Building Control and Sustainability FAQ's

If you are re-roofing the whole property, or more than a quarter of the roof area, then you will need to submit a Building Regulations application form to your local authority. This is so an appointed building inspector can check various key areas of work including ventilation and loft insulation thickness.

For those people requiring a Building Regulations application, there is now a government backed scheme called Competent Roofer, which is run by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Roofers who are registered under the scheme are now able to bypass the local authority and can sign off their own work as meeting the current Building Regulations. You can locate your nearest competent roofer by using our Find a Contractor facility which identifies those who are currently members.

Marley has the largest range of clay tiles in the UK, available in a variety of colours in single camber, double camber and hand crafted. This means that regardless of the planning constraints, we almost certainly have a solution.

Without doubt an increasing number of people are looking to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable through the use of environmentally friendly products. Marley is more than conscious of this trend and has made a concerted effort to put the company at the forefront of sustainability within the industry.

All of our roofing products can achieve and A+ rating (lowest environmental impact) in the BRE Green Guide to Specification and are certified under the BES 6001 standard for responsible sourcing. These standards not only demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, but can contribute extra credits under the BRE’s family of environmental assessment schemes.

More recently Marley have pioneered the ‘active’ tile and launched EcoLogic an innovative roof tile made from 50% recycled materials with a unique coating which absorbs harmful pollutants from the atmosphere.

You do not normally need to apply for planning permission to re-roof your house or to insert roof lights or skylights as the permitted development rules allow for roof alterations subject to the following limits and conditions:

Any alteration to project no more than 150 millimetres from the existing roof plane. No alteration to be higher than the highest part of the roof. Side facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor. The permitted development regime for solar panels has different limits on projections and in relation to protected areas.

The only exception to this relates to houses classed as being within a conservation area or world heritage site, where there will be strict guidelines on what can or cannot be used.

Ridge and hip tiles being displaced in high winds is a very common issue and relates specifically to use of mortar to bed them. Although mortar is a traditional method of bedding , it has proven itself to be ineffective against issues such as:

Poor mortar mix (including wrong mix proportions) causing weakness Building movement which causes the mortar to crack Environmental conditions such as driving rain and wind that erode and dislodge the ridge from its bedding.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to retrospectively reinforce ridge and hip tiles that are already bedded. If you have had some ridges or hips dislodge then it may be sensible to have them all replaced using a dry ridge or hip system. Not only are these systems mortar and maintenance free, but they provide sufficient high level ventilation to meet building regulations.

As is the case when choosing any tradesman, there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration. These are:

Quality Detail Evidence of previous work Referrals

Remember, cheapest is not always the best. It’s always important to get more than one quote and compare the detail to ensure that the contractors are pricing to undertake the same level of work.