Re-roofing - new tiles and central fibreglass valley?

[a twig]

Hi all,

Still relatively new here so please be gentle!

Moved into our 1850s cottage in Avon back in Jan. A lot of "potential" to say the least! We are trying to get the structural stuff done this sumer, to then make a start on the interiors etc over the winter.

The roof in a twin gabled job, and the central gutter (done in lead flashing) is pretty knackered, as are a lot of the tiles. We also have a few deathwatch beetle tapping around (5 captured so far, I can only hear one that is still evading capture at present!) Ripping out some of the 70s fitted wardrobes etc shows where a lot of leaks have been coming in.

I'm getting quotes for a complete re-roofing, including replacement/repair of timber as necessary. There are no planing restrictions etc, so the engineer in me is saying "New tiles all over the whole lot". Yes it will be a bit bright for a few years, but I can get a more wind/rain resistant design, which will match all our neighbours, so it will still fit in, unless anyone here can offer me valid reasons otherwise? :?

However one thing I am unsure of is the central valley. Some of the quotes are happy to re-do in lead, others are strongly recommending fibreglass. You can't see any of the valley from anywhere unless you are up on the roof, so aesthetics aren't important in that regard. So, does anyone have any experience/recommendations to go alongside my frantic googling before I make a decision in a week or so's time?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[davidbrac]

grade 5 lead will last longer, 50 years plus, but it also needs to be laid by someone who knows what they are doing as Lead needs to be laid in short runs or it will crack in time. fiberglass is cheaper and quicker to lay, and not as strong and gets brittle over time.

The other factor is how much wind do you get as lead will be better in a windy area.

As for the tiles, do they really need replacing and will you get like for like? If they put up concrete tiles you need to figure out if the roof can take the extra weight and if not strengthen it. If the neighbours have changed the roof talk to them about what they did and what they wouldn't do again.

we moved in 12 months ago and reroofed straight away, grade 5 lead, and Spanish slates as the existing slates were too brittle, managed to sell the slates on the roof the guy needed to stack them for a while to harden them again.

Hope that helps

 

[Penners]

I entirely agree with David's remarks on the lead v. fibreglass debate. You get what you pay for.

As regards the tiles, I would certainly urge you to re-use whatever you can from the existing roof, for both aesthetic and cost reasons. If you need to supplement them, to replace any breakages, try scouring the local architectural reclamation yards to find some that match. For the most attractive effect, remember to mix these replacements in randomly, rather than laying them all together on one area of the roof.

the guy needed to stack them for a while to harden them again.

That's an interesting comment, David, that I've never come across before. Could you explain this "re-hardening" in a bit more detail, please - purely for my own education?

 

[davidbrac]

the guy needed to stack them for a while to harden them again.

That's an interesting comment, David, that I've never come across before. Could you explain this "re-hardening" in a bit more detail, please - purely for my own education?

I was told by the roofers who did our roof, l would classify these guys as slate roofing specialists, that if you store stack slates on their side they will harded up, in other words loose some of their brittleness. And the guy who purchased our second hand slates stated he was stacking for 12 months before installing the roof.

No experience on this but two different sources gave me the information. The slate on our original roof was Easdale slate, the quarry was 10 miles up the road and is known to be more brittle than some of its counterparts.

 

[a twig]

The new tiles will be clay, the same as the existing, just a slightly different design so that the wind and rain is less likely to rip up underneath as is happening at present. In 10 years they'll be just as dull as the current ones are now.

My main concern is the fibreglass/lead question - from a purely technical point of view. It can't be seen, so I just want the most bomb proof low maintenance solution for the gutter. So if lead is better - why?

 

[davidbrac]

My main concern is the fibreglass/lead question - from a purely technical point of view. It can't be seen, so I just want the most bomb proof low maintenance solution for the gutter. So if lead is better - why?

lead wears less and doesn't deteriorate with UV, l believe that its thought that fiberglass valleys will last 20-25 years, However they haven't been around that long to be confident on this yet. Lead will last 50 years plus if installed in the correct lengths, it will crack if laid in too long a length.

So l suppose the question is one of cost is the the fiberglass option cheaper than having the valley repaired in 20-25 years time, if it last that long

hope that helps

 

[Feltwell]

The new tiles will be clay, the same as the existing, just a slightly different design so that the wind and rain is less likely to rip up underneath as is happening at present. In 10 years they'll be just as dull as the current ones are now.

My main concern is the fibreglass/lead question - from a purely technical point of view. It can't be seen, so I just want the most bomb proof low maintenance solution for the gutter. So if lead is better - why?

Although it goes against all my better instincts, I agree with twig on the tiles.

When e first bought this house I re-roofed it in new tiles, and have had no issues since. To get up to the main roof is a major hassle and requires scaffolding, a big expense if you've just got a couple of tiles to slip in. I think it will take longer than 10 years for them to look like the originals, but they settled in and stopped looking new within 3 years.

My garage I roofed in reclaims. They look great, and I don't regret using them for one moment, but after every winter I've had to go up there and change a few odd tiles that the frost has broken up - and they were checked very carefully when they were first put on. The difference is I can get on to this roof from a ladder so it's no great hassle.

Roof tiles do have a certain life, and beyond a point you need to expect to be up there every few years at least replacing a few.

I'd definitely go with lead for a valley. Done properly in short runs, in a heavy code lead such as 5, it is a well-proven solution that will last a very long time, whereas fibreglass is unproven and I'd be nervous of it going brittle and prone to cracking over time. I would say that you need to ensure the valley is kept clean each year going forward, if it has a tendency to fill up with leaves and muck - some do, some don't. Valleys are always a weak point in a roof.

 

[Penners]

if lead is better - why?

In addition to the above comments about the superiority of lead, I'll add one more: lead is heavier than fibreglass, so much less likely to be lifted or vibrated by strong winds.

 

[Keithj]

Lead does have a propensity to be "lifted" by those with light fingers, so camouflage is a good idea if it is visible to passing rogues. One of our churches lost its roof lead three times in six months, and now has fibreglass.

 

[malcolm]

It tends to be unoccupied buildings that have their lead stolen at night. Removing lead from a valley would cause a great deal of noise. I would use lead for a valley as it can last for 100 years. Fibreglass can crack almost invisibly and let water in making it tricky to trace. Even the new build next door used lead.

We had some lead flashing thieved from a flat roof while the place was boarded up. I replaced it with plastic stuff as the flat roof will go at some point, and it is less desirable to scum. How would you disguise lead?

 

[Penners]

I tend to agree with Malcolm - I think it's fairly unlikely that thieves would risk the consequences of pinching a very modest amount of lead from an occupied building. A lead valley would yield so little, as compared with an entire church roof.

 

[MatthewC]

I tend to agree with Malcolm - I think it's fairly unlikely that thieves would risk the consequences of pinching a very modest amount of lead from an occupied building. A lead valley would yield so little, as compared with an entire church roof.

But they still did it from my unoccupied house:
This had been down for less than two days

 

[dans]

The first thing I done to my 500 year old farmhouse, on recommendation from my builders, was to replace my roof with new tiles and fibreglass valleys.

2 years later, I now have the scaffold back up and the roof re-tiled in old hand made reclaimed tiles. At great expense.

Don't do something that you will undoubtedly regret.

 

[dans]

Although I do have 2k new clay pantiles for sale if you want them !!

 

[a twig]

Hi dans,

Do you fancy expanding on the reasons why you are re-doing yours and why I would undoubtedly regret mine?

Quotes are great fun, latest is muttering about £13k on scaff alone... :lol: