New Roof Installations and Re-Roofing in Malahide

Materials and work covered

Pitched roofs may be covered in natural slate, fibre-cement slate, concrete tile or clay tile. Flat roofs and flat sections may use reinforced bitumen, EPDM, GRP, PVC, FPO/TPO or a liquid-applied system. Each covering has limits on pitch, weight, exposure and detailing, so the choice is tested against the roof rather than picked from a sample board.

Roofing work on a new or replaced roof typically involves underlay, battens or deck, fixings, ridges, hips, verges, valleys and flashings in addition to the visible covering. Chimneys, gutters, roof windows and fascias are considered where they meet the roof and listed separately if they need their own work.

New roof installations start with the design

On an extension, garage, garden building or other new structure, the roof is part of the building design. Drawings and specifications should establish the structure, pitch or falls, loading, insulation, ventilation and drainage, and how the new roof joins any existing building. The covering is then selected to suit that design and the conditions it will face.

Structural design and any approvals required are separate from the roofing installation, and responsibility for them should be clear before work is agreed. When you enquire about a new roof, send whatever drawings and specifications are available and tell us who is designing the project, so the roofing scope can be matched to it.

Choosing a covering for a new roof

A slate finish can come from natural slate or fibre-cement slate, which differ in weight, size and fixing. Concrete and clay tiles vary in profile and in the lowest pitch each suits. Matching an extension to the main house can mean following the existing covering, but the extension's pitch may rule some options out, in which case the alternatives are explained rather than forced.

For low-pitched or flat sections, the membrane family should suit the deck, how the roof is accessed and the number of junctions. The quotation should name the products and system proposed, not simply describe a slate, tile or flat roof.

For pitched coverings in more depth, see our slate roofing service.

When re-roofing an existing roof is justified

Re-roofing makes sense when deterioration is spread across the roof: slipped or broken units recurring on several slopes, widespread fixing or batten failure, leaks in more than one place, or a run of repairs that keep giving way. A single damaged area on an otherwise sound roof is usually a repair, and age alone is not a reason to replace.

An assessment should set out what was seen, what can only be confirmed once the covering is lifted, and why the evidence points the way it does. Where the case is borderline, asking for both a repair and a replacement scope is reasonable.

For the warning signs in more detail, read when a roof may need replacing.

What may be found when an old roof is stripped

Some conditions are hidden until the covering is removed, such as rafter ends at the eaves, wall plates and timber around long-standing leaks. A sound quotation names these possibilities in advance and explains how any finding will be shown to you, priced and agreed before extra work proceeds.

Equally, exposing timber does not mean replacing it. Components that are sound remain in place.

Underlay, ventilation and insulation decisions

Whether the roof is new or replaced, the underlay and ventilation arrangement need to suit how the space below is used and insulated. Getting this wrong can lead to condensation, which is a different problem from a leak and is not solved by a new covering.

If insulation changes are part of the plan, raise them at the start so they can be considered alongside ventilation. Insulation is not assumed to be included unless the quotation lists it.

To tell the two problems apart, read condensation or a roof leak.

Starting a new roof or re-roofing project in Malahide

We serve Malahide from Blanchardstown. Tell us whether the project is a new roof or a replacement, which building or part of the building is involved, any reports or drawings you hold and anything that may affect access or scaffolding. Ground-level photographs are helpful but optional.

Whether the household can stay in the property during re-roofing depends on the extent of the work and how the building can be protected; it should be discussed rather than assumed. The written proposal should cover the roof areas, covering, underlay, battens or deck, details, access, waste removal and exclusions. Programme and price follow that agreed scope.

Frequently asked questions

Do you install roofs on new extensions as well as replacing old ones?

Yes. A new installation is planned from the extension's drawings and specification. Structural design and any approvals should be in place or clearly assigned before the roofing work is agreed.

Should my extension roof match the main house?

Matching can look more coherent, but the extension's pitch and structure may not suit the main roof's covering. Where an exact match is not suitable, we explain alternatives that do suit the design.

Is my roof too old to keep repairing?

Age on its own does not decide it. Condition does: how widespread the deterioration is and whether repairs keep failing. An assessment explains which way the evidence points.

Can only one slope be re-roofed?

Yes, where one slope has deteriorated and the rest is sound. The junction between new and retained roof needs careful detailing, and the quotation should show where the new work starts and stops.

What should a new roof quotation include?

The roof areas, named covering and products, underlay, battens or deck, fixings, ridges, verges, valleys and flashings, access, waste removal, known timber work and exclusions. Chimneys, gutters or roof windows should be named if included.

Request a Roofing Quote for New Roofs & Re-Roofing in Malahide

Send Emerald Isle Roofers Dublin your details and a short description of the work required.

Emergency roofing: 083 158 8431