Clearview National February 2018 - Issue 195 | Page 74

ROOFING
Warning on Winter
Roof Danger
Homeowners are being warned of the dangers
of DIY winter roof maintenance as the UK
weather continues to be icy, windy and wet.
» » LEADING PROFESSIONAL
roofing company JTC Roofing
claim autumn and winter are
dangerous times as the change
in season makes ageing roofs
susceptible to leaks.
Now they have called on the
government to make it illegal
for homeowners to venture up
onto their own roofs without
professional help.
Around 100 people die, and
hundreds more are injured,
every year in the UK after
falling from or through a roof
and while many victims are
construction workers and
youngsters, a significant number
are home owners trying to affect
a repair.
Experts at JTC believe more
could be done to protect the
public of the huge dangers of
venturing up onto their rooftop
to find the source of a leak or to
fix a slipped slate.
They say that much of the
UK’s housing stock consists of
properties with ageing roofs
which are prone to suffering
perished slates and tiles.
When mortar and slate
fastenings erode over many
decades of keeping out the rain
they become highly susceptible to
water ingress.
‘Any fall from the
roof of a house is
likely to result in
a serious injury’
But by the time rain water finds
its way through ceilings into a
family home it can have migrated
many metres from the source of
the leak.
JTC warn that many DIY
enthusiasts underestimate the
difficulty of locating the source of
a leak and also fail to appreciate
just how risky it can be to venture
up onto a roof.
The company has written to
Housing Minister Alok Sharma
asking for a change to the law to
74 » F EB 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
prevent home owners from taking
the matter into their own hands.
They say that such a law could
save dozens of lives every year.
A spokesman for JTC Roofing
said: “Climbing on to a roof is
one of the most dangerous tasks
anyone can undertake.
“Any fall from the roof of a
house is likely to result in a serious
injury or death so it is vitally
important that all homeowners are
made aware that they are literally
dicing with death when they
decide to go up on the roof.
“The most common reason why
people venture onto their roof is
to locate the source of a rain water
leak which has come through the
loft and seeped in through an
upstairs ceiling.
“Most DIY enthusiasts fail to
realise that the location of the leak
inside the house is not a reliable
indicator of where the water has
come in through the roof.
“Most think if they can climb
up on the roof immediately above
where the leak came through the
ceiling they will be able to spot an
obvious hole or a missing slate.
“But the reality is the water can
migrate several metres within the
loft, running down the underside
of the roof, across joists and
beams and then down through
the ceiling into a totally different
part of the house.
“Once up on the roof there is a
real danger of actually damaging
the roof itself not to mention the
danger of falling off.
“We feel a change in the law
would be the clearest way for the
Government to warn the public
that going up on the roof really is
a job for the professionals.
“Call in a roofer who will have
all the necessary safety equipment
and training. Do not try to DIY
when it comes to your roof.
“Once a change in the law has
been made we would suggest
anyone caught on their roof should
face punishment in the form of a
hefty fine. It would send a clear
warning to others and would save
scores of lives every year.”