Take advantage of necessary roof repair work to incorporate important improvements to the roof structure. The chances are that, since your house was built many years ago, a number of changes to the interior of the building have been made, and the way in which the occupants live in the house.

For example new draft-proof windows and doors may have been fitted; the house will most likely have had a new bathroom and shower fitted; there will be a washing machine in regular use. All these things increase the amount of water vapour in the house. Even central heating changes the environment because warm air holds more water vapour.

All this moisture laden warm air rises through the house into the roof space where it can cause the structural timbers to become rotten. As people strive to retain heat in the house by draft-proofing and increasing thermal insulation more water vapour is trapped. This can cause mould growth on the walls and structural damage as the moisture soaks into plaster and woodwork.

Misplacing thermal insulation is another cause of moisture damage. If moisture from the living areas soaks into the insulation it becomes less efficient at retaining heat.

The answer to all these problems is the correct use of thermal insulation in the roof space and to establish controlled ventilation.

There are several ways to achieve this aim: installation of vented soffits, use of vented tiles, and the installation of mechanically fixed ridge and hip tile systems that include provision for ventilation.

When you are looking to hire a roofing contractor make sure you choose a company that understands the technicalities of roof construction. An incompetent repair can cause a lot of damage.