CAN’T DECIDE WHICH ROOF?
History can help you choose
Once us humans get a good idea we never let it go; we still paint pictures on walls and roof our homes with wood, stone, slate, thatch and earth. And every time someone comes up with another good idea for a roof we happily start using that as well while all the time bringing innovation to our tried and tested methods.
Let’s face it the first wood we used was the branches we could tear down with our bare hands; we upped the ante with the stone axe and from there evolution has brought us to computer guided and laser controlled saw mills. Your design and budget will be key factors but your surroundings and personal taste will be a major influence.
You can trace the history of homes in Scotland through the thatch on blackhouses, slate from Ballachulish and Easdale to the pantiles in Fife and corrugated tin roofs of the ‘tin tabernacles’ and houses from A & J Main & Co of Glasgow, arguably the first kit homes.
Concrete tiles of sand, cement, and larger aggregate have benefitted from progress in design and composition; they can be comparable to clay with better performance in extreme cold and greater resilience against impact, thanks to high pressure moulding. They will not age as well as clay which remains a favourite for its longevity.
Slate, be it new or reclaimed, remains one of the nation’s favourites, especially the in the slate producing heart of the West Highlands and on conservation and renovation projects nationwide. Today’s new slate is almost entirely sourced from Spain.
Fibre cement slates comprise a blend of fibres and cement with a mineral admixture moulded to a finish to match natural slate.
Cement tile finish can be altered by adding a wide variety of minerals for colour and depth.
A green roof of turf, sedum or wildflower mix needs a flat roof strong enough to support the weight of the soil and or an angle where the soil will not slip.
With metal roofs zinc and copper remain the most popular which attain an incredible patina with age. Steel with a standing seam is increasing in popularity.
Thatch has all but disappeared from non-conservation work but could make a stunning addition with a gardenroom roof. Lowland thatching is similar to English; Highland and island thatch materials could include heather, marram grasses, rushes, broom or bracken. Truly a roofing system that evolved with what was at hand; be it nets, stones and turf for an extra layer.