more pressing.

It is rare for the roof not to be mentioned.

The precise details will always vary, but it often goes a lot like this…

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Posted in Site Index |

The Increasing Impact Climate Has On Our Roofs

A sad fact of modern life is that extreme climate events have become ever more common.

Across the UK and Europe – and indeed globally – flooding is more common, so too other previously rare occurrences such as major heatwaves, earthquakes and storms of huge magnitude.

The evidence for this change is clear, with numerous research papers highlighting the trends.

Indeed, we only have to use our own eyes to see the extremes of weather that lead to destruction both here and abroad.

On a society-wide level, the impact is huge, from changing plans for where to build through to the challenges of protecting towns and villages from the impact of this new normal.

What though for the individual homeowner, what does a more extreme climate mean for them?

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Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

Checking the Roof Doesn’t have to be a chore

Maintenance issues relating to the roof can be troublesome, but they can also be hard to spot.

On this site, we are firm believers in prevention being better than cure – taking care of your roof is likely to save any homeowner thousands in the long run.

However, how can we remember to check our roof? We may have good intentions, but it can be one of those tasks that just gets forgotten until it’s too late.

In this post, we offer a few handy tips.

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Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

Don’t Forget To Put Your Coat On – Great Advice For Your Property Too

As a child, did your parents ever use the phrase ‘don’t forget to put your coat on?’. Maybe you have used this parenting classic with your own kids.

At heart, there is a sense that prevention is better than cure. Forget to wear your coat, especially in our British climate, and you may well end up with a cold. A bout of sickness may follow, one that was easily preventable if only you’d put that coat on.

It works for us humans and it works for our properties too.

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Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

Repairs Aren’t The Only Reason To Have Your Roof Checked

When a homeowner thinks of costs relating to their roof, they will naturally think in terms of repairs.

Whether it is replacing tiles, fixing guttering, repairing the ridge, or another issue, their mind will think of an issue that needs professional remedy.

And, to an extent, they’d be right. Roof repairs are a common expense (even if they are one that can be avoided through ongoing roof maintenance, as we outlined in a previous post.

However, there is another, often more compelling reason to spend a little on your roof – you can save an absolute fortune from your energy bill.

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Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

The Roof: Tackling small problems before they become big issues

Most homeowners, we would suggest the vast majority, have a very natural tendency to put repairs off. 

We fully understand this, it is human nature. 

It is a rare person who spots a small issue and then immediately prioritises seeking a fix. 

In any home there are just so many small issues. For any new problem it’s tempting to just think ‘join the back of the queue’. 

You spot a loose window seal, that can wait, the cat flap hasn’t been fixed yet. 

The paint in the hallway needs a re-do, hmmm but that will cost a few hundred pounds and shouldn’t we get that patch of the kitchen that needs replastering looked at first?

This same behaviour applies to the roof. You spot that little hint of damp in the spare bedroom that’s probably related to the roof in some way. It can wait. 

You go into the loft and it seems unusually drafty. Not to worry, the loft doesn’t really matter anyway, does it?

The problem however is that not all issues are equal. 

Not All Issues Are Equal

Some issues when spotted probably should be fixed straight away. Others can be allowed to slip without it mattering a huge deal. 

Or, to put it a different way, there are some issues that will never be cheaper to rectify than they are right now. 

The hallway paint quote won’t become more expensive over the next few months. That patch of plaster on the kitchen is a simple enough job. It will cost £250 now, it will also cost £250 in a year’s time. 

However other issues follow a very different pattern. Over time, they quickly become more of an issue or the impact spreads. The cost, and potential nuisance, of any fix only grows. 

Many roofing issues fall into this category but we don’t wish to alarm you. It isn’t only roof issues to which this applies, clearly leaking pipes or signs of movement would be equally important to investigate ASAP. 

Equally not all roofing issues truly require urgent repair. A loose tile or two might not currently be much of an issue and might remain so – imperfect but not hugely damaging – for some time. 

More often than not though we know when an issue will only cost more in future, don’t we. As homeowners we get that sinking feeling. 

We put off a repair even though deep down we know we probably should get it looked at. 

If we were to be honest we’re thinking €˜I’d rather pay more, at some point in the future which for now seems she’s off, than pay less right now’

But that’s quite a lot to formulate as a thought in one moment. Mostly we just put it to the back of our mind. 

Jobs become bigger than they needed to be. 

We specialise in roofing repairs and maintenance, but we preach that prevention is better than a cure. It is genuinely frustrating to see big jobs costing homeowners a good chunk of money that could so easily have been far cheaper or even not required at all. 

Most roof repairs would never have been required if the homeowner had instead committed to an annual maintenance check. Surely we all work too hard to waste money needlessly. 

The patch of damp coming from the roof could have been prevented, it didn’t have to become a job also requiring work to repair the damage caused on the top floor. The guttering, if only that had been checked, rain would not have cascaded down the side of the house causing far greater damage. 

If you are at all interested in following a prevention is better than cure approach, please contact us. 

About Improve A Roof

At Improve a Roof, we offer roof coating that will extend the life of your roof and also reduce heating bills, and also an annual wash and refurbish option – this would clean your roof but also address any maintenance issues such as loose or missing tiles, the capping of gutters, re-mortaring of the ridge and many more common issues.

Our testimonials are universally positive, please

Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

Don’t Be Forced To Panic-Choose A Roofer

At the time of writing, we are in the middle of storms and high winds – given we are writing for a British audience it’s probably fair to assume that whenever you are reading, there have either been storms recently or they will come in the near future.

There is much to love about Britain, but you could argue that the climate would not be top of the list.

These storms will often cause damage to properties’ roofs and this will then need fixing fast.

When the roof fails, there is often an urgent need for repair – there could be a leak and water ingress that has the potential to cause further damage inside and lead to  redecoration – even if this is covered by home insurance it is still major upheaval and annoyance.

There is also another certainly, if your roof needs repair because of storm damage then others will too. You may find a recommendation for a superb local company that can carry out the repair only to find that they are in high demand.

An available company might not always be the best company – if a supposed roof repair expert can come round the same day when there are lots of roofs that need repairing what does this say for their reputation or quality?

All this is to say that if you need an urgent repair you need to have someone in mind already, a company you have used before and trust – this is true of any sort of home repair, not just roof issues.

However, there is a better way.

Bar the most extreme of storms, the type we maybe see once in a decade at most, most storms only exaggerate existing damage. They work away at what was already a weak spot.

Most of the damage to roofs that occurs during storms and the winter months could have been avoided if only the roof had been maintained and given regular, annual checks.

A roof check and routine maintenance would spot that some tiles were loose or that the ridge was in need of repair.

The maintenance would also address issues that would lead to future problems, tiles become loose for a reason and a build-up of moss algae and lichen is a common factor. A specialist clean and coating can prevent this build up and so ensure that there are not future problems.

After every storm, thousands of homeowners find that their gutters are not fit for purpose, perhaps with rain water cascading against walls and causing damp damage. Such a problem could have been easily prevented by simply having a regular check, cleaning out the gutters and drains and ensuring all fastenings remained good.

Pay now or PAY Later

We understand the mindset, it is something we are all guilty of.

It is often tempting to not pay now for something you are not certain you will have to pay for in future.

Why pay for roof maintenance when it could be ‘wasted expense’? If, for instance, you could have got through the next 10 years not needing to pay for roof repairs then to pay for annual maintenance would have been a waste surely.

The problem is that there is a certain inevitability to roof repairs, a roof that is not maintained will not remain issue free for ever. What is less certain is when there will be this need for repair – will it be in one year, three years? Five years – or maybe two months.

It is also impossible to predict how many repairs may be needed. There could be none for two years, or it may be that some tiles have to be fixed after a storm, but then three months later there is a gutter problem and then, two months after that more tile issues.

At this stage the homeowner would perhaps consider paying for more general maintenance, when had they done this earlier they would not also have had to spend for these individual repairs.

With regular roof maintenance there is of course a cost but this is likely to be the only expense for the roof.

With a more relaxed approach to house maintenance there will either be no expense, or an expense that far exceeds what would have been spent on regular checks.

In most cases, it will be the latter.

About Improve A Roof

At Improve a Roof, we offer roof coating that will extend the life of your roof and also reduce heating bills, and also an annual wash and refurbish option – this would clean your roof but also address any maintenance issues such as loose or missing tiles, the capping of gutters, re-mortaring of the ridge and many more common issues.

Our testimonials are universally positive, please take the time to read the impartial reviews. 

Posted in Site Index |

Could We Learn From Sweden’s Roof Maintenance?

At Improve a Roof, we specialise in helping customers ensure that their roofs stay in superb order, able to withstand the worst the British climate has to throw at us.

And, undoubtedly, the British climate places great demands on our roofs – there is wind, rain (often near-constant rain), fairly extreme temperature changes through the seasons and then there is hail, occasional snow, ice and the odd storm or two.

Any roof in Britain has to be well maintained and built to last.

However, we would have to admit that there are countries where the climate is even harsher and so the demands placed on the roof greater still.

We were fascinated to read about some of the approaches taken in Sweden, especially the requirements to clean and maintain roofs during the winter.

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Posted in roof cleaning |

Warning Signs Your Roof Might Need A Repair

The roof is perhaps the biggest cause for concern for most homeowners. 

There is the likelihood that it will require repairs or replacing at some stage and the certainty that should any major faults appear they will need addressing immediately. 

A leaking roof cannot be put way down the priorities list.

However, unlike other parts of the house, the roof is difficult to check – it may even be completely inaccessible bar to a professional.

In this post, we outline some key signs that may suggest that your roof could at least do with a check-up.

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Posted in roof cleaning, Roof Coating |

About Us

We are a family run business offering Thermal Roof Coating and Roof Cleaning. We are based in Hazel Grove, Stockport and we have more than 30 years experience in the home improvement industry.

Improvearoof LLP

Contact us

Improve A Roof
97 Macclesfield Road
Hazel Grove
Stockport SK7 6DT
Open Mon – Sun 8am – 8pm

Freephone: 08000 469686

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