June 2018

Heritage Roofing
“IT IS A FAIRLY LARGE LEAP TO
HERITAGE ROOFING”
Total Contractor puts the questions on all things heritage roofing to Nigel Dyer (pictured),
Heritage Services Manager at Wienerberger.
TC: Can you define what the word heritage
means in relation to roofing?
ND: Heritage, in relation to roofing, can be defined
as a style of roofing tile or fitting found on historic
structures that is no longer mass manufactured.
Heritage roofing projects deal with the bespoke
replication of historical profiles and features in
order to maintain the original beauty of a period
building.
If a roof needs replacing or repairing on a listed
building, an appropriate replacement is needed.
To ensure this is the case, roof tiles need to be
produced and installed that are as close as
possible to the original style, colour and profile;
essentially ‘like for like’.
TC: What sort of materials would a heritage
roofer be proficient in installing and dealing
with?
ND: There are four types of materials used for
heritage roofing: clay, natural slate, natural stone
and thatch. A large majority of heritage roofing is
dominated by clay. We supply appropriate clay
roof tiles, through our Keymer and Sandtoft
brands, that will have the correct profile, colour,
and texture to match the age and style of a
building, as well as its surrounding environment.
TC: How big a leap is it for a roofer operating
in the volume housing market to diversify into
the heritage sector?
ND: It is a fairly large leap from roofing in the
volume housing market to heritage roofing. For
one, heritage roofing is not done at speed, as the
housing market is. Heritage
roofing is very methodical and
has to be completed to strict
standards, which means
extensive planning is necessary.
Conservation boundaries also have
to be considered, with appropriate
analysis and documentation completed. It isn’t
simply a question of building or restoring a house,
then putting a roof on top.
The roofers themselves also have to be extremely
skilled. The products they are working with are
sometimes very tricky to install. Usually with no
installation guidance, apart from advice sought
from Heritage professionals. The additional fixing
materials are completely different. Where modern
house-building will use Dry Fix, clips, etc; a
heritage build will use lime mortar and will
therefore need a lot more preparation and
attention to detail.
It is extremely important that the job is done
right, because organisations like Historic
England, Historic Scotland, etc., can enforce that
the roof is reinstalled to the correct measures if
mistakes are made, which can be costly and
time consuming. When seeking roofers for these
jobs, historical bodies will often look for someone
who is classified as a heritage roofer on the
National Federation of Roofing Contractors list.
These are some of the best roofers in the
country, who crucially learnt their skills on
historic buildings.
TC: What are some of the key considerations
that need to be taken into account when
installing bespoke roof tiles and materials?
ND: When installing bespoke
roof tiles and materials it’s
vital to focus on using the
right product, the right
installation method and the
right finish.
Any material chosen needs to reflect the
original product and build, as well as the products
commonly used in the surrounding local area. The
product is usually handmade and will need to
meet a certain colour, profile, texture and finish. It
then needs to be installed correctly, with the right
finishes. For example, if lime mortar was used
originally, this needs to be maintained.
TC: How does the Heritage Service work with
roofing contractors?
ND: The Heritage Service Team at Wienerberger
deals with roofing contractors mainly on a face to
face basis. A roofing contractor may come to us if
they have a project they are planning and need to
use a certain tile specified by the architects or
authority. They often ask for our advice and
guidance on how to install the tiles, and also to
work out the coverage needed. Using our
experience, we also advise on fittings and other
supporting products to sit alongside the tiles.
Finally, we also provide specifications and training
if required, showing contractors how a roof should
correctly be installed, using case studies from
similar work we have carried out in the past.
TC: Bespoke tiles must come at a premium.
What are the cost implications for heritage
projects?
32 TC JUNE 2018