Roofing - doing it yourself

**darmstadt** · 6 January 2013, 10:21

All you need is this for the roof and some of this while doing it and you could end up on here

**bobspud** · 6 January 2013, 11:12

Hi,
I was thinking along the same lines as you when I found out it was about to cost me 20k to do my barn roof last year. What I would say is this. Pick a good roofing firm and spend the money and go to work while its being done for you.

I spent a few days up on the roof helping out while I had spare time and its a lot harder that it appears to be when you stand on the ground and spending six months out of contract with a band back is a very poor risk. if the weather is as wet and cold as it was last summer you are not going to enjoy the experience even if it goes well.

If you want to give it a go the process is
get the scaffs up
carefully remove the tiles and clean them. (very messy and the roof caps are cemented on so need quite a lot of effort to remove them...)
take the old crappy underlay off and replace with Tyvek supra or equivalent
re baton the roof
hang the tiles back up

All the while trying not to fall off the roof or between the gaps...

**BrilloPad** · 6 January 2013, 11:27

Originally posted by Malcolm Buggeridge View Post

Has anyone attempted this kind of project before?

I think Rod Hull did. Maybe he should not have asked Emu to help?

**DeludedAussie** · 6 January 2013, 13:26

Originally posted by Malcolm Buggeridge View Post

I need a new roof. Having spent Christmas with buckets posiitioned at strategic positions throughout the house has confirmed this for me.

I've had 2 quotes: both around the 7k mark. This has led me to wonder how hard can it be to do it yourself?

All the wood is sound, just need new felt, batons and slates. I can get scaffolding for £500.

Has anyone attempted this kind of project before?

Where are you - If in London I know someone very good who did ours. You can email him at [email protected]

**northernladuk** · 6 January 2013, 14:33

Get a professional in and keep a very very close eye on him. Roofs are a bastard to fix as water makes it's own way regardless of what you try do. It can even go up small gaps so don't relay on the fact water runs down. I had years of problems with a roof leak about a foot from the gutter and had loads of people round putting bits of lead here and there trying to stop it. Occasional they said they put a bit of lead in and did nothing so be diligent. In the end the water was coming in next doors skylight though badly placed lead, running along the joist between the two houses (very old house with shared roofspaces) and then dripping on to my roof. Over 7ft away from the leak!

I spent well over the original quote to strip it all back properly in an attempt for a quick fix and then had to pay the strip back quote as well. As soon as they took the tiles off a few feet up and looked under the felt it was blatantly obvious. Do it right first time IMO.

**MarillionFan** · 6 January 2013, 14:40

Move.

**suityou01** · 6 January 2013, 14:57

Originally posted by MarillionFan View Post

Move.

WHS

**Halo Jones** · 6 January 2013, 15:03

Originally posted by Malcolm Buggeridge View Post

DIY Roofing

Seriously don’t...

There are so many reasons not to do this yourself, but my top 3 would be

Risk to health
Cost to get your work put right (honestly small repairs are fine but a whole roof: you can’t do this from books & YouTube)
You will probably invalidate your buildings & contents insurance.

My professional advice as a Chartered Surveyor* would be to Just bite the bullet pay for a professional & live happily ever after

*yes I had to sneak that in there, still smug about it

**suityou01** · 6 January 2013, 15:04

Originally posted by Halo Jones View Post

Seriously don’t...

There are so many reasons not to do this yourself, but my top 3 would be

Risk to health
Cost to get your work put right (honestly small repairs are fine but a whole roof: you can’t do this from books & YouTube)
You will probably invalidate your buildings & contents insurance.

My professional advice as a Chartered Surveyor* would be to Just bite the bullet pay for a professional & live happily ever after

*yes I had to sneak that in there, still smug about it

WSS

Roofing - doing it yourself