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Alex Shepherd Roofing
Roofing service

Velux roof window installation

A roof window turns a dark loft into a usable room, and it’s one of the few jobs on this site people ring about because they want something rather than because something has broken.

We supply and fit Velux roof windows across East Lancashire and Craven, on slate and tile, into new conversions and into existing roofs.

Covering
East Lancashire & Craven
Quotes
Free, no pressure
Ring or text
07840 031508

What we do

  • New roof windows cut into an existing roof
  • Windows fitted as part of a loft conversion
  • Replacing old, draughty or leaking roof windows
  • Replacing failed flashing kits on existing windows
  • Flat roof windows on extensions and dormers

The flashing is the whole job

Anyone can cut a hole in a roof. What separates a roof window that's still dry in fifteen years from one that stains the plasterboard in three is the flashing kit and how it's fitted.

The kit has to match your roof covering. There are different kits for slate, for low-profile tile and for deep-profile tile, and they aren't interchangeable. Fitting a slate kit onto a profiled concrete tile leaves gaps that no amount of mastic will close permanently.

Signs a window was fitted badly:

  • Staining on the plasterboard at the corners of the reveal
  • Damp appearing only in driving rain from one direction
  • Visible mastic or sealant round the outside, which means the flashing wasn't doing its job
  • Draughts, which usually mean the insulation collar was left out

What's involved

  1. 1Checking the rafters.Window sizes are chosen to fit between rafters where possible, because cutting a rafter means forming a structural trimmer around the opening.
  2. 2Setting the height.There are rules of thumb for sill height, and it affects both the view out and whether the window meets escape requirements if the room needs one.
  3. 3Cutting and framingthe opening.
  4. 4Fitting the window and the correct flashing kitfor your covering.
  5. 5Insulation collar and vapour barrier,which is what stops condensation forming round the frame.

Planning and building regulations

Putting a window into an existing roof is usually permitted development, but building regulations still apply to the structural opening, the insulation, and, where the room is a bedroom, to escape.

Converting a loft into a habitable room is a different matter and needs full building control approval.

In a conservation area there may be restrictions on roof windows on a front elevation. It's worth a call to the council's planning department before committing, and we can tell you what's usually accepted locally.

Common questions

The things people ask us

Not if the right flashing kit is used for your covering and it's fitted properly. Almost every leaking roof window we're called to has the wrong kit, or a flashing that was helped along with sealant.

Yes, though it's more involved than on a uniform slate or tile roof. The coursing is irregular, so the detailing round the window needs more care and more time.

Usually a day for a single window in an accessible roof, plus the internal finishing.

Considerably, per window. Most of the cost of the first one is access and setting up. A second window in the same roof on the same day is a much smaller job.

Reviews

What people said about the work

Read the reviews, then ring us and see if we match up.

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