When most people think about roofing conversions, the image that usually appears is one from a pitched, angled roof, to a flat roof, but as the number of home owners with a home with a flat roof has increased, so has the number of people experiencing buyers remorse, wanting to have the conversions reversed. People tend to grow dissatisfied with flat roofs over a number of years, usually due to troubles relating to its poor durability, and high cost of its long-term maintenance, but they can also be less energy efficient as well, and as energy prices have soared over the past couple of decades, the cost of replacing it seems like a better and better deal. There are a number of reasons why people choose to convert a flat... Read More »

If you are looking to re-roof your home or insert skylights/roof lights, you do not normally need to apply for planning permission. This is because the permitted development rules allow for roof alterations subject to limits and conditions as follows: Any alteration cannot project more than 150 millimetres from the existing roof plane. No alteration made can be higher than the highest part of the roof. Side facing windows must be ‘obscure-glazed’ and any opening needs to be 1.7m above the floor. Skylights are a great option to lighten up your home; these are standardly available in 16 or 24 inch frames. You can opt for a larger skylight, but this will mean that the installer will need to cut one or more of the rafters. This is fine for... Read More »

Skylights are available in two types: •Venting – which can open •Or Fixed – which don’t If you decide on the fixed unit, be sure to consider if the room has adequate ventilation, or you could see a build-up of condensation, this is especially important in bathrooms. If you have gone for the venting option, think of the practicalities! Is the window within reach? Can you open it easily? If the answer to these questions is “No” then you might be better off considering the fixed skylight, which is actually cheaper anyway. Or, you could look at the electric opening skylight. However, you need to decide is this is an affordable option. Bear in mind that if you have a power cut, you won’t be able to open or close... Read More »

Thatching is one of the oldest forms of roofing and dates back for thousands of years and has been used across the globe with different materials from banana leaves in the Amazon and coconut palm fronds in the Caribbean to Savannah grasses in Africa and anything from oats to bracken in England. Nowadays in England you tend to only see 3 types still being used: water or wheat reed and long straw. Both water and wheat reed are cut with a binder and then combed to give the appearance or reed, whilst providing a compact even texture across the roof. Straw is threshed so that the butts and ears and mixed together, this gives a rounded almost “shaggy” appearance to the roof – very contrasting to the reed roofs. Thatch... Read More »

Green roofing is becoming extremely popular, especially for those who want their homes to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Green roofing is essentially a multi-layered pre-grown system. A typical green roofing solution will include the following: Structural Support Vapour Control Thermal Insulation Waterproof Root Membrane Moisture Protection layer Drainage and a filter membrane Growing membrane Vegetation This type of roof almost looks like a turf, and it’s durable. It can really make your home blend in to the countryside scenery, and it’s a roofing solution that’s ideal for environmentally friendly enthusiasts. This natural system provides natural air conditioning, while you get no heat reflection. Insulation is superb with this products and the top layer of vegetation is extremely strong and hard-wearing.