BRE Building Elements series
ROOFS AND ROOFING
Performance, diagnosis, maintenance, repair
and the avoidance of defects
THIRD EDITION
H W Harrison, P M Trotman and G K Saunders
BRE Building Elements series
ROOFS AND ROOFING
Performance, diagnosis, maintenance, repair
and the avoidance of defects
Third edition
H W Harrison, P M Trotman and G K Saunders
CONTENTS iii
CONTENTS
Preface to the first edition v
Preface to the second edition viii
Preface to the third edition ix
About the authors x
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background 2
1.2 References 11
2 THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF ALL ROOFS 13
2.1 Strength and stability 14
2.2 Dimensional stability 24
2.3 Exclusion and disposal of rain and snow 25
2.4 Energy conservation and ventilation 29
2.5 Control of solar heat and air temperature 34
2.6 Fire safety and precautions and lightning protection 42
2.7 Daylighting and control of glare 47
2.8 Sound insulation 49
2.9 Durability, ease of maintenance and whole-life costs 51
2.10 Functions particular to pitched roofs 58
2.11 Functions particular to flat roofs 62
2.12 Extensive lightweight green roofs 66
2.13 Modern methods of construction 68
2.14 Roof-mounted photovoltaic systems 70
2.15 References 73
3 SHORT-SPAN DOMESTIC PITCHED ROOFS 77
3.1 Concrete and clay tiles 78
3.2 Slate and stone tiles 108
3.3 Fully supported metal 120
3.4 Fully supported built-up bitumen felt and felt strip slates 127
3.5 Rigid sheets 132
3.6 Shingles 136
3.7 Thatch 139
3.8 Thermal insulation in lofts 147
3.9 Loft conversions 148
3.10 References 157
4 SHORT-SPAN DOMESTIC FLAT ROOFS 161
4.1 Built-up felt 163
4.2 Mastic asphalt 172
4.3 Inverted flat roofs 177
4.4 Fully supported metal roofs 180
4.5 Single-layer membranes 183
4.6 References 186
iv CONTENTS (CONT’D)
5 MEDIUM-SPAN COMMERCIAL AND PUBLIC ROOFS 189
5.1 Pitched roofs 191
5.2 Flat roofs 204
5.3 Vaults and other special shaped roofs such as glazed atria 212
5.4 Roof gardens (intensive green roofs) 219
5.5 Swimming pool roofs 221
5.6 References 223
6 MEDIUM-SPAN INDUSTRIAL ROOFS 225
6.1 Sheeted portals, north lights, monitors and saw-tooths 226
6.2 Patent glazing 237
6.3 Temporary and short-life roofs 241
6.4 References 245
7 LONG-SPAN ROOFS 247
7.1 All kinds of long-span roofs 248
7.2 Skeletal structures 254
7.3 References 258
8 INDEX 259
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION ix
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
The third edition of this book is being published at a time • extensive lightweight green roofs,
when the UK construction industry is facing a significant • modern methods of construction,
reduction in its work load, and nearly a decade after • roof-mounted photovoltaic systems,
the second edition was prepared. That decade has seen • thermal insulation in lofts,
massive changes in public awareness of the need for • loft conversions,
sustainability in construction, and the introduction of the • single-layer membranes.
Code for Sustainable Homes in November 2006, which
since May 2008 has formed a basis for assessment of the New sections have been introduced as appropriate into
acceptability of the design of new housing in England and existing chapters, including:
Wales. • new forms of metal roofing,
But similar needs exist for the whole of the UK’s future • siphonic roof drainage,
building programme, new-build hospitals, factories, • new materials technologies,
educational buildings and other long-life buildings which • improved protective finishes for timber, metals and
will provide challenges to designers in meeting the concrete.
conditions brought about by anticipated climate changes
and the need to be carbon-neutral and to conserve Where appropriate, each chapter now contains a section
our dwindling natural resources. There have also been dealing with provisions that may become necessary to
significant changes in British Standards which increasingly accommodate climate change (eg increased rainfall,
reflect those taking place in Europe. stronger winds and higher temperatures).
However, the UK cannot afford year-on-year to renew There have been considerable changes too in the
more than a very small percentage of the stock of existing standards covering roof drainage which have been
buildings, and the need for intelligent conservation and reflected in the revised text.
upgrading of the old stock is arguably of equal if not more Approximately one-quarter of the photographs are
importance. new to this edition.
It is against this background that this third edition
of Roofs and roofing has been prepared. In addition HWH
to thorough revision of the chapters on the more PMT
traditional forms of construction, such as tiling and slating, GKS
completely new chapters have been prepared on: June 2009
3 SHORT-SPAN DOMESTIC PITCHED ROOFS 77
3 SHORT-SPAN DOMESTIC PITCHED ROOFS
Short-span roofs are normally • natural slate, Fibre-cement
products
defined as being of less than • manmade slate, 7% Slate
8–9 m span. Pitched roofs are • shingles. Clay tiles 20%
conventionally defined as those 12%
roofs with slopes greater than 10°, Figure 3.2 shows the current
whereas roofs of slope 10° or less are market share held by the first four
defined as flat. categories. Following increased
For the purposes of this book, appreciation of the need to protect
pitched roofs have been categorised the environment, there has been
into those covered in relatively limited use of recycled materials Concrete tiles
61%
small overlapping units, dealt with such as rubber. The increased
in Chapters 3.1, 3.2 and 3.6, those popularity of PV systems is envisaged
Figure 3.2: Roof tile market by value,
covered in sheet materials, dealt which will affect the type of roofing
2006. Data from Roofing Market
with in Chapters 3.3–3.5, and chosen to support them. Report[2]
thatch, which forms a category of its Some general information about
own, dealt with in Chapter 3.7. defects in pitched roofs in housing
Small overlapping units consist of can be found in Assessing traditional
the following types: housing for rehabilitation[1].
• clay tile,
• concrete tile,
Figure 3.1 This steeply pitched plain tiled roof was built in 1880 but re-covered after bomb damage in the 1939–45 war
PAGE
3 HEADER
SHORT-SPAN
RIGHTDOMESTIC
– Page header
PITCHEDsubtitle
ROOFS 87
Box 3.1: Calculations of rainwater run-off from short span domestic roofing BRE site inspections. Drawings have
and gutter size been seen that specifically state that
Using Figure 3.25, the effective catchment area that will discharge to each gutter is: the design of gutter systems should
• for the slope of a pitched roof, the plan area, A (m2), plus half the elevation area, B be left to the site staff to sort out!
(m2) (Figure 3.25a), The pitch of valley gutters is less than
• for a pitched roof abutting a wall, the plan area, A, plus half the elevation area, B, the pitch of the roof they join, and
plus half the wall area, C, above the roof slope (Figure 3.25b), valley gutters on pitches of less than
• for a flat roof, the relevant plan area. 20° are particularly prone to leaking.
Poor detailing was commonly found
The run-off rate to each gutter is the total catchment area for the gutter divided by
48. This produces the run-off in litres per second using the recommended rainfall
in the BRE quality assessments.
(thunderstorm) rate of 75 mm/hour. BRE site inspections revealed a
number of cases where gutters had
The size of the guttering is shown in Table 3.5 using the flow capacity that will not been installed on porches and
accommodate the run-off rate. As part of this process, the number of outlets should
bay windows: decisions which may
be considered: more outlets from a run of guttering spreads the total loading on the
be marginal where the drips cause
gutter, but the loadings will vary according to where the outlets are positioned (Figure
3.26).
no inconvenience to the occupants,
but less acceptable for doorways
(Figure 3.27).
(a)
A room in the roof
B
Where a room is formed within a
A pitched roof void, it is sometimes
difficult to achieve adequate
ventilation for the roof to the outside
(Figure 3.28). BRE Defect Action
Sheets 118[22] and 119[23] deal with
(b)
this problem, particularly where
it involves the careful placing of
This gutter needs to have thermal insulation to ensure an
twice the flow capacity of . . . adequate ventilation gap. Thermal
insulation: avoiding risks[24] is also
helpful. The most important points
C to watch are:
• that a vapour control layer (eg of
B
at least 500-gauge polyethylene)
A
is installed in the sloping part of
the roof under the insulation,
• that a vapour permeable sarking
is used in new construction,
• that cupboards should be within
the insulated envelope, ensuring
continuity of the lining.
. . . this gutter,
and four times the
Figure 3.25: Catchment areas for capacity of . . . MAIN PERFORMANCE
calculating rainwater run-off REQUIREMENTS AND DEFECTS
Choice of materials for
Table 3.5: Flow capacities of structure
standard eaves gutters (when Timber has been used as the main
level) structural material in the vast
Flow capacity
majority of tiled roofs: those dating
Size of (litres/sec) from before the early 1960s for the
gutter True Nominal most part designed with strutted
(mm) half round half round purlins (Figure 3.29), more recent
75 0.38 0.27 designs using trussed rafters. The
100 0.78 0.55 structure of most of these is in good
115 1.11 0.78 condition (only 1 in 8 of these
. . . this gutter,
125 1.37 0.96 structures being reported as faulty[5]),
150 2.16 1.52 provided attention has been paid
Figure 3.26: Spacing between outlets
to reduce water load on gutters to routine maintenance of the
covering.
