Sunderland / South Tyneside / North Tyneside / Gateshead / Washington / Durham / Hetton and Houghton / Jarrow / Hebburn / Newcastle / Chester Le Street

REPLACEMENT ROOFING AND NEW ROOF COVERINGS

Michael Cookson Roofing is a Residential Replacement New Roof Specialist. Replacing Roof Coverings throughout the North East for over 20 years.

“I NEED A NEW ROOF”

Often as not I hear this from potential customers, I look up and see nothing wrong with the Roof…!

“Is it leaking in somewhere?” I always ask…?

“Well No but I had a guy knocking the other day and he said I need a New Roof…”

Sometimes people have been told by cold callers “You Need a New Roof”

Call us on 07581 401 695

Get a Free quote from

Michael cookson roofing

Fill our the form below for a free, no-obligation quote.

ROOF SPECIALIST

10 YEAR WARRANTY

20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

If you’re ever in this situation and it has worried you, it’s probably best to get a few Roofers out to have a look rather than taking the word of a Door Canvasser.

Sometimes people just want a New Roof, most people can see when an old Roof is coming to the end of its life. Having to get Roof Repairs completed is often a sign that an old Roof is coming to the end of its life. Getting a New Roof instead of waiting for leaks and repairs is a safe way to protect your property from internal water damage if your old Roof fails during bad weather.

ALL ROOFS LOOK THE SAME…!?

Residential Replacement Roofing is an extremely specialised Trade. Unlike new build housing projects where each roof structure to be covered is brand new and identical. With residential Replacement Roofing Companies Every single New Roof is unique and can often present several different problems to be overcome and resolved. Roofing Companies tend to specialise in either Residential Roofing or New Build Site Work.

It takes years and years of experience to come across (and resolve) each and every type of fault that can be found when replacing old Residential Roofs.

A residential Roofer will cover many different New Roof Types each and every year, Up and Overs, Single Siders, Mono Pitch, Gable Ends, Hip Ends, Gabled Hips, Mansard, Mitred Hips, Dormers with Valleys, Hips with Valleys… ETC…

A residential Roofer covering completely different New Roof Types, week in and week out, has a completely different skill set than a Roofer who works solely on building sites covering the same brand new, often simple Roof Structures over and over again.

Old Roofs often fall out of square over time and can require careful considerations when beginning the New Roof Installation. Many Roofing faults can only be seen once you start stripping the old roof coverings. But with years of experience many Roof faults can also be anticipated when dealing with certain types of Roofs.

As an example many old Low Pitch Roofs have rotten verges and rotten timber at the eaves where small amounts of moisture have rotten away timber over many years. Low Pitch New Roofs often have specialised Roofing ventilation requirements to prevent condensation forming on the inside of the Roof Void.

Low Pitch New Roofs can also require only certain types of Low Pitch Roof Tiles to be used. Specialist Low Pitch Roof Tile Profiles such as Wessex or Mendip. Roof Tiles on Low Pitch New Roofs must also be laid on the Roof with a Larger Head lap than on more standard/ steeper Roof Pitches.

A different example would be the old “Tyneside” style terrace Slate Roofs, common throughout the North East, which often have slipped wall plates at the eaves, loose Roof Rafters at the ridges and twisted out Roof Purling’s which is another common fault.

All of the above can be easily fixed during the New Roof Installation, at very little or no extra cost, but do require taking a bit of time and care to put it right rather than just ignoring it, or even not recognising the faults at all resulting in a poor New Roof Covering.

Many old Roofs have some faulty timber issues either at the ridge, the Roof rafters or at the wall plate. Sadly the most common Roofing faults I come across are when joining in to next door New Roofs that have not been installed correctly at the party join by other Roofers.

Often as not previous Roof repairs around chimney stacks have damaged brick work and previous Roof repairs around the Roof eaves have caused water damage on the wall plates and rafter ends.

Most issues can be resolved with a bit of care and attention to detail without any further costs to the customers. “The Devil is in the Detail” as they say, and this is true in Roofing.

Having the Roofing experience to know how to achieve a waterproof and strong solution to each and every “small” problem is a key Residential Roofing skill.

A ROOFING CONTRACT

Getting a Written Roofing Contract is the safest way to legally protect yourself against any possible loss when replacing your Roof. It must be signed by you and the Roofer before any work can be started.

If you have not been offered a Roofing Contract with your Roof Quote you need to ask for it…!

A Good Roofing Contract will be supported by The following Written Documents

THE ROOFERS PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE CERTIFICATE

All tradesmen are legally required to carry public Liability Insurance in order to Protect Customers. These policies are not cheap, especially for Roofers! Obviously working at height can present a lot of additional risks which need to be covered against.

This vital document protects you the customer in the event that the Roofer YOU have instructed accidently or otherwise causes any damage or injury to you, your property, or any third parties or their property while installing a New Roof on your property.

Most Homeowners Buildings and Contents insurance policies require YOU the homeowner to notify them prior to any Major Roof Work in order to cover against any unforeseen damages, or claims that may occur during work.

If YOU instruct an un insured Roofer to install a New Roof on your property YOU could be found Liable for any 3^rd party claim for damages or injury to them or their property.

If the Roofer is a professional, he will care enough about his customers to be paying for it.

The Roofers Insurance Certificate will have a reference number on it that can easily be checked on line for authenticity.

You need a copy of the certificate, to make sure, and to inform your home insurance, ask for it…!

THE ROOFERS WASTE CARRIERS LICENCE

Any tradesman who produces, carries or transfers any trade waste is legally required to hold an Environment Agency Issued Waste Carriers Licence.

This document protects YOU the customer against any fly tipping fine liability should your old Roof Covering be illegally fly tipped for any reason. When your old Roof is stripped and removed a waste transfer note will be created to ensure the old Roofing materials are disposed of legally and correctly to the appropriate waste transfer stations.

If your old Roof Coverings are found to be fly tipped and can be linked to you and your property, you could be found liable for both a fine and also the cost to remove any fly tipped waste Roofing materials.

Having a copy of the Roofers waste Licence protects YOU.

THE ROOFERS DETAILED ROOF INSTALLATION SPECIFICATION SHEET

This Document will be specific to your property and will detail the Exact Roofing Materials agreed to be used on your New Roof and also the agreed methods that they will be installed by. It may also detail the relevant Building Regulations relating to the Roofing work described and the Roofing materials detailed.

Getting a Written detailed Roofing work description and Replacement Roof installation specification will PROVE you really are getting the best Roofing materials you have chosen and PROVE they will be installed correctly in line with the contract offered.

Without this detail in writing a Roofer (defending a claim against him) could claim YOU had told him to use the cheapest materials and the cheapest methods, and YOU had agreed this to achieve a low price based on this.

It’s all about getting exactly what you are paying for and also PROVING that YOU may have been mis sold in the event that you have any problems with your New Roof.

THE ROOFERS WRITTEN ROOF QUOTE SHEET

A Written Quote Sheet

This Document will Detail The Price The Roofing Company is offering, to complete the agreed Work. It should include as much information as possible, including Scaffold Costs, Labour and Materials Costs, Waste Removal Costs etc.

Any VAT (if Applicable) should be detailed with the price.

Having this in writing is the only way to legally protect yourself against any large price changes by the roofer once work has begun.

THE ROOFERS WRITTEN WARRANTY

The written warranty is contained within the Roofing Contract. This extremely important document is left with the customer to view at their own leisure and to consider all of the information provided. Completed and Signed by both the Roofer and the Customer to legally agree the work and the price offered and agreed between the two parties.

The Roofing Contract and warranty is Signed when the Customer has decided to go ahead with the order and has informed the Roofer to go ahead with the work, and importantly before any work has been started. The Length of the warranty with any terms and conditions is detailed within the Contract. The Roofing Companies full details should be included.

ROOF WARRANTY INSURANCE

Roofers can register with Insurance providers and offer customers an insurance policy for any warranty offered. Most Warranty insurers require the Roofer to prove their Roofing Qualifications and Roofers Public Liability Insurance Cover, another stipulation they usually require is that the Customer is given a Written Contract for the work to be insured.

REPLACING YOUR ROOF

Having decided on a Roofing Company and having signed all the relevant paperwork etc. A date will be agreed and work will begin.

STRIPPING THE OLD ROOF

The first task when replacing a Roof covering is removing the old Roof covering. Your old Roof covering will normally consists of 2 main parts. The old main Tile or Slate Covering and the old Background Components. Both parts are removed to expose the Roof Structure and to allow the New Roof coverings to be installed to the existing Timber Roof Structure.

The main Roof Tile or Roof Slate covering

The Roof Slates or Roof Tiles are generally fixed to the Roof Battens with nails and sometimes also with an internal cement mortar skewer known as torch pointing. In the days before Roofs had ceiling level loft insulation and underlay membrane this torch pointing was used when installing a New Roof to prevent draughts in the roof void and also to strengthen the Roof slate or tile fixings.

Removing the old Roof Tiles or Roof Slates

The main covering is usually stripped from top to bottom to allow the removed Roof Slates or Roof Tiles to be slid down to the eaves for collection and disposal. Once the Roofs Slates or Roof Tiles are removed the Roofs Background Components are exposed and can be removed next.

The old Roof Background Components

Also supporting the Roof Covering and below the main coverings are the Roof background components, such as Roof Battens and any Roof membrane laid on the Roof Trusses / Roof Rafters. Generally houses built from the 50s onwards until about the late 1990s had a Non Breathable Type 5U Underlay Roofing Membrane fitted which was basically a hessian cloth reinforced bitumen sheeting rolled out over the Roof Rafters before the Roof Battens and Tile or Slate coverings where fitted to the old Roof.

Removing the old Roof Background Components

Generally again the Roof Background Components are stripped from the top to the bottom. The Roof Battens are prised from the Roof Rafters with any holding nails either flattened to or removed from the Roof Rafters. At the same time any Roofing Underlay Membrane is also removed from the Roof Rafters.

When stripping the Roof Background Components special care is taken at the verge edges and at the eaves as it is not un common to expose Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM)

Asbestos in Roofing Materials (ACM)

Even up until the late 1990s some Asbestos Roofing background components where commonly used in Roofing such as Asbestos Under cloak, Man Made Roof Slates containing Asbestos and Asbestos containing Roofing Underlay membrane.

Generally any building constructed before 2000 could contain Asbestos.

Asbestos can also be found in some older Roof Tiles and commonly in older man made Roof slates.

Disturbing Asbestos Containing Materials is extremely dangerous unless safe working practices are used by suitably Qualified workers wearing the correct Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Since 2006 it has been a Legal Requirement that any one disturbing asbestos is trained and qualified to do so.

The minimum qualification to safely complete this work is Category B Trained and Qualified. This work is known as Non Licensed Work. Although the exact classification for each job is subject to a specific site inspection.

Asbestos ACM is classed as Hazardous Waste and is disposed of separately.

Michael Cookson Roofing is Category B Trained and Qualified by UKASL to complete Non Licensed Asbestos Removal and Disposal Work.

Once the old Roof Covering is entirely removed the now bare Roof Structure can be inspected and any repairs or strengthening work can be completed before beginning to install the New Roof Coverings.

With the Newly Exposed Roof Structure cleaned off and any Repairs Completed the next stage is to start installing the New Roof Covering.

INSTALLING THE NEW ROOF COVERING

New Roof Background Components

The Background Components are generally fitted from bottom to the top, with each layer of Breathable Roof Membrane overlapping the previous layer to create a waterproof barrier, fitted to the Roof Structure first ready to receive the Roof Battens.

Breathable Roof Membrane

The first Layer is the Breathable Roof Membrane this is fitted directly to the Roof Rafters followed by the Roof Battens which are also fixed directly to the Roof Rafters.

Older Roof Underlays where “Non Breathable.” New Roofs have a “Breathable” Membrane fitted. Like all things you can get lower grade “cheap” breathable underlay all the way to High Grade Breathable underlay. Low Pitch New Roofs especially require careful consideration when selecting underlay. Breathable underlay allows any moisture/ vapour from the property to escape the Roof void whilst not allowing any external moisture to penetrate. Generally the higher grade the New Roof breathable Membrane is the better it performs in both functions. Allows more internal moisture to escape, whilst maintaining a stronger weather shield against external water penetration.

New Roof Battens

The New Roof Battens are fitted to the Roof above the Roof Membrane at a Fixed Gauge to receive New Roof Slates or at a Variable Gauge to receive New Roof Tiles. The first (lowest) Batten is set at the correct height from the gutters to ensure the New Roof Tiles or New Roof Slates hang 50mm in to the Guttering.

The first New Roof Batten struck is also always checked for “Level” to ensure the New Roof is laid Square and Level to the Roof Structure.

If the wall plate has slipped or the property has slight subsidence, any “Out of Square” can be adjusted back out at the eaves to bring the New Roof covering back to Square and Level at this point.

As with New Roof Breathable Membrane which can be totally different Grades and Quality. New Roof Battens can also be different Grades and quality. Also and importantly, different sizes. 50x25mm being the best and strongest New Roof Batten. The smallest battens 38x19mm are obviously much cheaper, but should never be used on a New Roof.

Old Roofs are also often “out of square” at the ridge (the top) so it is usually necessary to take a measurement when 2 thirds up the Roof to the ridge at either end and adjust the batten gauges accordingly to bring “Square” back to the ridge.

New Roof Dry Valleys and Party Bond Gutters

Dry Valleys replace old Lead Lined open Valleys, they are designed to replace the use of Cement Mortar on New Roofs. On New Tile Roofs a “Raised” Dry Valley is fitted to the Roof Structure after lowering the valley boards then the Roof battens are fitted to brace them ready to receive Roof Tiles. With New Slate Roofs an “open” Dry Valley is fitted to a Raking Batten braced against the existing valley boards.

A New Roof “Raised” Dry Valley (For Tiles)

Dry Party Bonds are fitted along the Party join between 2 separate Roofs where a New Roof is joined to an old Roof. These Components carry rain water down to the eaves gutter and underlay on both sides of the party join. They can be “Hidden” (Flat) or “Raised”. Raised Party Bonding Gutters are stronger and provide a greater underlap than “hidden” bonds. Generally Hidden Bonds are better for Slate New Roofs.

A “Raised” Dry Party Bond Gutter Joining a New Roof to the adjacent Old Roof Covering next door

Once all of New Roof Background Components are fitted to the New Roof, Tiling or Salting can begin. This is the Main Covering and is fitted to the New Roof Background Components

The New Roof Main Covering

New Roof Interlocking Tiles

Before tiling can begin it is good practice to “Set Out” the New Roof to make sure the best size cuts can be achieved at either the party Bond, the Verge and any Valleys or Abutments. Tiling is always done Right to left with each New Roof Tile nailed on the right hand side adjacent to the Interlock. All cut tiles and Tiles at any edge must be twice fixed.

“Setting out” also allows “Perps” to be struck with a chalk string line to achieve straight vertical lines on the Tiling. The New Roof Tiles are stacked adjacent to these perps prior to fitting. Always Tiling left to right ensures stepping on the New Roof Tiles is minimised reducing the chance of any Tiles being marked or damaged during the New Roof installation.

A New Roof with Gemini Concrete Tiles

With a Ventilated Dry Ridge and Hip System

New Roof Dry Verge Units and Ventilated Dry Ridge

In order to achieve a completely “Cement Mortar Free“ New Roof individual Dry Verge Units are used to finish any Verges. These Dry Verge Units are mechanically Fixed to create a Strong Maintenance free New Roof Verge. Linear Dry Verge Units are available when a Slate or Plain Tile New Roof is being installed.