Insulation is very important and can save you a huge amount month on month on your energy bills. Despite this, many people do not check to see what sort of insulation the home has and whether they need to replace or improve it.

There are a number of specialist companies out there that will be able to come and have a look in your loft at the roof insulation and advise you on whether it is sufficient or not. Some people are eligible to get help from the government towards the cost of insulation for their home so it is always worth checking this as it could save you thousands.

One your insulation is adequate you should find that your home stays warmer for longer meaning that you do not need to have the heating on for as long as you previously did.

If you have a very old home you may find that you have very little or no insulation where as new builds should be built to already have this included.

The cost of insulating a roof varies but on average £25 to £35 per square meter, so the average roof may cost around £400 to insulate.

If the unthinkable happens and the flat roof of your garage or house extension is blown off by strong winds what are the steps that you need to take to ensure minimum damage is caused to the internal spaces?

The most important first step is to remove any furnishings and valuables from the room or cover them with waterproof material if it is not possible to remove them so that they do not get damaged by rainwater. If the affected room is a garage then this is still important as metal tools that may be stored in the garage will quickly become rusty if they get wet.

If the roof is on a single storey part of the property it may be possible to cover the roof area with a large tarpaulin sheet to keep rainwater out until a permanent solution can be arranged. This will need to be firmly tied or weighted down to keep it in place.

Once you have tried to minimise further damage to the property and contents it is worth checking your buildings and content home insurance policy to see whether you are covered and if you are what you need to do to arrange for an assessment of the damage to be made.

When you are building a shed, one of the biggest questions you will face is what shed roofing materials are available, which are right for your shed and what are the comparable costs?
Corrugated sheets are a great option to consider when you are looking for shed roofing materials. Galvanised steel versions have been used for many years, but these roofing sheets now come in various materials including PVC.
The main attraction of corrugated panels is that the panels create channels that encourage water, from rainfall or snow, to flow off the roof and away from the shed. This means that rainwater does not gather on the roof where it could potentially cause leaks.
The various materials available mean you can mix and match whatever panels you feel would suit your project. From steel finishes to various colours of PVC sheeting you can choose clear or coloured panels to let light in from outside so there is no need for windows in the walls of the shed.
The main benefits of corrugated shed roofing materials are that they are easy to install and are an affordable option for most buyers, so they are certainly worth considering when roofing a shed from scratch or reroofing an existing shed.

The majority of people who have a garage with a flat roof have to have it replaced or repaired as these flat roofs often develop leaks causing rainwater to enter the garage and potentially cause damage to the contents. The options that were open to people wanting to repair or replace a garage roof used to be limited but with new innovations the choice has become much wider.
The cheapest and most common option is to have the roof re-felted as the materials are inexpensive and easily sourced however the expected life span of a felted flat roof is between five and ten years so the likelihood is that it will need replacing again. More people are opting for a longer lasting solution for their garage roof as they do not want to be continually replacing it and so they are choosing rubber roofing as this will last much longer and is not affected by UV rays, rain and frost.
Replacing a felted roof with a rubber roof covering can be done by any person who is able to work at height, but it is much easier if two people can work on the installation together as the materials will be heavy. The rubber roof covering, adhesive and edging can be purchased from many suppliers as an online search will show but there may be hefty delivery charges. Employing a professional roofing company to do the job may be a better solution for the average homeowner and a few quotes for completing the work should be sought to ensure you get a competitive price.

When having a new roof installed, the company that you choose to use will usually talk to you about insulation. Insulation is vitally important and you may be surprised as to how much money it can save you over the course of a year. Insulations helps retain the heat within a home, so when you put your heating on, rather than it all being lost through a roof, it stays within the walls of the home and therefore requires you to have the heating on for less time or at a lower temperature.

If you go for a walk in the snow you can often see the roofs that do not have great insulation as often these are the ones where the snow has melted off the roof.

Over time insulation has improved and so if you still have the insulation in your attic from when the house was first built, you may decide to have it replace. It is important that the correct insulation is chosen and installed to ensure that it compiles with all fire regulations.

When choosing your new roof you may have the option to choose which sort of insulation you go for. It is worth trying to work out how much money you will save in heating costs if you go for the better quality insultation. Once you know this, you can work out how long it will take to save the different in the upfront cost of the different insulation types. Often you find that after only a year or two you will already have recouped the additional cost of the insulation.

When having a new roof installed, be sure to go with a reputable company and ideally one that has been recommended to you by someone that has used them before. There are a number of different websites that you can use to find a good roofing company that is local to you. Most roofing companies will not ask you to pay in full for a roof prior to work commencing. You may even be able to spread the cost over monthly or weekly payments to make it more affordable to you. Always check what guarantee they are offering with the roof too as you will want peace of mind that should the roof develop a leak in the next 12 -18 months, it will be repaired free of charge.

When an architect is designing a new building one of the decisions that will need to be made is what shape the roof will be. There are a few different roof structures to choose from but the most common and probably the cheapest is a gable roof.

The pitch of the gable roof is particularly important and needs to be such that it enables the rainwater to flow away adequately into the two gutters. A hip roof is often seen on farm buildings and older houses, but some houses with a gable roof have part of the roof with a hip construction to add visual appeal.

Some modern properties have a type of roof style that is called a lean-to roof or pent roof. This type of roof adds interest to a building and is often used on garden buildings. It has the advantage of being higher at one end meaning that windows can be added to one aspect of the building and internally there is more space.

The cheapest roof to use is a flat roof and these have traditionally been used for extensions however it must be remembered that the life of a traditional felted flat roof is only about ten to fifteen years so it will need regular maintenance and replacement.

In order to extend the living space in your property you may consider an extension however you could be faced with a lack of natural light in the new area for example if you are unable to install a window into a new wall or if you are converting part of your garage to extend your kitchen. The costs of any extension can increase if extra double-glazed windows need to be installed but there is a solution to this problem namely installing a roof light.

The main consideration when installing a roof light in a roof is that it is adequately sealed to avoid any leaks due to rainwater and damage to the interior of the property. When installing the unit, the enclosed fitting instructions should be followed to ensure that the roof light is correctly fitted and sealed. Scaffolding may be required so If you do not feel competent to install the roof light yourself a reputable builder should be able to install the roof light for a reasonable cost.

A concern for some people is how to clean the roof light but recent developments in self-cleaning glass means that this is not the problem it used to be and should not prevent you from installing this feature in your new extension to bring in that natural light.