Folks, Can anyone help. I am fitting a fakro loft window, I had a roofer around to get a quote, just to see how much it would cost. Any how, my roof is original welsh slate roof, with no insulation or underfelt between the battans and the tiles. The roofer said that with Welsh slate you can only fit the loft window from out side, due to the lay out of the slates on the roof.
He's talking bo11ocks. Last summer I fitted two of them with Tapco Eco Slates, which are pretty much the same thickness as Welsh slates, and I fitted both from inside. The beauty of Fakro windows is the ease with which you can remove/replace the opening piece, which makes it dead easy for you to poke yourself out of the opening in order to do all the flashing.
I thought as much. He did do the old "umm issue is" you got to do this from outside, which cost more money. £450. Just to fit.
Paul, if you're even vaguely handy, you will manage it without any problems. The fitting instructions are all on line, so have a good read through them to see just how easy it is. Post any questions here if you need any more advice. The most challenging part of the fitting is the cutting of the slates/tiles, so you would need a wet tile saw or an angle grinder with a good disc. You will be getting rid of a few slates anyway, so if you mess up on any of the cuts, you'll have plenty of replacements (which you'll either be storing for a future project that you'll never get around to or getting rid of through Freecycle or Freegle ) To give you a good idea of the size of the project, when I installed my first Fakro, it took me half a day for the framing work, and a day for the fitting/flashing/tiling. Each time I fitted one, I got better and faster. The most recent ones I fitted took me about 5 hours each. If your roofer wants £450 just for the fitting one of them, he's laughing all the way to the bank.
I had help fitting veluxe in my loft conversion. The hardest part is lifting the glass section in place, and really need two strong people to help lift into place. I set out and did the framing beforehand, the felt was cut so I could work out where I could place the rafters. Yes it can be done from inside, if you haven't got any flooring in the loft, get something in temporary until as need a safe platform to work off. Get everything ready as you want to have it in the same day so start early, can you get en extra pair of hands as will make life easy than struggling on your own. Slates are going to be more harder than tiles, lots of videos online showing you how to do the job. You could also get two other quotes from roofer. I am in the process of getting a re-roof done and the quotes vary considerably. £450 may sound a lot but if the jobs done correctly and you get no leaks afterwards it could be money well spent. If you are going to get more done the first one will give you an idea how its done.
I got all the tools, IE disc cutters, slitter discs, power tools, and I'm pretty strong and the floor have all been layed out. I just need to grow a pair of balls. And have a good few days of dry weather. I will keep you informed of my progress. Still trying to learn how to get pics added on with my messages
I was thinking to put a slitter disc between the slate and the batten. I have got no insulation or under felt, so I can see all the nails and battens.
Tou want copper roofing nails for the slates. Slate ripper will make job easy and not expensive. I have a vintage one and forged from one piece. If slates are long you won't be anle to do it without one.
Important thing is to setting out and taking time. You don't want slithers of tiles on one side. Not familiar with fakro, but went for a recessed flashing kit with velux so window sits deeper down in the roof.
where would you say to make the opening with regards to the battens, I have cut the 4th struss long from the chimney breast, and then got a good couple of mm with the width. I have not cut any battens yet is it best to work from the original bottom batten and infill with a new piece of batten for the top section.
Will you be adding more windows at a later stage? and will the loft be converted. You should find on the instructions there is dimension for a standard height fitting. I think its 1100mm of the floor. Is the window top hung or centre pivot? Top hung would be better here. New models are rotatable as well so can clean glass from inside. Put tape on the proposed opening to see if you are happy and that window can be operated with ease. It should be easier that you can actually see the slate joints from inside so can get the opening right without having small off cuts of slates.
You will be able to do the opening woodwork before you start the slating. If the roof battens are one lenght and not joined on the cut rafter. Did the same with mine, and used a flat gorillar bar to prise the battens from the rafter.