Millions of homeowners could end up having to pay over £5,000* each for a new roof because they don’t have adequate home buildings insurance to protect them from much needed roof repairs.
Millions of homes that were built in the post war construction era have roofs that are now reaching the end of their natural life. Indeed the CLG English Housing Survey* shows that 1 in 5 roofs across the country, more than 4.8 million roofs, are in need of roofing repairs.
Latest research has found that almost two thirds of homeowners think their home insurance covers them for all potential problems with their roof, but this is not the case and MyRedlandRoof.co.uk is warning homeowners not to be caught out by the misconception that their roof repairs will be covered under their buildings insurance.
A spokesperson from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) explains: “As a general rule, buildings insurance is not a maintenance contract and therefore does not cover roof damage caused by wear and tear, deterioration and neglect. For example, if roof tiles become worn due to age, they won’t be covered. Foreseeable and preventable incidents, such as roof sagging, are not covered.”
“Roofing is one of the biggest problems facing the UK’s ageing housing stock, but most people don’t even consider their roof until something goes wrong, and only 7% of homeowners think about maintaining it. However if you keep an eye on your roof and fix any problems as they occur, it could help you avoid bigger and more costly problems in the future,” said Mark Randall, Managing Director from MyRedlandRoof.co.uk.
Mark Randall added: “Nearly 1 in 4 homeowners don’t know how old their roof is. People need to pay attention to their roof to make sure it doesn’t let them down when they least expect it.”
Homeowners can check the state of their roof and prevent thousands of pounds worth of crisis repairs with three simple steps:
1.    If you don’t already know, find out how old your roof is. A roof’s life expectancy is between 50-60 years so it’s worth checking when your roof was fitted and prepare yourself for a possible re-fit.
2.    Spot the signs of a damaged roof. From outside - broken and missing tiles. Use binoculars for a better view. From inside the loft - mortar falling off, condensation on the inside of the roof, tears or holes in the underlay and leaking are all signs that you may be in need of repairs.
3.    Look out for roof sagging. This can be seen when viewing the roof from the exterior and the roof will appear wavy and not straight. If your roof is sagging you should look to repair it or the roof will cease to be weather tight and could potentially collapse.
This week sees the launch of a new website, MyRedlandRoof.co.uk, to provide homeowners with information on what can go...