# Forum Home Renovation Roofing  Sarking required

## mcmurphy

I am replacing the roof sheets and would like to know if sarking is an absolute must. 
The roof pitch is 27 degrees and I have been advised that over 15 degrees it is not required. 
Can anyone confirm this please. 
Thanks

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## woodbe

Sarking is there to control two things: Moisture and radiant heat. 
Even if moisture is a non-issue on a 27 degree pitch, you still need the radiant heat protection. 
woodbe.

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## Bloss

:What he said:  the primary reason IMO is the thermal protection, but it also stops condensation. Cost is trivial so why not?

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## Terrian

> the primary reason IMO is the thermal protection, but it also stops condensation. Cost is trivial so why not?

  trivial? 
We are in the process of getting quotes to do our roof, one quote was $10,600 until I said I wanted blanket rather than plain sisalation, he tried very hard to get me to change my mind, then added just over $2k to the quote, bear in mind that there is just under $1k of materiel  :Frown:  
3 quotes so far, $15.6k, $12.8k & $8k (he has only seen the plans)
far too much difference between the prices. 
BTW, we have priced the materials at just under $5k, roofer say 3 to 4 days to do the job, I figure around $5k for the labour to be a reasonable price, $10k I figure is excessive.

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## president_ltd

i've been retrofitting sarking to the bottom of the rafters in the roof (cement tiles), roof pitch approx. 30 degrees as a guess. 
total bastard job to do particularly when the truss is a "fink" type design. 
depending on size of house, i'd say very much labour intensive task.
i've spent at least 15 hours in the roof, have maybe done 30% of it, although i've done the hardest parts with minimal space (just enough to crawl - thats it - not stand).  
how someone could quote based on a plan - no idea.
you really don't know what you're up against until you see half the time.

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## cherub65

[quote]  

> trivial?
> 3 quotes so far, $15.6k, $12.8k & $8k (he has only seen the plans)
> far too much difference between the prices.

  
Are they all quoting on same materials, gauge of steel, thickness of blanket 
Also check out some previous jobs your going to have it for min 20 yrs and its easy to spot quality as opposed to crap jobs

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## Bloss

Sarking I usually use mean plain foil - not blanket. For a new roof the job is standard and takes little extra time - and since you are removing the roofing material that will be the same type of work so in the overall cost that extra for foil only is small if not 'trivial'. 
Laying the blanket is not much extra labour, but the cost of the blanket is much more than plain foil. Not sure why you would specify blanket if you access to the ceiling space for batts. Sisalation type foil under the new roof and batts on the ceiling gives good thermal performance. 
Those quotes vary a lot - no reason why doing off the plans should be any different or incorrect unless the plans do not show something materially relevant to the work to be done. 
In a busy time when there is plenty of work high quotes is a common way to manage load - if you don't really need or want the job you quote high. If you get the job then it is sufficiently profitable that you do the work, but most times someone else gets it.

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## barney118

Re roofed my own house last year 170m2, used medium foil builders blanket cost was $100 roll for 20m rolls. Work involved easy to lay it down hammer a few clips in place (timber battens) would be a bit harder if using steel battens need specialised magnets i believe. But the end result was a happier home that deflected heaps of radiant heat, temperture inside the house dropped easy 10 deg in summer. Winter heaps warmer pays itself off really quick.

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