10 fundamental aspects of a successful roof renovation.
1 – Define your budget
First of all, and before starting any project, it is important to define the budget you have at your disposal! It will influence your choice for certain materials or designs.
2 – Anti-asbestos expertise
If you live in the canton of Vaud, the law requires an asbestos diagnosis before starting the work. In the case of a positive diagnosis, the elimination of this toxic waste will be carried out at the owner's expense.
3 – The state of your roof structure
The framework of your house is traditionally made out of wood. Verify if it is still in good condition and if it is still watertight. The life expectancy of your frame governs the life expectancy of your entire roof.
4 – Isolation
Most of the heat leaves the house through the roof. It is therefore important to adequately isolate it to improve the temperature delta between the inside and outside of your house. The older your home is, the less likely is a good isolation.
5 – Is the undercovering in place?
The purpose of this protection is to prevent the passage of water in case a tile breaks. However, it is sometimes missing in older buildings. If this is the case, an additional item will have to be added to the budget for the installation of this protection.
6 – How to evacuate rainwater
This is something very visible and its aesthetics should not be neglected. For gutters and eavestroughs, you should prefer copper, if you can afford it, or zinc, which is less expensive but just as effective. Copper surely represents an investment, but it will resist a good 100 years to bad weather and ravages of time. If it is shiny at the time of installation, it will take on a beautiful green color, turning grey after a few years of maturation. An additional charm if you have an old facade. But the must in terms of aesthetics is undoubtedly the aluminum gutter. Available in various colors, the aluminum gutters can be matched with the shutters or frames of your doors and windows or simply blend in with the color of your facade.
7 – The tiles
It's all about aesthetics... the choice of your tiles will give your home a more refined look. They come in many different materials, colors and prices. It is therefore worthwhile to choose them carefully because they are visible from afar and are a real added value to the exterior appearance of your house. What a pity it would be to neglect this aspect. Did you know that in addition to traditional clay or concrete tiles, you could opt for a mix of these with glass tiles. They are ideal for covering a traffic area in your home. They are resistant to fire, frost and have the advantage of allowing daylight to pass through without a magnifying glass effect. Excellent in terms of sound and heat isolation, they offer a skylight to your living space.
8 – Why you should opt for the Green attitude?
Solar panels are indeed a good investment. You can choose either photovoltaic panels (electricity) or thermal panels (for heating and hot water). A clear must: the solar tile. The size of a traditional tile will fit perfectly into your roof and has the advantage of being more aesthetic. This solution will however cost you a little more than photovoltaic panels.
9 – Green roof
Is your eco-responsible soul pushing you to install a green roof? There are multiple ecological and technical advantages for it. The ecotoit reduces CO2 emissions, fixes pollen and dust, promotes oxygen production and increases the humidity level during hot summer periods. An optimal system for an urban dwelling concerned with reducing its energy consumption. In addition, it offers excellent acoustic insulation and a strong insulating power against the sun.
Shortly, apart from being trendy and elegant, your green roof contributes to the sustainability of our environment. Be careful however, such a concept can only be considered on a flat or low slope roof because of the consequent weight of the plants.
10 – Maintenance
In order for your roof to have a respectable lifespan, check the condition of your tiles every year, clean the gutters and clean out the dead leaves. Take care and it will protect you as long as possible.