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How To Clean Roof Lights

If you have existing roof lights or perhaps you’re about to have them installed, it’s important to know just how to have them cleaned, even if you wouldn’t be doing it yourself. Generally, glass roof lights fitted in flat roof applications are more likely to be a major victim of staining and discolouration by several elements like rainwater, bird droppings, vehicle exhaust pollutants as well as tree sap. Therefore, just like any other parts of your home, periodic inspection of the units as well as regular cleaning is highly advised to help maintain their top performance for a lengthy period of time.

Firstly, when installing the roof lights, it’ll be helpful if its fitted at the right pitch so as to help keep the exterior clean as it enables the elements such as rainwater to run off the surface naturally. Cleaning roof lights involves working at height which can be very dangerous. Therefore, if you lack the skill and confidence to pull this off, it’s advisable to hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we aim to give you a good insight into how the roof light cleaning process works. Let’s have a look!

Rooflight Interior Cleaning

✓ Spread plastic under the roof light to catch dirt and spills

✓ Dust to wipe clear all loose dirt and cobwebs.

✓ Use a squeegee with a warm soapy water or any other glass cleaning product to clean the glass ( steer clear of any harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners)

✓ Dry the roof light with a soft and lint-free cloth.

Rooflight Exterior Cleaning

✓ Access the roof safely with a specialist ladder

✓ Put mild detergent into a bucket and carry up to the roof before filling with warm water from a hosepipe

✓ Use the soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth or squeegee to clean the roof light, its surroundings as well as fixings.

Fibreglass, or GRP, flat roofs are very durable and should last you years, but over time they can become brittle and you might see some cracks or holes forming. Luckily, you can repair a fibreglass flat roof and it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Cracks in a fibreglass flat roof If you notice long cracks in your fibreglass roof, you can often use a fibreglass crack sealant. Simply clean the area, squeeze the sealant into the crack, then smooth it off. If you want it to look neater, you could coat the entire roof with a restorative coating which will make it look new again. Hole in a fibreglass roof If you notice a hole in your fibreglass flat roof, you’ll want to get this repaired as soon as possible to avoid any rainwater getting into your home. There are lots of fibreglass roof hole repair kits on the market, both online and in DIY stores, so you shouldn’t have trouble picking one up. They usually contain a mouldable UV cured patch that you can stick onto the hole. It will harden and become instantly weatherproof, so is the perfect emergency repair solution. Fixing pin holes in a fibreglass flat roof Unfortunately, if you find pin holes in a fibreglass flat roof it’s often because the installer didn’t use enough resin during the fibreglassing process. Luckily, if you can’t get back in touch with the installer or you only notice after a few years, you can fix this yourself. Sand down the roof back to the clear resin layer. Clean the entire roof with acetone and reapply some GRP roofing resin. Ensure that all the pinholes are filled – you might need two coats.

Whether you’re liable for a leaking roof in a commercial property will depend on your ownership status and any contracts. Of course, if you own a standalone commercial property, it would make it your responsibility to repair to leaking roof. But if you own an office within a building, you should check your paperwork to see whether you are responsible for some or all of a leaking roof.

If you’re a tenant in a commercial property, things get a bit more complicated. Lots of commercial leases are FRI, or Full Repairing and Insuring leases, which means that the tenant is responsible for all external and internal maintenance and insuring the building. It means that it’s vital that you read through your tenancy agreement in full before signing it and seek legal advice if you think you need it. If your lease is an FRI lease, you are liable for a leaking roof in your commercial property.

It’s important to ensure that you have a schedule of condition for the property, which will mean that you only have to restore the commercial property back to the condition that it was in when you took over. It’s also worth getting the roof inspected before you sign the lease, as if there is any damage before you sign the landlord may be responsible.

The best way to avoid having to pay for a leaking roof in a commercial property is prevention. If you are liable for repairs and maintenance, make sure you have the roof inspected regularly by a reputable company to avoid having to pay for costly repairs when disaster strikes.

Replacement of roof tiles that have fractured, cracked or is missing is vital to avoid roof leaks and ceiling damage once rain and wind appear. Countering the problem swiftly by yourself is probable as long as it's only a few tiles. Charges for tile replacement can be expensive and fluctuate conditional on the company you hire.

The steps to replacing a tile are:

Ensure you have the right replacement tile as there are numerous different roof tiles on the market.

The most common types of roof tiles are concrete and terracotta. You must confirm that the tile is identical to your earlier tile or it may not work and can result in impairment even though you've tried to repair it. If you don't know what the tile is, ask the suggestion of a roofing supplier and they should be able to match it for you.

Get onto the roof.

It is only advisable to do this if the safety is guaranteed, using a steady ladder and maybe even using climbing ropes to protect you in case of a fall. If you don't possess a head for altitudes or you're sceptical about how safe it is for you to get on the roof, call in a professional.

Once you have securely gotten to the cracked tile, you'll want to somewhat lift the tiles that overlay the one to be detached. Do this by means of two pieces of timber to hold them up. Lift the broken tile over the baton with a brick trowel and gently slide it down.

Place your new tile on top of the brick trowel and inverse the steps to remove the tile.

Be certain to place the overlying tiles back into place.

Conduct a fast check across the roof to review any other possible damage. It is always advised to keep update on how the roof is holding out to keep an eye out for other tiles that might need replacing.

If your existing roof is still in good condition but the membrane is getting old, it’s often not worth exposing the structure to the weather whilst the contractor strips off the old membranes. The contractor will leave them in place to act as a base layer for a new roofing system. As long as there are no other problems with your roof, then overlaying is a good way to replace your flat roof.If you have any more questions about flat roofing that aren’t listed here, fill out our form to ask a contractor.

In general, no – you don’t need planning permission for a Velux window. The Planning Portal says that you don’t need to apply for planning permission to install a roof window if the following conditions are met:

• A roof window must not protrude more than 150 millimetres above the existing roof plane
No roof window or any other alteration can be higher than the highest part of the roof or stand out above the roof ridge
• Side-facing windows must have obscure glazing to protect privacy of neighbours and, if they open, they must be 1.7 metres above the floor of the room in which they are installed

You don’t need to apply for planning permission for a roof window because they are covered under permitted development rights. However, if you’re a leaseholder or you live in a building where your local authority has made an Article 4 Direction, you will have to apply. Usually, an Article 4 Direction is made when you live in a conservation area where any external home improvements could affect the character and look of the area. Luckily, there are special Velux windows that are designed to be more likely to be accepted by your local planning authority. They’re called conservation windows and, although there’s still no guarantee that they will be accepted, they are designed to look more traditional. Even if you don’t need planning permission for your roof window, you still need to follow any relevant building regulations for your local authority. The most important parts for Velux windows are section J and section L of building regulations, which refer to energy efficiency, thermal insulation and fire protection.

A leaky flat roof is one of those things every home and property owner would rather prefer to avoid. Not only can it be extremely frustrating to deal with, but it can also have a grave impact on the overall integrity and value of your property especially when things are not done properly. Generally, all leaky roofs pose serious problems, however, a leak in a flat roof is even a lot more complicated. Ranging from the quite simple repairs to the incredibly complex fixes, flat roof repair (also known as low slope roof repair) is be seriously problematic and at times, can call for a reconstruction which involves complicated roof insurance as well as an experienced professional support.

Flat roof repair consists of many different types. Cap sheet roofs possess layers of material glued together with hot asphalt, including a roll of mineral surface glue using asphalt to the top rather than gravel. The tar and gravel roofs also possess layers of material glued together with the help of hot asphalt, with the use of asphalt on top as well as gravel included in the asphalt. A modified bitumen roof possesses more strength when compared to a cap sheet roof or the conventional tar and gravel roof. This can be 2 or 3 plies, smooth or with a mineral surface, torched on, mopped on or self adhering. What’s more? A TPO roof is a single ply roof which is usually heat welded together. A PVC roof is also a single ply roof that’s heat welded together while an EPDM is a single ply roof that’s glued together. The foam roofs as well as various coatings are incorporated to reflect the sun’s UV rays and also to maintain and seal the roof.

How you install commercial rubber roofing is similar to fitting it on a residential property, except that the area that’s covered is likely to be bigger. With commercial properties, you should always leave any maintenance and repair works to the professionals – whether you own or lease the property, you could invalidate any insurance if you try to install rubber roofing yourself. We’ll outline the steps roofers will take when installing rubber roofing on a commercial property.

Firstly, the installers will remove any existing coverings and clean and dry the surface thoroughly. This is vital in ensuring that the rubber will stick. They will then unwrap the EDPM rubber membrane and leave it to rest until it’s fully expanded. On a warm day this may take around half an hour.

Next, the roofers will work with half a sheet of rubber at a time and adhere it to the roof surface. They may use a water-based adhesive which they will spread onto the roof in sections, then roll the membrane onto the surface before moving onto the next section. If they’re using a bonded adhesive, they will apply it to both the roof and the rubber and leave it to dry until it’s tacky before extending the membrane.

Once the EDPM rubber is rolled out, the installers will brush the surface with a large broom to get rid of bubbles and provide a stronger bond. Then they will work of the edges, applying adhesive to roof and walls edges, sealing corners and creating watertight seals. They’ll also tidy up any excess membrane and seal all the trims.

As long as it’s installed correctly, your commercial rubber roofing should last you decades without any repairs needed. It’s always best to inspect your roof regularly to spot any damage before it becomes a bigger problem.