I have a portion of flat roof on my house which is torch-on felt, while the remainder is a tiled, pitched roof construction. Insurance companies run a mile as soon as I mention the proportion of roof that is flat. I’ve grown so jaded of this annual struggle to get home insurance that I have decided the only solution is to convert the flat portion into a pitched roof.
Unfortunately, I cannot get any insurance company to confirm what degree of slope constitutes a pitched roof. It seems to be a grey area that no insurer will stand over – neither verbally nor in writing. I have contacted three different architects and again, no one can confirm a definitive slope as recognised by insurers, although 15 degrees has been given as an estimate.
The second issue is with regard to what material finish is deemed acceptable, if I convert the flat portion to a pitched roof. Do insurers expect a tiled/slate finish or is a pressed-metal zinc, or any other material, finish acceptable?
It will be an expensive and extremely disruptive undertaking to convert this roof, and I’d like to feel confident that doing this job will make the house insurable. Your help would be invaluable as I have hit a brick wall everywhere else.
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When I was a kid, I was told there were three guarantees in life: death, taxes and flat roofs will leak. The truth is that flat roofs have greatly reduced in number in recent years due to water pressure and trouble getting insurance. That said, I have been on several roofs – of buildings of various sizes – and the torch-on is still in regular use. And there is nothing wrong with torch-on felt as a building material. There are so many brands and types of materials that you can use on flat roofs that it’s hard to keep up. Each type will come with the manufacturer’s recommended measurement for the pitch slope. In slate and tile, I have seen these range upwards of 10 degrees.
Interestingly, however, the use of the description “flat roof” comes up less and less because few manufacturers wish to be associated with the history of flat roofs in Ireland. Instead, the product itself is referred to by a branded name, or the word monopitch is used. If the insurance company has a bandwidth for flat roofs – potentially zero to 10 degrees – then anything above 10 is a pitch. It may be worthwhile steering away from the traditional use of slate and tile in your case and look to a new covering. It will be less cumbersome and will likely match what you have in appearance.
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If you are to change the profile of your roof there is a lot to consider. The change to the speed at which water flows may need to be catered for depending on the change you make. Check whether your alterations will impact on neighbouring buildings or your own and whether you require planning permission for the changes. Get in contact with a building professional such as a chartered building surveyor to ensure issues that you might not have considered are looked into and that the roofing material is right for you and complies with the appropriate building regulations.
Brigid Browne is a chartered building surveyor and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
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