A Guide to the Repair of Historic Roofs - Dublin City Council

ROOFS A GUIDE TO THE REPAIR OF HISTORIC ROOFSCARRYING OUT MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR WORKS TO ROOFS> Do use the experts - get independent advice from the right people, particularlyprior to the installation of roof insulation, to ensure that appropriate levels ofventilation are maintained> Do record the materials and construction details of the historic roof beforealtering it> Do establish and understand the reasons for failure before undertaking repairs> Do repair the parts of the structure that need it - do not replace them unlessthey can no longer do the job they were designed to do> Do make sure the right materials and repair techniques are used and that eventhe smallest changes made to the structure are done well> Do use techniques that can be easily reversed or undone. This allows for anyunforeseen problems to be corrected in future without damage to the specialqualities of the structure> Do establish and understand the reasons for failure before undertaking repairs> Do record all repair works for the benefit of future owners> Don’t overdo it – only do as much work to the structure as is necessary, and aslittle as possible> Don’t look at problems in isolation – consider them in the context of thestructure as a whole> Don’t use architectural salvage from elsewhere unless certain that the taking ofthe materials has not caused the destruction of other old buildings or been theresult of theft11