will show up clearly on wooden
rafters or purlins. Don't worry
if you can see daylight, if the
roof is not felted (the case with
many an older house) it doesn't
necessarily mean it's going to
leak.
Then look at the outside -
better still, get someone with
the right knowledge to come
and look with you - again are
the tiles straight ? Modern canale
tiles have small 'crochets'
or feet which hook into the
battens and you should be able
to tell the age of your roof from
this. The top tiles (called chapeaux)
must be correctly placed
and attached using galvanised
or stainless steel hooks to make
sure they won't get blown off in
a storm. Flashings and gutters
must be of zinc to deal with
extremes in temperature - PVC
is not recommended here!
Broken tiles are usually
easily replaced as old ones can
be wiggled out and new ones
set in.
How long a roof lasts
depends on the quality of the
tile and type used - a slate
tiled roof could be good for
up to 130 years, while those
covered with canale tiles are
more likely to last 35 to 40
years. Costs of re-roofing with
terracotta tiles can vary from
between €35 - 75 per m2 and
even more if woodwork needs
replacing. Modern mechanically-made tiles are
cheaper but
less attractive. Slate costs in the
region of €100 - 130 per m2
plus again, of course, the cost
of any woodwork.
So, after you've done your
visual inspection, make sure
to ask when the roof was last
re-roofed and, if in doubt, seek
expert advice. You want to keep
a tight lid on your new home
without any leaks!
LEGGETT MAGAZINE EXPERT ADVICE
25
LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST