Roofing Materials
Tiles, membranes, lead flashing, EPDM, GRP, and battens are the materials that make your extension weathertight and what building control will inspect before they sign it off.
Bargeboards: The Gable Verge Finish, Sizes, and uPVC vs Timber
UK homeowner guide to bargeboards: what they do on a gable verge, uPVC capping vs full replacement vs timber, matching the fascia, and common mistakes to avoid.
Breathable Roof Membrane: Types, Installation and What Your Roofer Should Be Doing
UK guide to breathable roof membrane: HR vs LR types, BS 5534 overlap rules, brand comparison, coverage calculation, and what to check before your roofer tiles over it.
Chopped Strand Mat (CSM) for GRP Flat Roofs: Weights, Overlaps and How Not to Wreck Your Roof
What CSM actually is, why 450g vs 600g matters, how to calculate quantity, and the binder chemistry that explains why your resin choice limits your mat choice. UK 2026.
Clay Roof Tiles: Types, Prices and What to Specify for Your Roof
Everything UK homeowners need to know about clay roof tiles: plain vs interlocking vs handmade, brand pricing, conservation area rules, frost resistance, and how to match existing tiles.
Concrete Roof Tiles: Profiles, Prices and What to Order for Your Extension
Everything UK homeowners need to know about concrete roof tiles: profiles, coverage rates, minimum pitch, fixing rules, and how to match your existing roof.
Counter-Battens: When You Need Them, What Size to Use, and Why Roofers Get This Wrong
UK guide to roofing counter-battens: when they're mandatory, BS 5534 sizing (25x38, 25x50, 47x50mm), drainage gap rules, prices from £0.58/m, and the membrane-drape mistake.
Downpipes: Round vs Square, Swan-Neck Offsets, and Where the Water Goes
UK guide to rainwater downpipes: round vs square uPVC, swan-neck offsets around the eaves, pipe clip spacing, what the base discharges into, and common mistakes.
Dry Ridge Systems: What's in the Kit, Why It's Required, and How to Check It's Done Right
Complete UK guide to dry ridge systems: kit contents, BS 5534 requirements, brand comparison, costs from [Unknown price: dry-ridge-kit-economy-low] per 6m kit, and how to spot poor installation.
Dry Verge Systems: How They Work, What to Buy, and How to Spot a Bad Install
Complete UK guide to dry verge systems for pitched roofs: BS 8612 compliance, brand comparison from £1.65 – £3.50 per unit, installation sequence, and homeowner inspection checklist.
Eaves Support Tray: NHBC 7.2.14, Installation Detail and How to Spot a Botched Eaves
UK guide to eaves support trays: standalone vs 3-in-1 units, BS 5534 / NHBC 7.2.14 compliance, brand prices from £2-£6/m, and the under-the-membrane mistake that rots fascias.
EPDM Water-Based Bonding Adhesive: The Glue That Holds Your Flat Roof Down
UK guide to EPDM water-based deck adhesive: brands, coverage, application, pricing from £28-£49 per 5L tub, and why brand-matching protects your warranty.
EPDM Contact Adhesive: Solvent-Based Glue for Perimeters, Upstands and Vertical Detail
UK guide to EPDM contact adhesive: 5L tin costs £25-£68, coverage 7-10 m² per tin, flash-off technique, COSHH and DSEAR safety, brand-pairing rules.
EPDM Rubber Membrane: The Flat Roof Covering Your Extension Probably Needs
Complete UK guide to EPDM rubber membrane for flat roofs: brands, thickness, DIY installation, costs from £8-12/m2, building regs, and how it compares to GRP and felt.
EPDM Seam Tape: When You Need It, How to Use It, What to Buy
UK guide to EPDM seam tape for joining flat roof rubber membrane: when seams are unavoidable, primer rules, brand pairing, and per-roll prices for ClassicBond and Firestone.
GRP Edge Trim: Profiles, Sizing and Why It Goes On Before the Laminate
UK guide to GRP fibreglass edge trims: A, B, C, D, F profiles explained, why trim is fitted before laminate, warm roof sizing, and prices from £16 per 3m length.
GRP Fibreglass Flat Roofs: What It Is, What It Costs, and Why It Fails
The complete UK guide to GRP fibreglass flat roofing: system components, installed costs from ~£80-150/m², why OSB3 matters, and what to ask your roofer.
GRP Polyester Resin: Catalyst Ratios, Coverage, and Why It Goes Wrong
What GRP roofing resin actually is, how to dose MEKP catalyst by temperature, real coverage rates from £4.40-8.50/kg, and the mistakes that cost you the whole roof.
GRP Topcoat: The Sticky Roof Problem and How to Avoid It
UK guide to GRP fibreglass topcoat: why it goes sticky in summer, brand and colour options, application technique, and costs from £3-5 per m² in 2026.
Guttering: Profiles, Sizing to Your Roof, and Matching the House
UK guide to uPVC guttering: half-round, square, deepflow and ogee profiles, sizing to roof area, matching the existing run, setting falls, and common mistakes.
Hip Tiles: Arris, Bonnet, Third-Round and Why the Pitch Angle Matters
UK guide to hip tiles for pitched roofs: arris vs bonnet vs third-round, hip iron explained, BS 5534 fixing rules, and how to avoid the wrong-angle ordering trap.
Lead Flashing: Codes, Costs and What to Specify for Your Extension Roof
Everything UK homeowners need to know about lead flashing: codes explained, correct application by type, how to check your roofer's work, and when lead-free alternatives make sense.
Lead-Free Flashing: Brands, Costs and When It's the Right Choice
UK guide to lead-free flashing alternatives. Wakaflex, Ubiflex B3, Leadax and AltoLead compared. BBA certification, NHBC acceptance, installation rules and where lead is still required.
Lead Soakers: The Hidden Waterproofing Behind Step Flashing
UK homeowner guide to lead soakers: what they are, lead codes, how they interleave with tiles and stepped flashing, who fits them, and the mistakes that cause leaks.
Lead Wedges: How Stepped Flashing Is Held in the Chase and What to Check
UK homeowner guide to lead wedges: what they are, how they hold flashing in the chase, fixing centres, mortar vs sealant pointing, and the mistakes that cause leaks.
MEKP Catalyst for GRP Roofs: Dosing, Safety, and Why It's the Most Dangerous Bottle on Site
UK guide to MEKP (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide) catalyst for fibreglass roofing: temperature dosing tables, mixing rules, storage, and why bucket exotherm starts roof fires.
Membrane Lap Tape: When You Need It, Which Brand to Buy, and Why Generic Won't Do
UK guide to roofing membrane lap tape: BS 5534 rules, brand-pairing requirements, cold vs warm roof, application temperatures, and prices for Tyvek, Klober, Novia and Cromar.
Patination Oil: Why Your New Lead Flashing Needs It and How to Apply It
The lead finishing oil that prevents white carbonate streaks running down your tiles and brickwork. UK pricing, application method, and the safety risk nobody talks about.
Ridge Tiles: Profiles, Fixing Methods and What Your Roofer Should Be Doing
Complete UK guide to ridge tiles: half-round vs angular profiles, dry ridge vs mortar bedding, BS 5534 requirements, quantities, and how to check your roofer's work.
Roof Window Flashing Kit: Matching the Kit to Your Tiles and Window Size
UK guide to roof window flashing kits: EDW vs EDZ vs EDL by covering, matching the window size code, single vs combination flashings, and the ordering mistake that delays a roof.
Roofing Battens: Sizes, Spacing, BS 5534 Compliance and What to Check on Site
UK guide to roofing battens: 25x50mm vs 25x38mm sizing, BS 5534 grading, batten gauge calculation, prices from £0.80-£1.94/m, and how to spot non-compliant battens.
Termination Bar: How EPDM Flat Roofs Are Sealed at Walls and Upstands
UK guide to EPDM termination bars: 25mm aluminium spec, butyl mastic (not silicone), masonry fixings, costs from £20 per 3m bar, BS 6229 upstand rules.
Underfelt Collar for Roof Windows: What It Does and Why You Probably Already Own One
UK guide to roof window underfelt collars. Velux BFX vs Fakro XDP vs Dakea RUC, what's included with Pro+ flashing kits, installation sequence, and the warranty trap that voids your guarantee.
uPVC Fascia Boards: Capping vs Full Replacement, Sizes, and What to Buy
UK homeowner guide to uPVC fascia boards: 9mm capping vs 16mm full replacement, sizes 150-300mm deep, white vs anthracite colour matching, and what to pay per 5m length.
Ventilated Soffit Board: Why Eaves Ventilation Matters and What to Fit
UK guide to ventilated soffit boards: why a cold roof void must breathe, the BS 5250 10mm/25mm eaves gap, vent routes, flat vs hollow soffit, prices and a spec checklist.