Replacement Roofing Systems For BISF Houses
Almost all BISF houses were built with corrugated asbestos cement or steel roofing sheets. Over time these sheets have suffered from deterioration with most showing signs of erosion and discolouration.
Many home owners & local authorities have replaced these old corrugated asbestos roof panels with new lightweight steel tile systems such as those offered by Decra Tile & Metro Tile UK.
These products can transform the overall look of the house as well as being a safer & more secure option. These systems should always be fitted by a qualified installer to comply with manufacturer ventilation and fixing guidelines. Sadly though, not all these roofing systems look as good as the day they were fitted due to the build up of algae growth that can accumulate on top of the textured finish.
Non-Standard House.com once owned two BISF properties side by side. One house had a Decratile system fitted in approx 1995 and the other in 1998. The older fitted roof looks almost as good as the day it was fitted but the newer Decratile roof has badly discoloured and is now a reddish green colour.
This discolouration is not just confined to our roofs. Look around any street containing BISF houses fitted with the same system and you will probably see similar discolouration.
Non-Standard House.com have spoken to Decra technical support regarding this issue.
Decra state that their roofing tile system can suffer from a moss and lichen build up just like any other roof including those constructed from traditional clay tiles. The company had produced cleaning products for this purpose but state they have since been discontinued due to ever increasing environmental laws. They now suggest cleaning the tiles with a soft brush and warm water to remove the build up.
Decra state that some roof tile systems will react differently to others depending on the material /design selected & the positioning of the roof in relation to the sun. Tiles such as those in the elegance range have a smooth finish which appears to be more resistant to lichen build. Evidence of this can be seen in the image of the grey roof shown below.
The Grey coloured Decratile systems that we have viewed do not appear to suffer from the algae issue. It is worth noting that many of these roofs were installed several years ago and that further developments in the tile coatings,heve been made since then.
Visit the Decra Tile Website http://www.decra.co.uk/