£24 billion could be wasted on roofs as homeowners aren’t insured for roof damage

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 wrong with your roof and how to get it fixed – it’s the one-stop-shop for looking after your roof.

MyRedlandRoof.co.uk has produced a free downloadable guide which enables homeowners to check the state of their roof. To download your free copy visit www.myredlandroof.co.uk

-    ENDS -

Notes to editors
•    According to Redland an average new roof costs £5,000. If 4.8 million homes require a new roof (according to CLG’s English Housing Survey) the total bill for UK consumers would be 24 billion pounds.
•    Roofing repair figures were taken from The Communities and Local Government’s English Housing Survey, the housing stock report for 2008.
•    Consumer survey findings were taken from The Roofing Report, a survey of 1002 homeowners from the UK during May 2011, carried out by Consumer Analysis Group Ltd, commissioned by Redland.

For more information and images contact:
Jessica Gill or Joanne Merriweather at Ridgemount PR
Tel: 020 8943 9349
Email: jessica.gill@ridgemountpr.co.uk or joanne@ridgemountpr.co.uk

MyRedlandRoof.co.uk is a newly launched website offering roofing information and advice for anyone looking to carry out a home renovation, extension or self-build project.   
Myredlandroof.co.uk is owned by Redland, the UK’s leading roofing materials manufacturer. For over 90 years, Redland has provided specialist roofing services for professionals and supplies roofing material for all house types. Redland own seven factories around Britain, a dedicated technical centre and have access to the most advanced product testing facilities in Europe.
Redland is the UK brand of the worldwide Monier Group. With operations in 42 countries and over 150 production sites, Monier is the leading worldwide supplier of pitched roofing materials.