A seemingly overlooked home improvement project is replacing roofline products made of timber with low maintenance, long lasting alternatives made from UPVC that look a lot nicer, last longer and can increase considerably the value of the property.

Protecting your home from the elements, roofline is an important part of any roof with each part of it working together to secure and protect the property. The components which consist of fascias, gutters, soffits, dry verge and drainpipes have their own job to do, some properties will only have a few of these components while others will have them all.

Firstly let’s look at guttering and drainpipes, roofline components that most of us are familiar with, the guttering is there to catch the water when it rains and the drainpipe is used to expel it into the nearby drain. Many of the older properties can be seen to still have gutters made from wood and cast iron drainpipes, wooden gutters will usually leak due to the wood rotting because of the constant subjection to water, and the cast iron drainpipes will crack which then causes water to spill out and eventually cause damp on the interior walls of your home. Nowadays most homeowners are replacing these items with a stronger, more durable UPVC alternative. UPVC products are very low maintenance compared to the wooden and cast iron products and simply require a quick wipe or hosing down every so often. They will also not put any strain on your roof or wall as they are extremely lightweight.

Fascias and Soffits actually come as one component, one cannot be replaced without the other. The Fascia is the area where the gutter attaches to the roofline, and the Soffit runs horizontally back towards your wall underneath. Up until recently these components were made of wood. The difference with the UPVC versions is that they come with vents to ventilate your loft, this can dramatically reduce dry rot, condensation, and allows your roof to breath. This along with the longer lasting, nicer looking, easier to clean and maintain and the possibility of adding value to your property makes UPVC components a very popular home improvement choice.

The last component of roofline is the dry verve, not all roofs have or need a dry verge, only houses with nothing attached to the side such as detached, semi-detached, and end terrace houses have a dry verge as it forms part of the roof on the side, it travels from the guttering to the apex. The dry verge is where the bricks meet the tiles and used to be filled with mortar which did indeed make the property look unsightly and was in constant need of replacement. Now though with the UPVC alternative the dry verge is made up of a plastic cap that finishes off any roof to a high standard.

To summarise, you should not be overlooking your roofline and in comparison to other possible improvements this one isn’t that expensive. So whether you’re planning on selling up or making plans for your future, you should have your roofline replacement high up on the list of projects, if your roofline is already showing signs of wear or is leaking then why consider repairing it when it can be replaced just as easily.

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This article was contributed by Michael Adams of Employment Law Answered. Michael has been working in employment law for many years. Michael also consults for a local roofline company called Affordable Roofline whom specialise in replacement upvc roofline. For more information on either subject please visit the appropriate website.