Roofs needed to be steep to shed rain and snow quickly to avoid water penetrating the roof.

This page is designed to help homeowners better understand their roofs, the materials used to make them, and how to spot problems quickly, so they can be rectified before they turn into costly and disruptive repairs.

There is a long construction history for roof building, and therefore many specialist names emerged to identify particular elements of roof construction. There is a glossary of roofing terms as part of this advice to help clarify the elements used in the complex, and essential, construction.

Please use the glossary of roofing terms to help you understand the advice provided.

The roofs from different eras need different type of attention. Choose the type of roof you are dealing with from the list below:

• Georgian roofs
• Victorian roofs
• Edwardian roofs