Roofing FAQs

When installing a new roof, or replacing an old one, one of the major purchases is the tiles and it’s important to buy an accurate quantity for your needs.  Too few and your job will be left unfinished, possibly compromising the schedule,  not to mention that the roof will be left open to the elements.  Too many and you will...

In this post, we are going to describe the difference between beams and joists. Beams and joists are the load bearing horizontal elements of a building which hold up the roof.  They support the weight of the roof and transfer it to the vertical columns and then into the foundations.   What is a beam? A beam is the main load...

Pyrite, often known as fool’s gold (as miners would mistake it for gold), is a metallic mineral found naturally.  Pyrite is also sometimes known as iron pyrite and is made up of one part iron and two parts sulphur.  It has a brassy yellow colour and is actually pretty easy to tell apart from gold which is much brighter.  Pyrite...

If you’re embarking on a roof insulation project, whether it be as part of a conversion, extension, new build or just maintenance, you need to first consider whether you will select a cold roof or warm roof style of insulation.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each, read on to find out more. Warm Roof A warm roof is where...

With forecasters warning of a colder than average winter this year with similar extreme weather events likely, contractors should take steps now to make sure they are prepared for freezing conditions when they arrive. As well as important safety precautions, there are other considerations to ensure the durability and security of pitched roofs in winter, such as choice of materials...

Installing roof tiles in compliance with BS 5534 When BS 5534: 2014, The British Standard Code of practice for slating and tiling, was published, it represented a major revision of a Standard that was first published in 1978.  Not only was it completely restructured to make the Standard easy to use, it also introduced many new changes to recognise up-to-date...

Are you looking for your tile online but can't find it? Unfortunately the tile you have might not be in production anymore. You might be in luck as we have a limited supply of second hand discontinued tiles kicking around out our depots. However, failing this, Burton Roofing Merchants have compiled a list of discontinued tiles, along with our suggestions...

Edilians’ technical support receives many interesting and diverse questions. John Mercer, Technical Roofing Consultant, has answered below some of the more common roofing questions. Can I use tiles below the manufacturer’s minimum recommended roof pitch? The short answer is usually no. Using tiles below their minimum recommended roof pitch increases the risk of water ingress through the tiling, which in...

Slate is a natural material with unmatched technical features that will last well over 100 years. In fact, it’s usually the fixings and the supporting timbers that deteriorate before the slate tiles themselves. But how do you know whether your roof needs a simple repair or re-slate? Over time, the corrosion of nails or ‘nail sickness’ causes the slates to...

Interpreting Roofing Standards on Site by John Mercer This article looks at  topics in current roofing standards that are relevant to the roofer on site, such as BS 5534: the British Standard Code of practice for slating and tiling, BS 8000-6: the Code of practice for workmanship on building sites, Building Regulation Approved Document A and HSG publication ‘HSG33 Health...