Conservation roofing – What you need to know

There are many wonderful historic and well loved and visited buildings throughout the whole of the UK; many of these have been stood for hundreds of years and some for much longer than that. Of course as the years go by the roofs on these buildings have to stand the test of time and Mother Nature. They have to go through – and will already have gone through – years of storms, face battering from high winds and of course will have seen rain, sleet and snow. All of these elements could have severe effects on old stone or quarried tile and of course they are not immune to damage. At some stage the roofing will have to be re-done or repaired. This is when qualified conservation roofing contractors must be found.

There are many various types of materials that a competent conservation roofing contractor should be capable of dealing with. They should also be able to work on various types of conservation buildings and homes. These could be anything from a stately home to a church or cathedral. The company could have to work of a flat roof, work with a rotund for example.

As they could be called upon to work with many various materials and these materials would have to be matched to the specific project, they should have the necessary experience. How would it look if the building had stood for hundreds of years with old quarried tiles only for an inadequate contractor to replace missing tiles with new ones? Conservation means keeping the building in its true state so therefore the contractor would have to replace missing tiles with the same and any self respecting specialist roofing contractor would know this.

Never be afraid to ask to see work and conservation roofing projects that have already been completed. Any contractor who puts you off from seeing completed projects should be given some serious thought as to what they are hiding.

While sadly some of the companies that are in the roofing business just to make quick money stick with domestic roofing, some do set their sights higher. If possible, look for a company that has completed work for the National Heritage.

Any materials that the conservation roofing company work with should be able to meet the stringent demands of conversation planning areas which are strictly controlled. The contractor will be able to finish off the roof to the highest standards with matching ridge tiles for instance. They should pride themselves on the completed project and offer full insurance and quality workmanship throughout.

Finally, when considering taking on any craftsman they should be willing to work on any project whatever the size, whether you just need a single portion of the roof matched with materials and repaired to high standards or whether you need to have the whole of the roof replaced. Matching tiles and materials is essential aesthetically and a reputable conservation roofing contractor who has been in the business for many years will not have problems doing so.