Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Wow, what a year! Now it’s coming to a close we’ve finally got a chance to sit back and reflect (though we still have plenty to do over the festive period) and we have to admit it has been an incredible year.
We have had the chance to work with some incredible commercial clients, such as Amazon, Unity Housing, Chubb Security, Leeds Bradford Aiport and Wesco Aircraft to name just a few high end clients.
We have also worked with more domestic clients than we can count. Each job we have undertaken has been a delight, and we have appreciated each and every client that chose to work with us.
Next year is already looking busy for us, and we can’t wait to see what it brings. So from all at DPR Roofing, thank you, Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Please note we will be closing for the holidays on Wednesday the 21st of December, and re-opening on Tuesday the 3rd of January at 6am prompt.
Simple Things to Protect Your Roof This Winter
Though it is nearly Christmas, you could argue that the winter weather has yet to kick in properly. However, this isn’t to say that the bad weather isn’t lurking just around the corner and it is exactly this bad weather that can tip your roof from ‘just about hanging in there’ to ‘oh dear the ceiling has fallen through’.
This is why, here at DPR, we recommend that you do a few small things to protect your roof for the harsh months to come.
The first is to check and clear your gutters. The entire point of a good roof design is to catch and control water at the earliest point, guiding it away from where it can do damage and disposing of it down the drain. An integral part of this process is the gutters, they guide the water away from your home and dispose of them down the drain. However if your gutters are blocked then water will ultimately flow where it should not. If you can do it safely, we always advise clearing your gutters so they work properly, otherwise the water can go on to do a lot of damage.
Roofs are quite uniform in nature, especially tiled roofs. It is worth performing a visual inspection of your roof to make sure the tiles are in good condition. Thanks to the uniform nature this shouldn’t be too hard to do. Stand across the street with a pair of binoculars and closely inspect each and every tile. If there is something wrong with one of them it should be fairly obvious.
It is also worth performing a visual inspection of the walls and ceiling inside your house. These are the first places that you will notice damp if there is an issue with your roof. You can also probably trace the issue back to the exact spot in your roof. However, if it has reached this stage then it means you already have a problem in your roof, and chances are you will need a professional like DPR to correct it.
To find out more about the services we offer our domestic client then just give us a call on 0113 335 0043.
Check Your Roof Properly With this List
Now winter is looming it is the perfect time to check on the condition of your roof. We typically experience a spike in the amount of calls we receive in the winter months, so it makes sense to get any small issues repaired now, while there is still time.
Also, if your roof leaks during winter it can be a huge pain for multiple reasons, not least of which is the weather pouring in.
Therefore, we recommend a proper and thorough check of your roof at least once a year, but ideally at the changing of the seasons. Below is a list of things our engineers do when carrying out roof inspections.
The first kind of inspection is a visual one. Walk around your property and look for missing tiles, or fragments of tiles on the floor. Also roofs should be relatively uniform, so look for anything generally out of place.
Keep an eye out for wear and tear on your roof such as cracked mortar or loose flashings. If you notice any of these, or missing tiles then it is worth contacting a professional roofing contractor such as DPR, rather than ‘try and tackle it yourself’ as this is fraught with much danger.
As well as external checks it is worth checking internally too. On the top floors of your home check the walls and ceiling for dark patches, which can be indicative of damp. If you can, it is also worth checking your loft for damp and rotting beams. Damp coming down into your home is the usual indicator that there is a breach in your roof, and moisture is making it down through the structure.
If you do notice anything then get in contact as soon as possible. DPR have over 27 years’ experience repairing both commercial and domestic roofs in and around Yorkshire. If you would like to find out more just give us a call on 0113 335 0043.
A Huge New Innovation in Roofing
It is not very often that we get huge leaps of technological advances in roofing. Occasionally new materials get developed, and fashions come and go but for the most part a roof is a roof is a roof. However, recently a new development has been released that not only revolutionises roofing but could also change all our lives.
Elon Musk is one of the wealthiest people in the world. He’s also a little bit of a genius and is the man behind Space X and Tesla Cars. For years now he has been trying to tackle global warming and pioneer renewable energy. His electric cars are some of the best available, and his plan to colonise Mars is one of the most realistic and progressive around.
But it is his new venture that has really got our ears perked up at DPR roofing.
Solar panels have been around for a while now, and have gained popularity in the last few years. This could very well be down to rising energy bills, as solar panels can help to reduce the cost of these. However they are still not very common. There are a few reasons for this, but one of the largest is that they are simply not that attractive to look at.
Also, typically they are added after a roof is built, and are not typically incorporated into the design and building on the roof. This makes the installation tricky and potentially expensive.
However Musk has managed to come up with a fantastic solution to this problem. He has developed small solar panels that look just like roofing tiles. They come in four distinct styles, these are “Textured Glass Tile,” “Slate Glass Tile,” “Tuscan Glass Tile, and “Smooth Glass Tile” and look startlingly similar to normal slate and pot tiles.
The tiles will actually cost less than current roofing tiles when they are released, and will obviously help save a huge amount on your energy bills. However, even without using the solar energy they are better insulators than current roofing tiles.
These are an extraordinary development, and all at DPR will be keeping an eye on this technology as it develops so we can begin to use these on our green projects.
To find out about DPR’s roofing services then just give us a call on 0113 335 0043.
DPR Do Commercial Roof Repairs
It doesn’t matter how well installed a roof is, roofs on commercial premises take an incredible amount of abuse from the elements due to their large area coverage. In summer buildings expand and contract with the hot weather, which puts stress on the roof. In winter it has to take the full brunt of mother-nature from the freezing cold weather. The reduced temperatures of winter also put extra stress on the external structures, such as the walls, windows and roof.
This means that commercial roofs are subject to incredible amounts of wear and tear. This is obviously made worse if regular maintenance is not carried out, which in a huge number of cases, it undoubtedly isn’t.
Because of this, commercial roofs are susceptible to developing faults. In most cases these faults are presented in the way of leaks. We probably don’t have to re-iterate, but leaks in a commercial premises are extremely damaging and this is not referring to the damage that is caused to the building, this refers to the risk it puts staff and clients under. There is also the risk that normal operations will have to halt, while the leak is fixed, which could mean a loss of turnover.
Also, if water was to come into contact with any machinery or computers, it could damage those.
How well would your business survive if the computers were down for just one day?
This is why DPR roofing, based near Leeds, offer comprehensive commercial roof repairs. When we are called we act promptly as we know better than anyone the damage a leaking roof can cause. We have worked on buildings of most sectors, and are trusted by some of the largest organisations in the country.
With most things but especially so with roofing, prevention is better than the cure. This is why DPR roofs offer retained services in which we will visit your premises on a regular basis and carry out basic servicing and maintenance checks. By doing so we can prevent damage and leaks from occurring, or spot them before they do any real damage.
To find out more about retained services, or the work we do on commercial roof repairs then just call us on 0113 335 0043.
New Roof for Wakefield resident.
DPR Roofers are well known for their commercial work. We have worked for some the largest and most prestigious organisations in the country. However, this is far from all we do. And this recent case study showcases that perfectly.
We received a call from a resident in Wakefield. She lives in a large housing estate and noticed that the council were carrying out roof renewals and services on the council owned properties surrounding her.
Having bought her council house some years ago, our client was not able to receive a new updated roof like the other residents. However, when she compared her roof to their new ones she realised how dated hers was. She also realised that if work was not carried out soon then she could be at risk of leaks, or, potentially, something worse.
This is when she called DPR. We talked her through her options and laid out some of the facts about leaving your roof in a state of disrepair. After this conversation she decided to have extensive work carried out on her property. The exact work she had done included:
• A full strip and recover of roof which involved taking the old Rosemary tiles off, laying a new breathable membrane and new treated timber lattes prior to laying new Marley Modern Farmhouse Red tiles
• Fitting a new dry ridge system.
• All new leadwork.
• Chimneys cut out and repointed.
• New fascia and gutters in quality uPVC.
• Our building department even stripped all her kitchen out and laid a new concrete floor plus new electrics in readiness for her new kitchen installation mid September.
It was a huge amount of work to carry out on a domestic property. This amount of work can be very disruptive to a persons day to day activities. Therefore we always ensure that any work is carried out as quickly as possible. We are also very conscious of domestic clients budgets, so while we always carry out work quickly, and to the highest possible standard, we will do so with as little expense as possible.
If you are in need of any domestic roofing services, or anything to do with building repairs and alterations just give us a call on 0113 335 0043.
DPR carry out repair at Barclays Headquaters
At DPR we know the benefits of a slate roof, we recently spoke about them. However, as with most roofs they do need the occasional bit of upkeep, as the Barclays Bank Headquarters in Leeds recently found out.
Barclays noticed some slates had come loose. This is bad for several reasons: loose slates will lead to a leak. In a building like the Barclays headquarters there is a huge amount of electrical equipment. A leak here could pose a serious fire risk. Not to mention an uncountable loss of money if something were to happen that halts operations.
Also, there is a very real health and safety risk. If one of the loose slates were to be blown, or fall, off and hit a pedestrian, or member of staff then it could do some very real bodily damage.
Therefore Barclays did the right thing by acting quickly and calling DPR. DPR has years of experience working with slate roofs, and knowing the potential risks we labelled it a high priority job and attended as quickly as possible by initially putting a scaffold up to catch any further loose slates.
When we arrived we implemented a number of safety measures to prevent the worst from happening as a fast roof response team reached the dangerous area and carried out the vital repairs.
We are pleased to say that the repair was a success, and any unfortunate incidents were avoided.
DPR were established in 1989 and have since gone onto create a reputation that leads the worlds’ biggest organisations to contact us when they are in need of roofing repairs. If you need any emergency roofing services in the Leeds, or Yorkshire, area, then just give us a call on 0113 335 0043.
Flat roof renewal at Ardsley Social Club
DPR Roofing underway with works at East and West Ardsley Social Club after being contacted by their steward who noticed problems with their flat roofs at the popular local site.
Three of the large flat roofs at the venue were leaking into the main building which prevented the club from hosting events safely, and utilising all of their facilities.
The three roofs all require a re-roof, with the DPR team adding brand new felt roofing in the desired places. Felt roofing is a great way of roofing and if done properly, can last over 20 years before needing any attention or care.
The venue is popular with many of the locals and has upcoming events including birthday parties, social nights and presentation evenings. It is also busy during the European Championships showing many of the live games.
This inquiry came through our Leeds Roofs chat facility with the contracts manager contacting Danny (one of our office work schedulers) before we arranged a survey/site visit to assess the damage caused by the leaking roofs. If you have any questions you can always ask us and we will get back to you quickly.
If you have a problem with your flat roof, both on domestic or commercial buildings like the Ardsley Social Club, and require a patch repair or a full re-roof, please do not hesitate to contact our team. Flat roofs have a bad reputation for having problems, and often these are caused from problems at the very beginning.
For more information about the flat roof services we provide, please contact us today.
New guttering added at Country Style Foods Leeds
DPR has recently added brand new guttering to the building of Country Style Foods, after the existing guttering had fallen into a state of disrepair. This was in addition to other multiple roof repairs needed. This is the second phase of works for the large food supplier in Leeds.
By using a clever technique, the DPR team added brand new guttering inside the existing guttering shell, adding complete new runs to the gutter. This is an instant though bespoke system transforming the gutter immediately into a fully working unit again yet retaining the original look.
Guttering plays an important role in removing water from the roof safely and when it fails, can cause considerable damage to the building and leave walkways below unsafe not to mention stock damage. If you, like Country Style Foods, have problems with your gutters or roofs, it is important to get them solved quickly.
At DPR we, recommended a professional company checks your commercial guttering at least once a year. We know, from experience, that there are buildings across the Yorkshire region that have not had a gutter surveyed, or cleaned for over twenty years and this will cause problems to the building for certain.
If you are in that situation, please act before it is too late and call one of our office team today. We can carry out a full inspection backed up with quality photographs, clean all manner of debris from the gutters and recommend any works which might needs carrying out now or in the future.
Country Style Foods are a modern craft bakery company that works closely with leading retailers and food service customers, specialising in high volume production of top quality bakery products.
Benefits of green roofs
Green roofs have many advantages that not only benefit buildings, but also have various social, economic and environmental benefits. They have been growing in popularity consistently, and it’s not hard to see why, considering how much there is to gain by investing in them. Here are just some of the benefits that can be gained from green roofs:
Increases roof lifespan
The lifespan of a roof depends on the design of it, the materials used and the weather conditions of the surrounding area. Most roofs can last for anywhere up to around 35 years. Green roofs, which create barriers between the roof itself and the waterproofing underneath, are able to function effectively for up to 50 years, which is a considerable difference to normal roofs.
Soundproofing
Thanks to the growth medium, the grass itself, other plants, and trapped layers of air, green roofs are able to provide great soundproofing properties compared to traditional roofs. This could be of great benefit to community buildings as well as industrial premises where loud, disruptive sound is prominent.
Reduces energy use
When roofs are poorly optimised, either through bad insulation or something else, they increase energy use throughout the building – whether by increasing the need of heating in the winter or the need of artificial cooling during the summer. Green roofs are shown to have a positive impact on a building energy consumption, thereby saving money.
Tackles climate change
Buildings cause a huge amount of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom, with 26% coming from homes and 18% from other buildings. Climate change is a real problem that needs to be tackled now rather than later – with the implementation of green roofs, this can be done – due to the reduced energy consumption that they provide, CO2 emissions are decreased and the, limiting the damage to the environment.
DPR provides high quality, bespoke roofing services across the Yorkshire area. If you’d like to find out more, please do give us a call today.