Spray foam stripped out and a terracotta pantile roof put back

What we were dealing with

Foam had been sprayed straight onto the underside of the roof covering, which is the arrangement that causes trouble on two fronts. Nobody can inspect the rafters through it, so a surveyor will not sign the structure off. And the roof stops breathing, so any moisture that gets in stays in and works on the timber.

Taking it off

The whole property went in scaffold and we lifted the covering in sections rather than opening the entire roof at once, so the house stayed protected the whole way through. With each section open the foam and the old underfelt came away and went straight into bags on the ground. That is the stage in the third photograph, with the roof back to bare rafters.

Putting it back

Breathable membrane went across the whole roof, then new treated battens set to the pantile gauge, then double pan terracotta tiles. On a house this age the leadwork is where most of the leaks come from, so all of it was renewed: stepped flashings dressed up the stone parapet and fresh lead around both chimney stacks.

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