Roofing Experts

Insulating a roof can be done through one of two methods; either by building a cavity between the roof and the ceiling of the rooms below, which can then have insulating materials added to, or you can use insulating roof panels.

Both of these options have their advantages and their limitations, such as with cavity filling, you need a cavity, and with roof panels, you don’t get as much insulation, so it’s important that you carefully consider your options.

Insulating roof panels are a great option for those homes which don’t have a cavity between the higher most room’s ceiling and the roof, as it will provide some insulation for a home which would otherwise have none. It can also be used to supplement a cavity insulated home with additional insulation. They come in various widths, giving you different specifications for the quality of insulation you want.

Doing cavity insulation for your roof also presents some options, usually pertaining to the material used for insulation. Different materials provide different levels of insulation, and depending upon the weight of the materials, you may be limited on which type and the quantity of insulation you can place below your roof.

Firstly, they come in two types: Venting – which can open or Fixed – which can’t. Secondly, you don’t usually need planning permission to install a skylight – which is good news!
Skylights can come in a huge range of sizes, however if you opt for a larger skylight, but this will mean that the installer may need to cut one or more the rafters in your roof. This is perfectly ok for conventionally framed roofs. HOWEVER, a truss style is engineered to carry load, cutting the roof members could affect the structural integrity of the roof.
Skylights are available in different materials; however we do suggest that you chose glass. This may be the more expensive option, but it is much more durable than plastic and has often been made specifically to offer more strength and resistance to UV rays.  Plastic must be coated in a special film to protect against UV rays, but it doesn’t stop the plastic from potentially warping.

There are a vast number of materials available for roofing from timber shingles, natural slate, thatching to metal. The choice is down to you, your budget and your exterior design plan.

For those concerned about the environment, reducing your carbon footprint is also a major consideration. Therefore we suggest that you look carefully into your materials and where you can source them. We would also suggest you consider a synthetic or organic underlay. Carefully selecting your materials and picking the right ones could lead to you becoming LEED certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).

Depending on your location, taking into consideration your carbon footprint will start to limit the materials available.

If your heart is set on metal and you can obtain metal materials you have a few options:

• Steel is the most common; however it must be coated to stop it from rusting.
• Copper is an expensive option and will also “age” due to it being oxidised over time. This means that it will change over time from a penny red to a blue/green, so this is something to consider.

Carpentry and joinery is a major part of any new build or renovation project, and without carpenters, there wouldn’t be fixed doors window frames, partitions, staircases and joist coverings.

It’s all about installing fixing components into a property, and forming the structure of the property, but it certainly requires a great deal of skill. You have to be able to extract information from drawings and specifications, whilst working to the safety guidelines.

Usually there is not a large team of carpenters on a particular project, and it can only take a small team and several weeks to form the main structure of a particular property. The more senior carpenters will be able to create complex roofs, hips and valleys, which are all areas of structural carcassing.