It can all depends on the type of roof you have, but one thing have to do with any roof before you paint, is clean them!

If you have a roof with a rough surface then a high pressure water blaster is the best way. You can use the cheaper option – broom and hose but you will also need to use a chemical liwud to remove the mould from the roof. These liquids are easily purchasable in DIY stores, but it can all get messy.

Corrugated Iron Roof’s need to be washed before painting, if they are new. If the roof is more than a year old, then there is no need. Apply two coats of paint and remember that light colours reflect the heat, whilst darker colours absorb heat.

Roof leaks are a pain. A pain to fix and even more painful to find. Here’s a few tips on the best way to locate and fix common roof leaks safely.

Don’t rush!

Don’t fuss and try to find the leak as soon as it happens, because that can put you in A&E! Take your time and be patient, do not get on that roof whilst it’s raining or covered in ice/snow!

Use the correct equipment

Make sure you’re wearing shoes with rubber soles, which prevents you from slipping. Don’t forget to use a harness and try working with a friend.

Water the roof

Use your garden hose and start spraying different parts of the roof to find that pesky leak. If it’s freezing outside, just wait… it’s not safe to run water on a roof when it’s wintertime!

Check your gutters

One of the most common causes for leaks are clogged gutters. So clean them, because they can cause the water to build up.

Biomass Roofing covers hundreds of different plants which have been used to roof houses, but these can be classified into two main types: thatch and wood tiles.

As we mentioned, it has be recognised that we need to use renewable resources more. This has led to traditional, natural building methods and biomass roofing becoming once again, more popular.

Thatch and wood tiles biodegradable, durable and look amazing when the right craftsman does the job. But they only remain a sustainable solution if the materials are obtained from a local, renewable source.

Thatch is still a popular roofing option, especially in the British countryside. Many types of plants have been used for thatching in Britain over the years, but today we only really use three: water reed, long straw and wheat reed.

There are two types of wood tiles – shingles and shakes. These have been known to have been used for roofs in Britain since medieval times and were most traditionally made by hand-splitting logs into small wedge shaped pieces. Shingles are sawn, creating a thinner and smoother effect, whilst shakes are split and so tend to be thicker and have a more rustic feel.

With greater concerns about climate change, many will be shocked to learn that 50% of all energy use is caused directly by buildings. This is why trying to make buildings more energy efficient is such an important task. 90% of that is the energy consumed by the building whilst in use, whereas 10% is the “embodied energy” – the energy used to manufacture or mine for the materials and the energy used during the building process.

From comparing Embodied Energy, Weight, life, material resources, recyclability plus other things, we can determine that the most sustainable options for roof cladding are timber shingles. This is closely followed by natural slate – this is on the basis that these materials are obtained from a local source (or at least within the country). Slates, concrete and clay tiles will be available second hand somewhere quite local, so this is also something to consider when picking sustainable roofing.

Metal sheet roofing has made its name as a leading roof type for commercial and industrial purposes, and that’s because it’s affordable, reliable, and effective and today it actually looks good too. Some metal sheet roof styles are hard to tell apart from tiled roofs because of the way the metal is cut.

These roofs are no nonsense, and they’re built to last, while it doesn’t take a great deal of time to fit the roof, depending on the size of the property of course. There are also a wide range of colours, and that means that a property can have a little more personality than they may have with a clay tiled roof or a slate roof.

Some metals combine the likes of steel, zinc and copper, and it means that you get a roof that’s designed to last. The element of copper means that rust does not become an issue, while steel and zinc ensure the roof is strong and durable, which is a must have for industrial and commercial buildings.