Roof Overcladding & Over-Roofing

Overcladding, also called over-roofing, installs a new metal roof system over the top of your existing roof. Instead of stripping the old covering away, we build a new weathertight, insulated skin above it. For occupied industrial buildings, it is often the most practical way to get a new roof.

How over-roofing works

We fix a new structural support system to the existing purlins or sheets, add insulation to bring the building up to a modern thermal standard, and install a new profiled metal outer sheet over the top. The original roof stays in place, sealed beneath the new one.

Because the building is never opened up, your operation continues underneath throughout. There is no internal exposure to weather and no need to clear out the floor below.

When overcladding is the right choice

Over-roofing makes most sense when:

• The existing roof is leaking or near the end of its life, but the structure is sound
• The building is occupied and downtime is unacceptable
• You want to improve insulation and reduce heating costs
• The existing roof contains asbestos cement and you want to avoid a full, licensed strip-out

That last point matters. Encapsulating a sound asbestos-cement roof beneath a new system can be a safer, lower-cost alternative to removal, though every asbestos roof needs an individual assessment first. We will advise honestly on whether overcladding or replacement is appropriate for your building.

What over-roofing involves on your building

Two things decide whether over-roofing is the right call and how it is built: the insulation you want to gain, and what the existing structure can carry.

Insulation and energy performance

Older industrial roofs are often poorly insulated or not insulated at all. Overcladding is an opportunity to add a proper insulation layer, which can noticeably reduce heating costs and improve conditions for the people working below. We will specify the build-up to suit your building and your goals.

Checking the structure first

Over-roofing adds a new layer, and with it some additional weight and wind load, on top of the existing roof. Before we recommend it we check that the existing purlins, sheets and structure can carry the new system, and we design the support and fixings to suit what is there. Where the original roof is sound this is straightforward; where it is not, the survey tells us early, before any commitment is made.

Get a fixed quote

Send us details of your building and we will survey the existing roof and structure, confirm that overcladding is viable, and give you a fixed-price scope.