Most of us are aware of the importance of felt, tiles and many exterior roofing materials, but we tend to overlook the vital role rafters and joists play in the structure of our roof. Roof rafters and joists are made up of wood that is nailed, pegged or bolted together to create a structurally interdependent shape that offers great strength. Unfortunately, wood can be prone to water damage, so even a minor leak in your roof can compromise the structural integrity of your joists and rafters over time. Here we’ll explore roof rafter and joist replacement in more detail to help you determine if it is needed for your home.
The biggest enemy of any roof structures is water and rafters or joists are no exception. Water leaks can cause penetrating damp even in treated timbers. Even if your rafters and joists have been treated, the wood is unlikely to have been treated the entire way through its thickness. If your rafters sit on or in the walls, they will be even more susceptible to penetrating damp.
Another enemy of rafters and joists is rot or insect attack. These issues are typically associated with damp and can be problematic in older properties where no cavity walls or thick, solid walls support the bearing ends of your rafters. Rot and insects such as woodworm can cause the wood to start to crumble. The initial signs of woodworm are small holes on the surface of the wood, but eventually, the wood dries out, and the nutrients are drained, compromising the structural integrity of the rafter or joist.
Unfortunately, woodworm, or more precisely the adult beetles who spawn the woodworm larvae can migrate between May and October to find a fresh food source and new breeding ground.
Finally, your rafters and joists may be compromised by joint failure. Most modern roof structures use “nail plates,” which are plates fixed with screws, nails, and glue, but older timbers may be connected with wooden pegs or Mortise and Tenon joints, which can be eaten away by insects. This can allow the beams to move, which opens up the joint to further damage.
Before any repairs are performed, it is vital that the cause of the damage has been identified and corrected. Since the rafters and joists are bearing the weight of the roof, replacement can be a big job. If a single rafter needs to be replaced, it may be possible for it to be replaced in situ. However, in a worst case scenario, the roof may need to come off to provide suitable access for the removal and replacement.
If you suspect that your rafters or joists have been damaged, you can rely on us. Our recommended experts will examine your rafters and joists to determine if an internal removal and replacement is possible or if you will need more extensive work and discuss all the options with you, so you can make an informed decision.
Really pleased with the work done by Ashley and his team. Reliable and always quick to reply to queries. He was also able to fit in the job around my work schedule which was much appreciated. We had a bay window roof replaced and an outhouse chimney removed. Really smart work. Ashley came to check all the work before invoicing and we paid what was quoted. Thanks!
Hannah Alice
Great service provided by Ashley and the team. Quote provided promptly and always happy to answer any queries I had. Work completed on time and to a high standard and even provided advice on other works that should take place but with no pressure to do so. Reasonably priced and will definitely use again for any future roof works 10/10.
Anthony Orrell
Excellent service, really nice lads, they did a great job at reasonable price and left the area cleaner than before they had started! Even fixed my gutter. Would definitely recommend them
Kirsty Sanderson
He did a very good job, was on time and was very accommodating.
Hebden Bridge
Reliable, courteous, friendly and professional.
Rossendale
The work was completed on the date which was agreed. No additional charges were added. The workmen did remove all their debris and Ashley was a lovely gentleman to deal with from start to finish. Great service and will be using them again if we have anymore issues!
Rossendale
Ashley was very professional, coming out to quote almost straight away. We had a couple of other quotes previously and Ashley was honest and very competitively priced. He came recommended by a friend. I couldn't recommend him enough. Will definitely use again.
Rossendale
I appreciated the care given to the job and excellent communication throughout. This is a company I will happily go back to for any other work.
Hebden Bridge
Called Ashley with regards to a leak that had just started, he came round the next day, spotted that we had a few tiles out of position and quickly fixed the problem.
Burnley
Quotation was received very quickly. The gentleman attended not long after I reported the issue. Very professional emailed quotation including pictures of the issues. Work completed in a timely manor, would definitely use this company again
Rossendale
Super job to fix the problem - Ashley got us out of a real issue during all the recent foul weather - evening working a Sunday to help us. Couldn’t have given us better service! Totally committed flexible and super dependable! Awesome!
Bury
We recently had some roofing repairs carried out by Ahsley and his team. I would not hesitate to recommend Ashely and his team, they were professional, courteous, cleaned up and the workmanship was excellent. All his quotations are completed on line which is a great help as it highlights what they are actually going to do....others just give you a verbal quote without backing this up. dont hesitate to use this company excellent 10 out of 10 for all aspects of the service provided
Bury
The work conducted was completed in good time with a good professional manner observed. The areas were left in a clean state at the end of each day and communication on progress was fantastic. I cannot recommend these guys enough on the scale of the operation involved. Friendly, professional, clean and courteous. Even after the work was done we had a storm and they came to inspect that all was well and it was thankfully. Also recalled them for another small job to replace asbestos roof on a garage.
Rossendale
The work conducted was completed in good time with a good professional manner observed. The areas were left in a clean state at the end of each day and communication on progress was fantastic. I cannot recommend these guys enough on the scale of the operation involved. Friendly, professional, clean and courteous. Even after the work was done we had a storm and they came to inspect that all was well and it was thankfully. Also recalled them for another small job to replace asbestos roof on a garage.
Burnley
Great job polite lads clean and tidy finish and scaffold removed promptly even pointed my chimney cowling very happy with this service and would highly recommend
Rossendale
Ashley came out swiftly and was able to show me the condition of the chimney's pointing and identify the issue with a leak that had occurred due to a problem with the flashing via the use of a drone. From this point, the work was completed on budget and to a high standard in a quick timeframe to ensure that the leak did not continue to damage the ceiling in the properties main bedroom. The property was left clean and tidy and Ashley was incredibly professional and efficient throughout the job. I would highly recommend Lancashire Roofing and Pointing Ltd.
Rossendale
Couldn’t be more pleased with my new roof. Love the work they have done and the two young lads seem to have some amazing experience under their belts. They are polite and extremely professional and quick at doing a really grand job. Could definitely recommend them to anyone.
Bacup
I would highly recommend this company. All the work was carried out professionally from start to finish. The staff were friendly and kept me up to date with everything throughout. Flawless.
Rossendale
Excellent company, repointed chimney after a leak was discovered. Quoted job day after I enquired and came to complete the work on the first good weather day that came. Guys who attended were polite and did great work!
Bacup
Gary got in touch and came out for an initial quote. He was extremely professional and really helpful. Have booked him in to do our repair this week.
Hilary Young
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