Commercial roofing in Taunton

No. HSE's guidance states that AC roofs are always fragile, whatever their age or how sound they look, so a foot placed between the purlins can go straight through. Work on these roofs is planned from below where possible, or from crawling boards and staging spread across the purlins, with edge protection or safety netting where the drop calls for it. Never send a member of staff up to clear a gutter or free a blocked outlet on one, however quick the job seems.

Rooflights set into cement sheet roofs carry the same risk, and under moss and grime the two can be hard to tell apart. Before work starts we mark the safe route and the no-go areas on a sketch of the roof, and everyone on site is shown it.

There are three routes. Overcladding fixes a new metal sheet roof over the old sheets on brackets and spacers, usually with insulation in between, so the asbestos stays where it is, undisturbed, and the building's energy efficiency improves at the same time. Our answer on what roof overcladding involves explains the build-up. Encapsulation seals weathered sheets under a coating, which suits a roof that is sound but dusty and furred with lichen. Stripping takes the sheets off altogether, usually followed by a new roof.

Under HSE's rules, careful removal of asbestos cement without breaking it up is non-licensed work. Once sheets are substantially broken up, for example by dropping the roof, it becomes notifiable non-licensed work, with health records kept for 40 years. Removed sheets are double-wrapped and labelled, then leave site on a hazardous waste consignment note with a registered carrier, never loose in a skip. Smaller garage and outbuilding roofs sit with our garage and asbestos roof service.

Leaves, moss, grit and the odd pigeon nest gather at the outlet, the opening that takes water into the downpipe. A partial block holds water in the gutter until it rises above the lining and runs back under the sheets. A gutter that has sagged loses its fall, so water sits at the low point and works at the joints. Older box gutters may be lined in lead, felt or bare steel that has rusted at every seam. An overflow pipe or weir at each end gives water a visible way out, so you see a warning outside instead of a wet ceiling within.

A single split can be patched. Where the joints have failed along the run, relining with a membrane or a GRP lining builds a new watertight channel inside the old one without cutting it out. On a long run we work a section at a time, so the gutter keeps draining while the rest is relined. Our answer on box gutter leaks and lining weighs the options. Lead gutters call for heavier sheet than a house flashing: Royston Lead lists codes 5 to 8 for parapet and box gutters, and lead can last for over 80 years when it is laid with the right joints. We also check that outlets and downpipes are clear and large enough for the roof area they drain, and that the external gutters, fascias and roof edges are sound.

Clearing box gutters each autumn after leaf fall, and again in spring, is a small maintenance job that protects stock, stores and ceilings below.

A business is not a domestic client under CDM 2015, so the client duties stay with you. Where more than one contractor will work on the project, the client must appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor in writing (regulation 5). Every project needs a construction phase plan, drawn up by the principal contractor or, with a single contractor, by that contractor. Our answer on the principal contractor on a roof project explains who does what.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s55, works that do not materially affect the external appearance of the building are not development. A new roof that changes the look, height or covering may be, so check with Somerset Council's planning team, or Exmoor National Park Authority inside the Park. For Building Regulations, the Planning Portal says no application is normally needed while less than 25 per cent of the building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof is affected, and approval is needed where a new covering adds 15 per cent or more to the weight. Somerset Building Control is on 0300 303 7790.

Roof work is charged at the standard 20% rate, but between businesses registered for VAT and reporting within the Construction Industry Scheme, the domestic reverse charge can apply instead; your accountant confirms which fits your contract.

To start, send us the site address, a rough sketch of the roof areas and your leak log, and we will book a survey around your opening hours.