Roof Maker: Copper Roof Extension - Wickham Market

A unique copper roof twist was brought to this 1805 residential end of terrace in the Wickham Market area. The character property sits on a large plot overlooking the River Deben, within a conservation area. As such, the design of the extension also needed to delicately respect the other character properties in the area.

The copper roof successfully introduced a quirky, modern touch to the otherwise traditional design. Whilst certainly a costlier option, handmade bricks were used to match the original bricks in the rest of the property. This helped to maintain the overall character feel.

Homeowner Paul both designed and built the property with the help of his partner. From start to completion, the timescale for the extension was two and a half years – an impressive feat given both of them were also working full-time.

Every aspect of the self-build extension was carried out by the homeowners. “I wanted to use the best materials I could get. From from the handmade bricks to match the originals, the copper roof for its beauty and the roof lantern because it was the best I could buy” shared Paul. Thanks to zero labor costs, the extension was achieved within their ￡35,000 budget.

Maximising daylight and much needed ventilation

Natural light and ventilation was the main challenge of the project. Paul was unable to fit windows to the ground floor kitchen extension as they would have looked through to the neighbour’s garden. After lots of desktop research, he decided that the 2000 x 1000mm Slimline™ slide opening lantern offered the best solution.

“I chose the Slimline™ rooflight because it was the only lantern I could find that opened and didn’t need an ugly prop, which would have ruined the look of the roof. I also liked the very narrow frame which is nearly invisible”.

Paul wanted the flexibility of being able to open the roof lantern in the summer or whilst cooking to help maintain a comfortable temperature in the kitchen. The quality of the components, such as the remote control opening vent and the free rain sensor, also drew him to the Slimline™ lantern. Paul and his partner decided to install the lantern themselves. They found it a breeze with the help of the fitting guide and installation video on Youtube.

“The roof lantern is a real showpiece. It looks amazing from the inside and stunning from above. Thermally it is also great, the room does not get too warm. When you cook, you can use the remote control to open the rooflight and feel the hot air simply vanish!”