A modern way to extend your home is to create and extension into the back garden is with glass and metal (usually steel). And no, we do not mean a conservatory.
There are many modern buildings being erected with the exterior made completely of glass, but we think this may a bit much, however to create a nice ambience in a dining room, we think that this would be perfect for a glass room extension. You can even feel like you’re enjoying an alfresco dining experience.

When it comes to selecting the material for the extension and the roof, you could use either glass or fiberglass (which we discussed in an earlier post).  Both have their benefits.
If you chose glass and have a larger budget, you could consider “smart glass” (otherwise known as privacy glass) which becomes like frosted glass when the current being passed through it is switched off. This could be a great option for your roof if you have nosey neighbours overlooking you!

When you have a flat roofed building, something to strongly consider is having a skylight. You can have a skylight in a normal shaped roof, however, having a flat roof can give you an advantage of space! A flat roof will normally mean you have a lot of space, you could even consider making most of the roof glass, opening up your room and letting the light in.
You have two main considerations, plastic or glass?

If you are having a large window and it is a way of naturally lighting your room, we would strongly suggest to go for the more expensive option being glass. Glass made for skylights is being made to have more durable qualities, it can also be laminated or tempered to increase its strength.
Unlike with plastic which can discolour over time or even warp. Plastic also allows ultraviolet rays in from the sun which can fade your furniture and can also damage your skin. (To stop this it must be coated in a special film, however this does not stop it from warping and basically being less durable.)

You will easily find flat roofs all over the world and each area will have its own preference or tradition for the materials used. In locations that the roof could become covered by rain or are at risk of water seeping into the brickwork where it could freeze, flat roofs are not as suitable. Modern materials have found a way around this hence the use of GRP as we discussed previously. However, in warmer climates, where conditions tend to be hot and dry, these flat roofs are simply built from concrete or masonry. These are cheap options and are also good at keeping the heat of the sun from the building. You will usually find these styles throughout the history of Egyptian, Arabian, and Persian architecture. In warmer climates flat roofs tend to be more reinforced and used as additional living space or even converted to a roof terrace garden.

Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) otherwise known as Fiberglass is a mixture of polyester resin with glass reinforcing it. This is then coated with a polyester topcoat. The fibres of glass (which are very fine) help strengthen the plastic, which is where the name “fibreglass” originates. Fiberglass has a variety of uses and has been used in a variety of industries for over half a century! It can be applied to stairs, walls, walkways, skylights and many more things! It is great value as it doesn’t require maintenance. It is also very simple to extend or repair should you want/need to do any work on it. It lasts up to three times longer than felt and looks a lot sleeker, because of this you will usually get a guarantee which can be up to 30 years from the date of installation. It is a great cost-effective way to protect your property from rain and the other elements.

Asbestos has gone out of fashion within the building community, and for good reason. Over recent decades, we’ve seen increasing evidence of the negative health related repercussions which those whom worked with the material experienced. Cancer is a big issue among those who worked with the material. Residents of the buildings with asbestos roofs are also at risk, although to a lesser extent. The reason why asbestos is so bad for you, besides that it is toxic, is that it can break down into dust very easily, and once it has done so, it can easily enter the longs and begin to mutate the cells within your lungs, creating a high risk of cancer.

Due to all of this, asbestos removal is a very stringently monitored activity. The highest level of safety precautions need to be observed, to ensure the health of the builders working on-site, and for the health of those living and working in the surrounding area.

In order to remove asbestos, the workers need to be outfitted with overalls and face masks, so that they neither transfer or inhale any particles. The second big precaution is to erect a tent around the site, so that no particles of asbestos can be transferred to the surrounding area. Lastly, and extensive cleaning operation needs to take place, so that no dangerous materials are left behind.