Is your roofing under attack?

The longest day, the start of Wimbledon and the Glastonbury festival. Each event in its own right guaranteed to bring the odd shower or two but put together and, well, we might as well start building Arks now.

Whilst the latest rain is welcome relief for the land and crops, it's not so welcome for older roofs, guttering and flashings, that under the recent warm weather, might have 'shrunk' or warped exposing gaps through which rain water can leak into your home.

And if you've been thinking of replacing your fascia and guttering, then now is the perfect time, as once the Summer ends, guttering and fascia replacement companies soon get booked up for weeks in advance.

The other side of the coin is that when its warm and sunny, no-one really thinks to have their guttering or fascia looked at. Subsequently, there are some very good deals to be had from replacement fascia companies right now, keen to keep their work diaries full during the 'drought'.

The Fascia Quoter service is here to help you, from the comfort of your own home, by giving you an instant online quote.

Only afterwards, if you decide to, can you take our service further by allowing us to find the top 3 fascia companies in your area, based on quality feedback and price, to come round and give you a completely free, no obligation quote for your property.

Unlike our online quotes, their specific quotes will include any promotions or offers they're currently running.

Top Tip: If you're not a detached property, why not enquire with your neighbour if they've been thinking of getting their fascia replaced? Larger jobs (or a combination of both adjoining properties) will attract larger discounts and even better value for money for both of you.

Fact: Upvc fascia is not just available in white upvc anymore, coming in wood grain (oak and cherry) upvc finishes as well as black. Other colours may be available on a more restricted basis, depending on the installation company.

This article first appeared in our weekly homeowner newsletter dated 27th June 2011. Click here to read the full newsletter.

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photo credit: martin pettitt

Autumn's here - get ready for Winter now.

The mornings are starting to get darker, the heatings starting to come on - these are all sure signs that now is the time to act and complete those last few household maintenance chores before Autumn quickly becomes Winter.

Now is the time to attend to things like:

Roofs, gutters and drains - Visually inspect roofs for slipped or broken roof tiles, ridge tiles that are missing or appear loose due to loss of mortar and wobbly television aerials. Make good anything you find or call in a professional if you don't have the right ladders and access equipment - NEVER TAKE RISKS!

Remove any branches or other debris that could blow about and cause more damage or worse, fall to the ground (via your conservatory roof).

Check guttering, drainpipes and drains for any debris - especially leaves - that can cause water to spill over or back up and enter your house's interior causing more damage. This also includes checking roof sections which include a 'gutter' or gully between two adjoining sections of roof. Clean out any debris and compost or recycle.

Decking - if you get a dry day, it's a great time to re-coat your wooden decking and protect it for the coming winter. Frost and snow can cause untreated decking to split and tarnish very easily. Some people swear by pressure washing the decking first in preparation and leaving it to dry off before applying a water sealant or other protective stain.

Garden - There's probably time for one more cut of the lawn before you put the mower away for another year. A good tidy up around the garden will help your garden look trimmed and neat for the Winter ahead. Pay careful attention to the manufacturers instructions regarding storage of your lawn mower. Petrol models in particular sometimes have to be stored on a particular side to avoid oil running to the 'wrong end' of the engine. Clean off any grass from the underneath of the mower and make sure the grass collector is clean before storage.

Pipes - To avoid the misery and expense of burst pipes, now is the time to explore your loft and/or basement and attend to any pipe lagging that may have come loose or be missing. Not only will you save burst pipes, but you'll also save energy by lagging the hot pipes as well. Make sure you use an appropriate lagging material - we don't want any fires now. Checking and insulating your pipes also includes your outside water tap. You may still be using it to wash the car etc but don't forget to turn it off at the stop valve inside the house/wall afterwards.

Heating system - if you haven't had an annual inspection or service, the now is the time. As you start to use the heating system more following a long dormant period is usually when problems occur. Getting your heating system serviced will give you peace of mind for the coming Winter, when heating engineers are so busy you can wait weeks for someone to come out.

Real fires and solid fuel heaters

If you use your homes Chimney for a real fire, solid fuel heater or wood burner etc, then you might need to have your chimney swept. Call in a professional - it's cleaner, quicker and a professional will usually be able to spot if your chimney needs any further maintenance. Remember, its vitally important that your fire or stove etc is properly ventilated.

Winter they say is a great time for interior decorating but make sure you do it on dry days when you can have the windows open for ventilation. Personally, I've had experience of emulsion paints 'bubbling' which I'd put down to the wall surface being so cold.

If you've been thinking about having a conservatory over the Summer but think you've missed your chance then think again. Although not a true seasonal home improvement, many homeowners are put off having a conservatory in the wet autumn months, under the miss-conception that the foundation work will be very messy.

Consequently, conservatory companies will be offering all sorts of offers and incentives to attract you, making it a very good time to get a conservatory built - and just in time for Christmas too.

Click here to get your own online conservatory quote now and see how much you could save.

Gutted by your guttering? - a handy guide.

Gutted by the performance of your guttering?

Even the most optimistic Brit' would have to admit that the weather's been a little on the damp side these past few weeks.

If you've been affected by flooding, then our thoughts are with you.

It's also been a severe test on the guttering and fascia of your property.

For those unfamiliar with such terms as fascia (or roofline as the industry refers to it), then allow us to enlighten you further.

Roofline refers to the wood or plastic boarding around your home between the roof and the walls. Usually, this is where guttering is fixed, but not all roof sides have guttering (gable ends). Guttering is also included in the term Roofline.

Traditionally, roofline was wooden and I'm sure you've all suffered or witnessed flaking and rotting timbers around the roofs of properties. Left untreated, you eventually get leaks and bad weather will force its way through.

Very often, the rot goes beyond the visible timbers and affects those that hold flashing in place. This is when water is most likely to leak through and into the inside of the house.

Re-painting wooden roofline is a yearly chore and not a very pleasant one either. Balancing off a wobbly ladder with paintbrush in hand (if the weather allows you) – it's not much fun and it's then that the thought of not having to do it again next year is usually most appealing.

Upvc roofline has become the modern material of choice. Like its window counterpart, it doesn't need re-painting, is extremely low maintenance and doesn't rot.

My parents were quite surprised when they recently had a roofing quote to correct a leak problem caused by ill-fitting flashing. The cost was high due to new safety rules which meant the work could no longer be carried out atop a ladder, but would require scaffolding.

Upvc Roofline doesn't just come in white. You can very often specify dark or light woodgrain effects as well. To complement the colour of upvc windows or doors etc.

To help identify the individual parts that make up roofline, here's a quick guide:

Guttering – this one is pretty obvious – its the half pipe and whole downpipes that collect rain water from the roof edges and take it to drainage on the ground. This also includes the clips that the guttering fixes to the roofline with.

Now available in square as well as round pipe.

Fascia – this is the boarding that guttering normally fixes to. Its usually straight lengths.

Bargeboards – these are the fascia boards that follow gable end rooflines. They are usually cut to form a neat join at the apex of the roof (eaves end) and the gable end (where bargeboard meets fascia).

Soffits – this is the boarding that runs right angle to the wall surface, facing downwards. Its very often ventilated with mesh covered slots to allow roof space to breathe.

Cladding - this is the 'overlapping planking' you see on some properties either in gable ends, or on walls. Again traditionally wooden, wooden cladding can soon need re-painting, is prone to rotting and letting damp affect interior walls. This is also available in insulated upvc cladding in a tongue and groove / overlapping style.

When having roofline replaced, if its replacing wooden roofline, then its important to check the felt underneath. This is usually the point at which felt deteriorates.

Home Improvement Quotes has a dedicated website where you can get an instant online quote for your property – Just type in your measurements, specify gable or straight runs, if you require guttering (it usually make sense to have the lot done at the same time) and if you require the old roofline removing.

Go to www.fasciaquoter.co.uk and try it now. Its completely free and only takes a few minutes to give you a price quote there and then without the need for a salesman to call!

Or if you prefer, call our customer advisers on 0845 300 2333 and arrange for up to 3 of our recommended and approved fascia installers local to you to come and leave you a no-obligation free quotation that's valid for 6 months.