roof in

A home's roof is the most vital part, next to the doors, windows and of course, the walls. But the roof also poses plenty of problems since it is exposed to the harsh conditions of the outside world on a 24-hour basis. Unlike interior walls and the rooms inside, the materials and components of the roof easily wear out.

Leaky roofs

The roof usually leaks when the gutters are clogged. The gutter is the metal passageway that leads water away from the roof. Often, this vital component of the roof structure gives way because of animal activity like birds nest and leaves.

A gutter requires cleaning (usually some mild sweeping will do) every two weeks, to keep the whole passageway litter-free. However, most people don't even look at their gutter unless something's already wrong.

DIY expert Donny Sheridan shares a tactic to deal with the problem:

"Products such as Evo-Stick Flashband can provide a temporary repair. This is a self-adhesive, bituminous flashing that has an aluminum face to reflect direct sunlight and should last for 15 years. You can easily apply this yourself. It comes in a roll and all you need to do is stick it over the hole in the lead flashing."

Tiling the roof

Tiling the roof is definitely not a DIY project for the faint of heart. But it doesn't mean that it can't be done. For a medium-sized, low-lying home built of traditional stone, you will need around 800 to 900 tiles.

The first step in tiling (or retiling) a roof is by laying down the tough planks of wood that would be handling the weight of the concrete and the clay tiles. These are called tile batons. The length will vary depending on the entire length of your house.

Tile batons may be placed over the concrete fixings of the old roof, given that the clay tiles have already been removed completely. The tile batons provide a so-called "breathable membrane" that allows for ventilation to take place.

Laying down the tiles

Be careful in using tall ladders when tiling your roof. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents: "220,000 DIY daredevils have to go to the hospital for treatment for cuts, breaks, falls, concussions after their handy dandy activities go wrong."

Now, if you think you're fairly safe up on your roof, begin the laying down of the tiles. The concrete or the cement should be placed between the gaps of the baton as well as on top. Fill the spaces completely before placing the tiles.

Work from the bottom of the roof toward the top. This way, you won't have to worry about accidentally destroying the tiles you've laid down. Also, work vertically, column after column. This way, you can easily remove the clay tiles if something goes wrong.

The cement or concrete fillings should be even especially on the side of the roof. Imagine making a sandwich- you wipe off excess sauce on the side of the slices of bread to make the sandwich more appetizing. This applies to tiles- because a badly tiled roof is not really pretty to look at.