we've reached the roof.... at last!

[rog and gina]

Finally we have got the oak frame 99% complete, and we have got to the point of preparing the roof for the clay tiles to go back on.
The main problem/ quandry we have is, do we use a breathable membrane? Previously there was nothing, but we need to re-batten etc whilst the tiles are all off, so thought we'd check the latest thinking with products like Tyvec etc.
Thanks Rog and Gina

 

[Ian Bond]

When I got my kitchen roof done (stone tiles), a Roofshield breather membrane was used.

Of course, originally there was no membrane or roof felt and the roof timbers were OK.

I'm not sure how breathable these membranes are in practice, after years in service and the accumulation of dust and debris.

The first 2 lots of people who worked on the roof mucked it up, and used impervious plastic membranes as a substitute for shoddy workmanship. In fact the roof still leaked,

The last lot (Aire Valley Roofing) did an excellent job, and the tiling would be fine without the membrane I expect.

Are these membranes now required by the building regs?

 

[rog and gina]

not sure if it's required by building reg's, they dont seem to be too worried about what we're doing because it's listed, and we are doing mostly like-for-like repairs etc.
Just curious as to what the latest oppinion is. We are doing the work ourselves, so dodgy work thankfully isn't the problem, we want to do any work required whilst the roof is off, rather than finding out too late that we could have used the membrane, especially after the tiles go back on!
Thanks

 

[biffvernon]

We are doing the work ourselves, so dodgy work thankfully isn't the problem

I usually find the opposite pertains.

 

[middi]

Istalling a breather roof membrane on an old building it's a wise thing to do especially when the tiles have to come off for repairs etc...

It does what it says on the tin and stops direct draughts entering the roof space therefore assisting in heat conservation, most of all it does not interfere with the original fabric of the building. ( old roof battens only )

 

[NT]

Surely if its listed it needs to go back as it was

NT

 

[middi]

It all goes back as it was NT, exept for the addition of few microns of a breatheable membrane trapped between the rafters and the battens.

This is a totally reverseable excercise if the building should ever be required to serve as a museum example in the future.

It is fully accepted that it " should go back as it was " , and the more authentic solution to help combat the draught problems would be to " torch" the underside of the tiles or slates above the battens with lime mortar. Definetely more eco friendly but more labour intensive.

The classification of the listing or the purism disposition of the owner usually determines if a membrane has a place in old buildings.

 

[Penners]

We are doing the work ourselves, so dodgy work thankfully isn't the problem

I usually find the opposite pertains.

Oh, go on, go on, go on...