DRY VERGE

The majority of older houses with gable roofs have wet verge roofing. The wall above the area where two verges in a roof meet is called the gable end, and the verge means the outer ends of your roof above the gable end. Mortar was used traditionally to fix these areas of the roof. The benefits of using mortar included preventing water ingress and potential pests (such as birds) from nesting in your roof. Roofs, which use mortar to fix the edges, are called “wet verge” roofs.

Although this has worked well and is fit for purpose, the main issue with these types of roofs is durability.

Mortar will naturally deteriorate over time. This is due to weathering and also natural movements within a building, which lead to the mortar becoming dislodged. This will result in cracks forming in the mortar – and where there are cracks there are potentials for leaks and other issues i.e. pests. Therefore it can lead to the very problems that the mortar is supposed to prevent! Further, having cracks in the mortar of your roofline can also make it look undesirable.

As a result of these issues mortar has to be regularly maintained. One such way of maintaining it is called repointing. However, in order to do so is not a simple task as you will often require scaffolding to be erected in order for you to access the problem areas on your roof – which can be costly.

As there is no way to stop mortar from deteriorating, the cost of maintaining your roof further down the line is inevitable.

Luckily, there is another solution for preventing water ingress and pests from affecting your roofing. ‘Dry Fixing’ is a roofing option which is growing in popularity due to its ability to prevent weather and pest issues from affecting your roof – and no mortar is required.

Dry verge roofing is an effective and more durable alternative to wet verge roofing. Rather than using mortar, interlocking caps are used which fit over the edge of roof tiles.

The caps themselves are often made out of plastic which has its own advantages. Firstly, the material is very durable and should last you atleast 10 years. Another advantage includes the lack of maintenance required – unlike mortar there is very little (and in some cases no) maintenance required for dry verge roofing. Therefore not only do you not need to worry about leaks and birds nesting in your roof,  you will not have to worry about any weathering and costs associated with fixing the mortar!

There are also the aesthetic advantages. As the plastic is durable, your roof will also look in better condition for a longer amount of time. Although some may argue that traditional roofs are more visually appealing, this is not the case as the plastic used in dry verge roofing offers a clean and lasting finish.  It is also worth noting that dry verge roofing is becoming very popular and new homes are adopting this system, therefore the number of houses with this type of roofing is also increasing meaning your roof will look odd. 

As well as offering similar (if not better) protection than wet verge roofing, dry verge roofing also has other advantages which are not found in roofs which use mortar. Due to the way that they are fitted, air is able to enter which provides natural ventilation. This ventilation ensures that elements do not damage your roof.

Therefore, if you have a wet verge roof and notice your mortar looking worn and in need of updating, rather than spending money on repointing which can be expensive and will only last a few years, you should consider dry verge roofing.