On stone tenements, asphalt roofs are found on: 'high backs' - raised backcourt areas above ground floor commercial premises the top floor roof which may have been designed as a clothes…
Most short-lived of the flat roof covering materials, unlikely to last much more than 15 years. Bitumen felt flat roofs are normally made of 3 layers of bitumen felt bonded…
Half-round gutters, originally made of cast iron, are often found on the backs of stone tenements and are also widely used on more modern buildings.
Typically found in Georgian tenements, such as those in Edinburgh, these roofs have central valley flat roofs or gutters, and downpipes may run inside the flats. They are vulnerable to…
Chimneys easily suffer damage from exposure. The pointing often gets weathered and washed out at a greater rate than on the rest of your buildings walls. This, combined with the…
Dormers need particular attention because they are exposed to the weather and have many junctions between materials that need checking regularly. How dormer windows are built Dormers may have flat…
Flashings cover the joint between two different parts of the building - such as the join between the roof and the chimney. They sometimes act like gutters and carry a…
Flat roofs can be found on buildings of all ages. They can be covered in a variety of materials. Seldom flat, they should be laid with a gentle slope (fall)…
Gutters take the rain from your roof and channel it away from your walls and the timbers set into the walls that are prone to rot if they are damp…
Laid correctly, lead can last over 100 years. Unlike other materials, it can be shaped and joints can be welded. Because of these advantages, lead is widely used for flat…
Commonly found on older tenement roofs, particularly steeply pitched mansard roofs, and above bay and oriel windows. Lead has a long lifespan, sometimes over 100 years, so it is value…
Useful for upgrading an existing felt or asphalt roof. Liquid applied roofs are a resin material, applied cold to a glass fibre matting. The resin is laid in two coats and can be…
You may be able to detect roof problems from inside your loft. Do not attempt to get into your loft unless you have safe ladder access, crawlboards inside the loft…
A range of metal roofs can be used. They are more commonly used on modern buildings. Metal tiles These come in a range of profiles, usually in long strips designed…
Moulded gutters are made of cast iron, like half-round gutters, but sit on a stone corbel. Sometimes also called ornamental gutters (OG), referring to the profiled edge of a cast…
Mutual chimneys will often carry flues from the neighbouring tenement, as well as from your own, and costs will be shared between both tenements. Mutual and gable chimneys are built at…
Leaks in these 'secret' gutters often go unnoticed until rot is found in timbers. Parapets will have a gutter behind them. This type of gutter is also found behind a…
Ridges protect the top layers of slate and tile. If the ridge capping is blown off, the top courses of slates or tiles can be quickly lost. The ridge protects…
It's critical to keep the roof, gutters, and chimneys of your roof property or block of flats in good repair, but it's also one of the most difficult parts of…
Skews finish the top of the party wall that protrudes above roof level. Skews are also found at gable ends. Skews divide one tenement roof from another and also act…
Skylights allow light and ventilation from above. There are a number of different types of skylight. Cupolas are skylights which are raised up, often found on flat roofs or in valleys. Lead flashings protect the joins…
Slate roofs were commonly used until the 1960s when concrete tiles became more popular. Scottish slate quarries closed at this time but it is still possible to source good second…
These gutters are simply a channel in a top cornice stone. The channel should be lined with lead or asphalt. As these gutters are hidden, leaks can easily go undetected,…
Tiled roofs can be found on buildings of all ages as tiles were commonly used to replace slate during tenement renovations from the 1960s onwards. Older concrete tiled roofs erected…
Tall and exposed wallhead chimneys usually served bedroom fireplaces. The height was required to make the chimney draw well. Repairs may be required to keep chimneys dry or to stop the…
Laid much like lead, zinc roofs are laid in bays, typically with standing seam joints. Zinc should last for 50 years or more. Zinc roofs can be laid to very…
