Roof Re-Design - Critique / Advice welcomed!
Discussion
So a bit of a long one...
We bought our house in 2020 and during the buying process, it was obvious the relatively new roof was "not quite right". No drama, the house and plot was what we wanted - we factored in work was needed down the road. That time is imminent!
The original house is 1848. An extension was added in early 2000 and they added a tiled section of roof with the tiny pitch...6 to 7 degrees. Fast forward to another extension in 2017 and the old roof was just extended full length keeping the same pitch. What they did do is replaced the low pitch section with some low pitch tiles (albeit ones which allowed a minimum 17.5 degree) and did the same on the new rear kitchen extension (which has a 15 degree pitch!). Don't even start me on why! it also seems they didn't actually touch the original house roof, and basically, just lapped new to old.
A few other oddities - rather than closing the verge, they just wrapped some L shaped Facia other the ends of the tiles... and because the new extension is on the piss a little, the tiles didn't quite extend over to fully close the cavity. It's a right old mess, and whoever laid the membrane needs to be shot - at the front of the house, it was tucked down into the render, not the gutter...and on the verge, it hasn't been finished properly, so in places, it has been forced into the cavity.
Photos...
When we moved in (2020), we were met with a leak. Sub optimal in December! Luckily, I found an OK roofing company (are there any really good ones?) who suggested we strip the tiles on the low pitch section and just whack a fibreglass deck on for now. In the midst of moving and imminent birth of my first born, fine - it was pretty cheap and they did a good job. Where the pitched roof and this new deck meet is a little rough for my liking (fibreglass sealed to membrane), but it is waterproof.
But...with all the other problems ongoing, I now have some spare time (and mental capacity) to get things sorted. Just looking for some advice and feedback on my plans to get it sorted properly.
I am going to scaffold the whole house.
I then need to strip off the s
tty verge trim and assess what's underneath to work out a plan. I don't plan on creating a soffit box (originally all the cottages just had the verge closed with mortar onto the render), but I will probably add a proper verge barge board that can be tiled over / closed off with a dry verge.
I can then strip off the fibreglass deck. It's done a good job, but I want to really get this sorted properly. The plan will be to felt, batten and fit a Brimet metal tile roof system on this low section. I can make it terracotta coloured and close it nicely onto the new verge/facia I create.
Main roof - strip one side at a time to felt, batten and tile. I can also extend the roof slightly as part of the verge/barge board fix and close it nicely with a dry verge system. I had planned to keep the old original tiles (made locally in Bridgwater) - I have plenty of spares. Or do I just replace? I'm half tempted to install solar while I am up there...
What about the join of a pitched tile roof onto my solution for the lower section (probably Brimet). I was thinking some sort of lead apron under the membrane on the main roof, and extending over the new Brimet roof. I think I have the space to make a little upstand as well under the last roof tile on the main roof that the led could follow. Does the sound sensible?
What's the best approach for the opposite end (circled). The roofers did a "workaround" which I agreed at the time, but sorting once and for all, I was thinking some sort of lead detail here? Just not sure what it looks like TBH! Any ideas?
We bought our house in 2020 and during the buying process, it was obvious the relatively new roof was "not quite right". No drama, the house and plot was what we wanted - we factored in work was needed down the road. That time is imminent!
The original house is 1848. An extension was added in early 2000 and they added a tiled section of roof with the tiny pitch...6 to 7 degrees. Fast forward to another extension in 2017 and the old roof was just extended full length keeping the same pitch. What they did do is replaced the low pitch section with some low pitch tiles (albeit ones which allowed a minimum 17.5 degree) and did the same on the new rear kitchen extension (which has a 15 degree pitch!). Don't even start me on why! it also seems they didn't actually touch the original house roof, and basically, just lapped new to old.
A few other oddities - rather than closing the verge, they just wrapped some L shaped Facia other the ends of the tiles... and because the new extension is on the piss a little, the tiles didn't quite extend over to fully close the cavity. It's a right old mess, and whoever laid the membrane needs to be shot - at the front of the house, it was tucked down into the render, not the gutter...and on the verge, it hasn't been finished properly, so in places, it has been forced into the cavity.
Photos...
When we moved in (2020), we were met with a leak. Sub optimal in December! Luckily, I found an OK roofing company (are there any really good ones?) who suggested we strip the tiles on the low pitch section and just whack a fibreglass deck on for now. In the midst of moving and imminent birth of my first born, fine - it was pretty cheap and they did a good job. Where the pitched roof and this new deck meet is a little rough for my liking (fibreglass sealed to membrane), but it is waterproof.
But...with all the other problems ongoing, I now have some spare time (and mental capacity) to get things sorted. Just looking for some advice and feedback on my plans to get it sorted properly.
I am going to scaffold the whole house.
I then need to strip off the s
tty verge trim and assess what's underneath to work out a plan. I don't plan on creating a soffit box (originally all the cottages just had the verge closed with mortar onto the render), but I will probably add a proper verge barge board that can be tiled over / closed off with a dry verge.I can then strip off the fibreglass deck. It's done a good job, but I want to really get this sorted properly. The plan will be to felt, batten and fit a Brimet metal tile roof system on this low section. I can make it terracotta coloured and close it nicely onto the new verge/facia I create.
Main roof - strip one side at a time to felt, batten and tile. I can also extend the roof slightly as part of the verge/barge board fix and close it nicely with a dry verge system. I had planned to keep the old original tiles (made locally in Bridgwater) - I have plenty of spares. Or do I just replace? I'm half tempted to install solar while I am up there...
What about the join of a pitched tile roof onto my solution for the lower section (probably Brimet). I was thinking some sort of lead apron under the membrane on the main roof, and extending over the new Brimet roof. I think I have the space to make a little upstand as well under the last roof tile on the main roof that the led could follow. Does the sound sensible?
What's the best approach for the opposite end (circled). The roofers did a "workaround" which I agreed at the time, but sorting once and for all, I was thinking some sort of lead detail here? Just not sure what it looks like TBH! Any ideas?
From where is the grp roof top surface visible?
I'm not sure what you gain by changing a grp roof to a fake slate plastic roof with lots of joints, if no one can see it.
Fundamentally, a low pitch roof on a west country cottage always looks like a post war extension on a budget.
There's not much you can do about that without building a full pitch roof over it.
In Devon, if you wanted cultural authenticity for such a roof, the correct thing would be corrugated iron.
I'm not sure what you gain by changing a grp roof to a fake slate plastic roof with lots of joints, if no one can see it.
Fundamentally, a low pitch roof on a west country cottage always looks like a post war extension on a budget.
There's not much you can do about that without building a full pitch roof over it.
In Devon, if you wanted cultural authenticity for such a roof, the correct thing would be corrugated iron.
OutInTheShed said:
From where is the grp roof top surface visible?
I'm not sure what you gain by changing a grp roof to a fake slate plastic roof with lots of joints, if no one can see it.
Fundamentally, a low pitch roof on a west country cottage always looks like a post war extension on a budget.
There's not much you can do about that without building a full pitch roof over it.
In Devon, if you wanted cultural authenticity for such a roof, the correct thing would be corrugated iron.
It's a fair comment - it's not visible at all really. And it's structurally sound, I guess if it came to it, I could probably replace the barge board with it in situ. I'm not sure what you gain by changing a grp roof to a fake slate plastic roof with lots of joints, if no one can see it.
Fundamentally, a low pitch roof on a west country cottage always looks like a post war extension on a budget.
There's not much you can do about that without building a full pitch roof over it.
In Devon, if you wanted cultural authenticity for such a roof, the correct thing would be corrugated iron.
Just briefly.
They butted the tiles into a barge, so that need sorting. Undercloak with cement bed would look correct, and dry verge is not my favourite, but you can get a continuous tile trim.
You could batten onto the GRP and Britmet, and a lead flashing at the junction would work fine, copper clips will stop the wind lifting it.
A lead saddle in your circled area would be fine, under the tile obviously.
They butted the tiles into a barge, so that need sorting. Undercloak with cement bed would look correct, and dry verge is not my favourite, but you can get a continuous tile trim.
You could batten onto the GRP and Britmet, and a lead flashing at the junction would work fine, copper clips will stop the wind lifting it.
A lead saddle in your circled area would be fine, under the tile obviously.
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