Zinc Roof Project

Former Sudbury Upper School pupil Edward Carlo is reaching for the sky when it comes to new business.

Edward, 34, owns ELC Roofing based at the Suffolk Business Centre off Newton Road in Sudbury.

His team of six roofers has just completed a roof on a new home near Clare which is not only getting lots of attention from passers-by, but is also drawing interest from the world of architectural design for its usual look and the use of new materials for roofing.

The project was to create a barrel-vaulted roof made of zinc.

“We are under the impression that it is one of the biggest in Suffolk and maybe even East Anglia. We have checked it with our zinc suppliers and they are not aware of a zinc roof that’s bigger in the region,” said Edward.

“There are not many of these shaped roofs in this area and, although zinc roofs are becoming more popular, there are not many zinc installers in Suffolk with the qualifications and skill to carry out this type of project,” he said.

Edward, who has been running his business for nine years and has been a roofer since he was 17, has lots of experience of roofing period and traditional homes. But he believes the lightweight roofing material could be a future trend for the region’s homes.

“I think we might see more zinc being used for roofing in the next 10 years,” he said.