Roof renovation in Auderghem

What does a roof renovation involve?

Renovating a roof means stripping the old covering down to the structure, checking the state of the battens and decking, and fitting a new covering. Depending on the state of the structure, it's sometimes necessary to treat or replace structural elements, fit a new underlay, and redo the zinc work: valleys, verges, ridge, chimney junctions.

On the houses of Auderghem we mainly work with natural or synthetic slates, concrete or terracotta tiles, zinc and, on extensions or flat roofs, EPDM membranes. Each material has its constraints, its price and its lifespan. We explain the options before starting.

A complete renovation is also the right moment to improve insulation: while the roof is open, the extra cost of external insulation or a new underlay is far lower than doing the work in two separate projects.

When should you consider a roof renovation?

A roof doesn't collapse overnight. It gives signs. These are the situations indicating that a one-off repair won't be enough for much longer:

• Repeated repairs on the same areas for 2-3 years, without the problem really going away
• The roof is 30 to 40 years old or more and has never been redone
• You see slates or tiles shifting all over, not just in one precise spot
• The battens or the structure have taken on moisture over a large area
• You lose heat in winter despite the heating, and the insulation is old or absent

Why it happens: what wears a roof out over time

A covering lasts between 25 and 50 years depending on materials and maintenance. In Auderghem, two factors accelerate wear more than elsewhere: the old townhouses and villas of the 50s-70s often have natural slate roofs whose steel fixing hooks have rusted, and the microclimate near the Sonian Forest encourages moss and lichen that hold moisture against the covering.

The most frequent reasons for a complete renovation:

• Natural slates whose hooks are failing across the whole surface (generalised wear)
• Original concrete tiles, fitted in the 70s-80s, past their lifespan
• A structure weakened by years of untreated water ingress
• A flat bitumen roof that has lost its waterproofing and is blistering

What makes the price of a renovation vary

A roof renovation in Brussels has no fixed price. What changes the cost from one site to another:

• The surface to cover and the complexity of the shape (4 slopes, dormers, chimneys)
• The chosen material: natural slate, synthetic slate, terracotta tile, zinc, EPDM...
• The state of the structure: if it's sound, we re-cover directly; if elements are damaged, they need treating or replacing
• Access: a 4-storey building needs more scaffolding than a low house
• Insulation: if we insulate at the same time, it's one more line item, but one you only pay once

Repair or renovate: how do we decide?

That's the central question, and we don't dodge it. A targeted repair remains the right call as long as the structure is sound and the problems are localised. If you have a 25-year-old roof with two damaged areas, we repair the two areas.

When problems multiply across the whole surface, when the structure has taken on water in places, or when the roof is more than 35-40 years old without major work, the recurring repair costs eventually exceed the cost of a renovation amortised over 30 years. At that point, redoing your roof becomes the economical choice, not the luxury choice.

We do that maths with you, honestly. It's not in our interest to sell you a renovation if two repairs will hold for another ten years.