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Roof Types

Whether your property has a pitched or flat roof, your chosen covering needs to be appropriate to provide protection from the elements.

A wide selection of materials is generally available – as listed below – but your choice could be restricted by: local planning guidelines; availability; and, cost.

ASBESTOS CEMENT

Asbestos cement roofs, often in the form of large corrugated sheets, are commonly found on older garages and sheds, as well as industrial and farm buildings.
Work involving any type of asbestos product is dangerous – with asbestos itself carrying major health risks – so its use is increasingly rare; full details and guidance can be found at the Health and Safety Executive website’s asbestos essentials page.

Roof coverings

FLAT ROOFS

Flat roofs are ideal for buildings of any shape, even those without parallel and perpendicular walls. And, unless you choose a metal covering, the cost is competitive compared with a pitched roof

FELT

A traditional waterproof covering for flat roofs, felt is nailed, stapled or stuck directly on to ceiling joists or a timber sheet. It’s produced as a roll of material in various widths, lengths and thicknesses, so may need to be applied and heat-sealed in several sections and/or layers – as well as having a covering of gravel or asphalt set in tar – to offer maximum protection.

The roof’s life expectancy varies with the material used. For example, a bitumen-based covering is likely to last 15 years, while a high-performance membrane that contains polyester may be good for 25 years.

Similarly, the nature of the material affects the price, with mineral felt the cheapest option.

FIBERGLASS

Environmentally friendly and easy to maintain, fiberglass – also known as GRP or glass reinforced plastic – is also easily painted. It’s hardwearing and resistant to chemicals, rot, rust and corrosion, so is expected to last for more than 50 years, as well as providing excellent insulation against noise and heat-loss.

Compared with traditional flat roofing materials, eg felt and bitumen-based coverings, fibreglass is more expensive but its additional cost is largely offset by a vastly increased life expectancy.

RUBBER

Synthetic rubber roofing offers many advantages, perhaps the main one of which is that it can be supplied in one-piece as a large, made-to-measure, sheet, which is fixed using adhesives and sealants. It is also very strong, able to cope with extremes of temperature and resists the effects of sunlight, so is likely to remain in good condition for at least 50 years.

Over time, the cost will work out to be comparable with that of a good quality felt roof system.

METAL

If you’re after a virtually maintenance-free, fire retardant, lightweight, stylish roofing option with a lifespan in excess of 30 years that is also energy efficient and 100% recyclable, metal could be the solution.

But, because the initial cost of a premium metal covering is significantly higher than any other roofing materials with the exception of natural slates, an alternative covering may be better value for money.

COPPER

Copper can be used in its raw state – developing a distinctive green oxide once fully weathered – or mixed with other elements to create a brass, bronze, brown or gold finish.

STEEL

Standing-seam steel roofing – where an upturned edge of one metal panel connects it to the next with concealed fasteners to create a distinctive vertical line – is a popular choice for homes.

Today’s steel roofs are likely to be coated with a zinc and aluminium alloy. Alternatively, stainless steel is available in a matt or bright finish, or coated with tin or a lead-tin alloy.

ZINC

In its natural bright state, zinc roofing will oxidize and change appearance with age. It can also be supplied chemically pre-weathered or with a colour coating.

SINGLE PLY

Synthetic polymer is the main material used in single ply roofing, which is essentially a very thin, lightweight sheet that is both strong and flexible. It is made watertight using sealed joints and can be easily insulated. Unless the area it covers is used for access, no extra surface protection is needed.

Although more expensive than roofing felt, this low-cost technology is more adaptable: it can be supplied in a variety of colours, allowing for very creative design, particularly when combined with a continuous supporting structure. It’s also widely used with solar energy systems and, when used as waterproofing for roof gardens, can contribute to sustainable drainage.
Quickly constructed using flame-free methods, it’s seen as a modern alternative to felt roofing, with a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.

CLAY TILES

Made from natural products, on the whole they come in two formats – plain tiles and profiled tiles. Nowadays the bulk is manufactured by machine but some are still handmade. The latter tend to have slight irregularities due to the process used to make them. Pre-cut slabs of clay are hand thrown into moulds. Their sand-faced finish is the result of the sand used to line the mould. Machine made tiles offer a choice of a smooth or a sand-faced finish.

PANTILES

Pantiles are a traditional form of roofing. They are curved in to an S-shaped section and fitted by overlapping the neighbouring tiles.

Although most often made from clay, heavier concrete tiles are also on the market.

PLAIN TILES

These come in both concrete and clay, with the latter being the most expensive. Unlike interlocking tiles these are laid double or treble lapped (meaning that parts of at least two other tiles are beneath the tile), this brings the amount needed in at around 60 to the square metre.

SLATES

The huge advantage of a slate roof is its durability. It should last for up to 80 years. This natural product is far less likely to corrode than the nails holding it in place.

Slates can delaminate in which case they become absorbent and then need replacing.

A slate roof is not cheap, but because of its durability an option is to look for second hand slates, which could still have a lifespan of decades in them

CONCRETE SLATES

Although these are designed to look like natural or stone slates they do not have the same durability. They come in various colours but, because of the cement content will not weather like a natural slate.

They also tend to be heavier than slates, so the roof timbers could need strengthening before they are laid.

FIBRE CEMENT SLATES

The manufacturing process gives these tiles an appearance close to natural slate. Like concrete they offer a more cost effective option than real slate but again with a shorter life expectancy.

CONCRETE TILES

Interlocking concrete is probably the most cost effective tile on the market. The drawback can be that they are not always as long lasting as their clay equivalent. But as they are large tiles with 10 covering about a metre they can reduce the cost substantially.

NATURAL SLATE

This type of slate, a metamorphic rock, can have its origins in clay, silt, shale or volcanic ash that has been heated and then compressed over millions of years. The strong material is usually split into sheets before being cut into rectangular shapes.

Slate is most commonly found in Cornwall up through North Wales, into Cumbria and Scotland and is dark in colour.

STONE SLATE

Stone slates are formed from sedimentary rock such as limestone or sandstone. It is dressed in slabs of a thickness between 19 and 35mm. They are lighter in colour than natural slate.

	CLAY TILES Made from natural products, on the whole they come in two formats – plain tiles and profiled tiles. Nowadays the bulk is manufactured by machine but some are still handmade. The latter tend to have slight irregularities due to the process used to make them. Pre-cut slabs of clay are hand thrown into moulds. Their sand-faced finish is the result of the sand used to line the mould. Machine made tiles offer a choice of a smooth or a sand-faced finish.
	PANTILES Pantiles are a traditional form of roofing. They are curved in to an S-shaped section and fitted by overlapping the neighbouring tiles. Although most often made from clay, heavier concrete tiles are also on the market.
	PLAIN TILES These come in both concrete and clay, with the latter being the most expensive. Unlike interlocking tiles these are laid double or treble lapped (meaning that parts of at least two other tiles are beneath the tile), this brings the amount needed in at around 60 to the square metre.
	SLATES The huge advantage of a slate roof is its durability. It should last for up to 80 years. This natural product is far less likely to corrode than the nails holding it in place. Slates can delaminate in which case they become absorbent and then need replacing. A slate roof is not cheap, but because of its durability an option is to look for second hand slates, which could still have a lifespan of decades in them
	CONCRETE SLATES Although these are designed to look like natural or stone slates they do not have the same durability. They come in various colours but, because of the cement content will not weather like a natural slate. They also tend to be heavier than slates, so the roof timbers could need strengthening before they are laid.
	FIBRE CEMENT SLATES The manufacturing process gives these tiles an appearance close to natural slate. Like concrete they offer a more cost effective option than real slate but again with a shorter life expectancy.
	CONCRETE TILES Interlocking concrete is probably the most cost effective tile on the market. The drawback can be that they are not always as long lasting as their clay equivalent. But as they are large tiles with 10 covering about a metre they can reduce the cost substantially.
	NATURAL SLATE This type of slate, a metamorphic rock, can have its origins in clay, silt, shale or volcanic ash that has been heated and then compressed over millions of years. The strong material is usually split into sheets before being cut into rectangular shapes. Slate is most commonly found in Cornwall up through North Wales, into Cumbria and Scotland and is dark in colour.
	STONE SLATE Stone slates are formed from sedimentary rock such as limestone or sandstone. It is dressed in slabs of a thickness between 19 and 35mm. They are lighter in colour than natural slate.