Roofing and building blog
Straight answers about roofs, walls, drives and the permissions behind them, written so you can act on them without ringing anyone.
Quotes and what drives the price
Why two quotes for the same roof are so different
Two quotes for one roof usually differ because they are quotes for different jobs. What actually separates them, and how to make three comparable.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Who is responsible for storm damage to a roof?
Owner, tenant, leaseholder or freeholder: who has to repair a storm-damaged roof, the statute behind each answer, and why leasehold roofs take months.
Working out what is wrong
Water coming in only during driving rain: what that tells you
A leak that only shows up in driving rain is not a hole in the roof. It is a wall, a joint or a detail on one elevation. How to find which.
Choosing between materials
Warm roof or cold roof: which should your flat roof be?
BS 6229 does not recommend cold roof construction. What warm, cold and inverted flat roofs are, why a warm roof adds height, and when neither is the answer.
Quotes and what drives the price
What VAT should and should not be on your building quote
A quote with no VAT is not a red flag. The registration threshold, inclusive versus exclusive, the reduced rates, and how to check a VAT number.
Working out what is wrong
A sunken or ponding driveway: base failure or drainage?
Ruts, a dropped edge or standing water? The pattern tells you whether the sub-base has failed or the falls are wrong, and which needs a full relay.
Working out what is wrong
Subsidence cracks: how to tell them from ordinary cracks in walls
How to tell a subsidence crack from ordinary cracking: the signs, the BRE crack-width categories, clay, trees, drains, monitoring and what to tell your insurer.
Choosing between materials
Soft washing or pressure washing: what is safe for your roof?
Jet washing is not recommended on tiles by the makers, and low to moderate moss usually needs nothing done to it at all. What to ask before you buy a clean.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Snow on a flat roof or a conservatory: what actually carries the load
Snow load is designed for, but a conservatory under 30 square metres never went through building control. Why drift and a frozen outlet beat depth.
Permission and regulations
Single storey rear extensions: permitted development, prior approval and building regulations
The permitted development limits for a single storey rear extension, prior approval, building regs, Part L glazing, drains, party walls and the ten-year rule.
Choosing between materials
Silicone, sand and cement, or lime: which render for your wall?
Breathable means nothing on its own. A render can be the most water repellent class going and still trap your wall. How to pick between the three.
Choosing between materials
Sealing block paving: is it worth doing?
What a block paving sealer does and does not do, why to re-sand first, the wet-look slip risk, and why sealing new or permeable paving can backfire.
Working out what is wrong
A leaking roof: where the water gets in, how to find it and what fixes it
Where roof leaks really come from, how to trace one from the loft, what is safe to do yourself, and what fixes each kind of leak properly.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Making an insurance claim for roof damage: what evidence to gather
What to photograph, what to ask for in writing, and which evidence answers each of the three questions the ombudsman uses to decide a roof claim.
Quotes and what drives the price
Your right to cancel building work, and the trap in the 14 day rule
Off-premises and distance building contracts carry a 14 day cancellation right. The regulation 28 trap, the 12 month extension, and how to cancel.
Choosing between materials
Resin bound, block paving or tarmac: which driveway surface?
Resin bound needs a bound, rigid base and cannot go on Type 1. Block paving is the only one you can lift and relay. What each surface is really built on.
Permission and regulations
Replacing a garage roof, including old asbestos cement sheets
Replacing an old corrugated or felt garage roof: how to tell if it contains asbestos, what HSE rules apply, disposal, and the new roof options.
Permission and regulations
Replacing a conservatory roof with a solid or tiled roof: the rules that apply
Swapping a glass or polycarbonate conservatory roof for a solid, tiled one needs building regs approval. What gets checked, planning, and the ten-year rule.
Permission and regulations
Removing a chimney breast: building regulations, support and the paperwork
Removing a chimney breast needs building regs approval and support for the stack above. Brackets or a beam, the engineer, party walls, gas and the certificate.
Choosing between materials
Reclaimed or new brick: which to use for a repair
An old brick has not proved it survives a frost. What a reclaimed brick does not declare, why imperial coursing will not line through, and when to use each.
Quotes and what drives the price
Reading a repointing quote: what ‘rake out’ should actually specify
Rake out and repoint is not a specification. The depth, method, mix, joint profile and extent a repointing quote should state, and the questions to send back.
Permission and regulations
Re-roofing in a conservation area: what actually changes
Being in a conservation area does not remove your right to re-roof. It restricts named permitted development rights, and one consent no longer exists.
Working out what is wrong
Is it a rain leak or a plumbing leak?
Does the patch grow after rain, or in a dry week? The free checks that separate a roof leak from a pipe, so you ring the right trade first.
Choosing between materials
PIR board or mineral wool: which insulation for a loft or rafters?
PIR halves the thickness. Mineral wool is non-combustible and fits an old rafter better. The fire class, the fit and the moisture path decide it, not lambda.
Permission and regulations
Rooflights, dormers and solar: what permitted development actually allows on a roof
Class C allows 0.15m off the original roof, Class B caps a dormer at 40 or 50 cubic metres, and solar sits in a different Part of the Order entirely.
Choosing between materials
Driveways: when you need planning permission, and where the water has to go
The rule is not that any driveway over 5 square metres needs permission. It is impermeable surfacing that does not drain to a permeable area, at the front.
Permission and regulations
The Party Wall Act for a chimney, a garden wall and an extension
A neighbour who dissents does not stop the work. What the Party Wall Act really requires for a chimney breast, a garden wall and an extension.
Choosing between materials
Natural slate or fibre cement: how to tell a good slate from a cheap one
Natural slate is graded A, T and S under BS EN 12326-1. Ask for the Declaration of Performance, look for A1 T1 S1, and read the weight and pitch here first.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Moss on a roof: does it need removing, and how to do it safely
Most roof moss does no harm and is best left. When it does need removing, which methods are safe, what the moss killer rules say, and when to do it.
Working out what is wrong
Condensation in the loft or a roof leak: how to tell them apart
Condensation appears when it is cold and dry; a leak appears when it rains. The free loft tests that tell them apart, and why more insulation can backfire.
Permission and regulations
Listed building consent for repointing and re-rendering
Section 7 sets no size threshold, so repointing a listed building in the wrong mortar can be a criminal offence. Where the consent line falls.
Choosing between materials
Lime or cement mortar: which your wall actually needs
Cement pointing on an old solid wall destroys the brick face instead of the joint. How to tell what your wall needs, and why most walls need very little.
Working out what is wrong
Leaking gutter joints, sagging gutters and downpipes: a fault-by-fault repair guide
A fault-by-fault guide to gutter repair: leaking joints, sagging runs, the wrong fall, cracked cast iron and blocked downpipes, and what you can safely fix.
Working out what is wrong
Leaking conservatory roof: where the water gets in, fault by fault
Where conservatory roofs leak: glazing bars, wall flashing, box gutter, ridge, polycarbonate tape and condensation. What to check, and why sealant fails.
Quotes and what drives the price
Is scaffolding in the quote, and who needs the highway licence?
Whether scaffold is in the price, how many weeks you get, and why the highway licence is the contractor's job to apply for, not yours.
Choosing between materials
Indian sandstone or porcelain paving: which suits your patio?
Indian sandstone or porcelain paving? Slip resistance in the wet, frost, stains, sealing, how each must be laid, ethical sourcing and front garden planning.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Ice dams, condensation and what your loft is actually telling you
Icicles on the gutter are not proof of an ice dam, and true ice dams are rare here. What a cold loft is really telling you, and how to fix it.
Weather, storms and maintenance
How to clean a patio without damaging it: a guide by surface
How to clean a patio by surface: concrete, block paving, sandstone, limestone and porcelain. Pressure, re-sanding, black spot lichen and where the runoff goes.
Working out what is wrong
The gutter overflows in heavy rain but not in light rain: what that means
A blockage overflows in drizzle too. If yours only goes over in a downpour it is capacity, fall, outlet or overshoot, and leaves are not the cause.
Permission and regulations
Garden walls: the height rules, and the demolition trap
Permitted development allows a garden wall of 1 or 2 metres. In a conservation area, taking any part of one down needs planning permission at any height.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Frost damage to brickwork and paving: why it shows up after the thaw
Frost does not damage dry brick, it damages soaked brick. How to find the water that caused it, tell spalling from salts, and what never to do.
Working out what is wrong
Flat roof repair: when to patch, when to overlay and when to replace
When a leaking flat roof needs a patch, an overlay or a full strip: blisters, splits, ponding, a soft deck, matching felt, EPDM and GRP, and Part L.
Choosing between materials
Fascias and soffits: what they do and when to replace them
What a fascia and a soffit do, timber or uPVC, why capping over rot hides it, eaves ventilation, and the bat and nesting bird law before any work.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Emergency tarpaulin and temporary repairs: what is safe to do yourself
Can you tarpaulin your own roof after a leak? Why a cover will not stop the drip, what the HSE says about going up, and what actually works from inside.
Choosing between materials
Dry ridge or mortar bedded: what BS 5534 actually requires
BS 5534 never banned mortar ridges, and it is not law. What the standard actually requires, what it means for your quote, and the question to ask.
Permission and regulations
Do you need planning permission for a conservatory?
Most conservatories in England need no planning permission. The depth, height and boundary limits, the exceptions, and when building regs apply as well.
Quotes and what drives the price
Deposits and staged payments: what is reasonable to be asked for
A deposit is reasonable when it pays for materials and bookings, not for labour nobody has done. How to stage the money, and why the card matters.
Working out what is wrong
A damp patch on a chimney breast: leak, condensation or salts?
Leak, condensation or salts? How the weather tells you which, why the stain keeps coming back through paint, and why you never seal a flue at both ends.
Working out what is wrong
Damp at the bottom of a wall: rising damp, penetrating damp or a bridged DPC?
Rising damp, penetrating damp or a bridged damp proof course? The checks you can do yourself, and why a meter reading on plaster proves nothing.
Working out what is wrong
Cracked render: which cracks matter and which do not
Most render cracks are shrinkage and cosmetic. How to read the pattern, tap for hollow render, monitor movement, and spot the crack that is structural.
Working out what is wrong
Capping a disused chimney without causing damp
How to cap a chimney you no longer use without trapping damp: vented caps, the vent at the bottom, taking the stack down, permission, and nesting birds.
Quotes and what drives the price
Can a builder charge more than the quoted price?
A quote fixes a price and binds once accepted. When a builder can legitimately charge above it, when they cannot, and what to do about the invoice.
Permission and regulations
Building notice, full plans or a competent person: which applies to your job
Which building control route your job takes, what each one checks and when, and why a large share of domestic work needs no application at all.
Working out what is wrong
Blown plaster and the hollow-sounding wall: what it actually means
A wall that sounds hollow is often dot and dab plasterboard doing exactly what it should. How to tell that from plaster that has genuinely blown.
Working out what is wrong
Black mould on walls: what causes it, and what actually stops it coming back
Black mould on a wall means it is staying damp. How to tell condensation from rain or a leak, clean it off safely, and fix the cause so it stays gone.
Permission and regulations
Article 4 directions: what they mean for your house
An article 4 direction removes named permitted development rights over a defined area. How to check your address free, and when compensation is payable.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Wind-lifted tiles and ridge: what wind actually does to a roof
Wind lifts roof tiles instead of pushing them, and the suction is highest at the eaves, verge and ridge. Why the edges go first, and what to check.
Permission and regulations
What Part L actually requires when you re-roof or convert a loft
Approved Document L names five kinds of work that trigger insulation on an existing roof, plus two written escape routes. The 2021 edition still applies.
Choosing between materials
GRP, EPDM or felt: which flat roof covering is right?
The BBA certificates put EPDM ahead of GRP on service life, the reverse of most advice online. What they say, which decks they allow, and why falls decide it.
Quotes and what drives the price
What a roofing quote should include: the line items to look for
What a roofing quote should include, line by line: strip or overlay, underlay, battens, fixings, lead codes, scaffold weeks, waste, VAT and payment stages.
Working out what is wrong
A brown stain on the ceiling: what it means and how to trace it
A brown ceiling stain has several causes with very different costs. How to tell rain from a pipe from condensation, and why the hole is not above it.
Weather, storms and maintenance
What a named storm actually means, and what the warning colours mean
What it takes for a storm to be named, what the Met Office yellow, amber and red warnings mean for a roof, and why colour is not a severity scale.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Storm damage to your roof: what to do in the first 24 hours
Storm damage to your roof: why nobody should go up today, how to stop the water from inside, what to photograph before you tidy, and who to ring first.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Someone knocked and said your roof is dangerous: what to do
What to do when a doorstep caller says your roof is dangerous: keep them off it, check the company, when the council can act, and how to report them.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Roof checks to do before winter, from the ground
A pre-winter roof checklist you can complete with binoculars and a phone without leaving the lawn, plus the dated photographs worth keeping every year.
Permission and regulations
Planning permission, building regulations, listed building consent: which one you actually need
Planning permission, building regulations and listed building consent are separate regimes, not one. What triggers each, who decides, and which two are crimes.
Permission and regulations
Do I need planning permission to replace a roof?
Re-roofing is usually not development, so no planning application. But a full re-roof is notifiable building work, and changing the tile changes things.
Choosing between materials
Concrete vs clay roof tiles: which is right for your roof?
Concrete tiles do not wear out at 30 to 40 years, and clay is often the heavier roof. What the testing shows, and when you should not re-roof at all.
Weather, storms and maintenance
Autumn gutter clearing: why the timing matters more than the frequency
Twice a year is a booking schedule, not a maintenance answer. When leaf fall really finishes, why a blocked gutter damages masonry, and the ladder rule.
These 69 articles cover the things homeowners actually get stuck on: whether a job needs permission, what a damp patch is telling you, why two quotes for one roof differ by thousands, and which material is right for which situation. Every one is written by Thomas Hannen, who prices these jobs himself.
Covering Quotes and what drives the price, Weather, storms and maintenance, Working out what is wrong, Choosing between materials and more. Nothing here is a sales pitch. Several of these articles will tell you that you do not need a builder at all, or that the job you have been quoted for is the wrong job. That is deliberate. If you want the work doing afterwards, the site visit and the written quote are both free, and you can check the company on the Companies House register before you let anyone through the door.
This is the advice section of the site. Each article explains one rule, material or problem and cites the legislation, standard or regulator it relies on.
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