WOW-FACTOR FINISHES

The likes of slate and clay tiles can be used to create characterful roofs in both modern and traditional styles, but you may be looking for something more out of the ordinary. Some materials, for instance, are suitable for all manner of designs and can be used across flat, pitched and wall surfaces.

If your budget is up to it, zinc gives a seriously upmarket feel and can add wow factor. Although probably too expensive for an entire house, an occasional flash of green copper makes a particularly striking feature once it has weathered down. For those with less extravagant budgets, steel and aluminium are more affordable and create a crisp rectilinear character. A bolder aesthetic can be achieved by using the profiled steel sheets typically seen on factories, retail parks and newer farm buildings.

Provided the roof has a decent slope, a timber covering is a good way of creating a distinctive look. It comes in shingles and shakes (which are a similar size to tiles) or in boards. Using wood in this way will burnish the environmentally-friendly credentials of your house, because sustainably sourced timber locks up CO2 and is better at reducing heat loss than the alternative materials. Provided it is correctly detailed it will last for many decades and can also be recycled at the end of its life.