If there’s one thing that every homeowner needs to know about their roofs, it’s the massive advantage that a dry verge solution brings. Most of us pay our roofs little mind, even though a neglected roof can be thousands of pounds more expensive and may lead to the ruin of an entire house. You can make huge savings by just being aware of best practices for roofs.
What is a verge?
A verge refers to the tiles that face sideways on the gable side of a house. Below these is the upside-down v-shaped structure known as the bargeboard, which is made up of flat strips of material. These tiles cannot be interlocked in the same way as normal tiles. For years mortar was used to secure them in place and seal any gaps which might have allowed insects or rainwater in. However, this “wet verge” solution created its own problems.
What are the issues with a wet verge?
Mortar is not a good fit for securing roof tiles. For one it is too rigid. A roof with the tiles locked in place cannot flex in the face of severe winds. This means that the roof tiles take the brunt of the punishment head-on, and deteriorate relatively quickly. Furthermore, mortar is porous and is therefore extremely vulnerable to weathering. This in turn puts it in consistent need of repair as the years go on. Even worse, the manner in which mortar weathers means that over time the process of erosion actually becomes faster. The cost of replacing tiles and maintaining mortar can become prohibitive once the roof has become old.
What advantages does a dry verge bring?
A dry verge is a very different story. A dry verge system uses a special set of interlocking caps and waterproof unions to be fixed into position without need for mortar.
In this fashion, a dry verge fulfills the same role as the mortar, locking off the edge of the tiles from water and unwelcome insect guests. But it does this in a way that spares the tiles from the weather and the elements. Instead of being locked in place there is some give, allowing the whole tile structure to flex in the face of heavy headwinds, absorbing the damage much better.
It also allows it to respond to thermal expansion better – some materials will expand in the heat much more than others. As this happens cracks will usually form as the materials strain against each other. The flexibility of dry verge allows this to happen without cracking.