New Roofs in Sawston - Aftercare and Maintenance to Protect Your Investment

Expert New Roofs
in Sawston

A New Roof Is Not Maintenance-Free

A new roof, installed correctly with the right materials, should give decades of sound performance. But even a good roof needs occasional attention. The problems that shorten a roof's life are rarely dramatic failures - they tend to be small things, left unnoticed for a season or two, that quietly cause more and more damage. Moss builds up and lifts tiles. A blocked valley gutter backs up and soaks the underlay. A cracked ridge piece lets water into the mortar bed. None of these is expensive to fix early; all of them become expensive if they are left.

This page covers what to look out for, what you can safely do yourself, and what needs a roofer. It also covers what a new roof in Sawston involves, so you know what a good installation looks like from the start.

What a New Roof in Sawston Involves

Whether it is a full house re-roof or a new covering on a flat extension, the process starts with a complete strip. The old tiles, slates or membrane come off, down to the timber structure. Each rafter, purlin, wall plate and ridge board is checked for rot, insect damage and structural movement. Timber that has softened or cracked is replaced at this stage - doing it after new tiles are on is a major disruption and cost that is entirely avoidable if the structure is assessed properly during the strip.

New breathable underlay is then laid over the rafters, lapped correctly at horizontal joints and taken down to the eaves so any water that gets past the tiles is directed into the guttering. Treated battens are fixed at the correct gauge for the tile or slate being used. Flashings at chimneys, abutments and valley junctions are cut and dressed in lead before the covering goes around them. The tiles or slates are mechanically fixed - nailed, clipped, or both, depending on pitch and local exposure.

We install clay plain tiles, concrete interlocking tiles and natural slate on pitched roofs, and EPDM rubber membrane and traditional felt on flat sections. The material choice depends on the pitch of your roof, the age and character of the property, and any planning conditions that apply in the Sawston area.

The First Year After a New Roof: What to Expect

In the months after a new roof is installed, a small amount of settlement is normal. Ridge mortar may show hairline cracks as it cures; this is usually cosmetic and easy to point up. On a dry-ridge system, the caps should not move at all. Occasionally a tile or slate clip needs re-seating if the batten dried unevenly after fitting. None of this reflects poor workmanship in itself, but anything more significant - a slipped tile, a lifted flashing, any sign of water inside the loft - should be reported and inspected promptly.

After the first winter, walk around the outside of the house and look at the roof from ground level. You are checking for obvious things: displaced tiles or slates, mortar that has fallen out of the ridge, lead flashings that have lifted at an edge. Binoculars help. You do not need to go on the roof yourself and should not try to unless you have the right equipment and experience.

Routine Checks Every Homeowner Can Do

Most of what a homeowner can do to protect a roof is at ground level or from inside the loft, rather than on the roof itself.

• Check the loft after heavy rain. Look for damp patches on the rafters or underlay, drips, or damp insulation. Catching a small leak early prevents it from travelling down into the ceiling plaster below.
• Keep gutters clear. Blocked gutters cause water to back up under the eaves tiles and soak the fascia, rafter feet and the top of the wall. This is one of the most common causes of premature rot in roof timbers. Clear gutters in autumn after leaves have fallen, and check the downpipes are free-running.
• Look at the valleys and flat sections after storms. Valleys concentrate the water from two slopes into one channel; they are the first place to block with debris. A blocked valley overflows onto the roof beneath and soaks through. Flat roof sections collect leaves and debris at the outlet and can pond if the drain blocks.
• Check the condition of pointing around the chimney and ridge from ground level. Cracked or missing mortar here lets water in at the most vulnerable junctions on the roof. It is visible with binoculars and cheap to repair if caught before it causes structural damage.
• Notice any new moss or lichen growth. A small amount of moss on a north-facing slope is normal. Thick, established moss lifts the front edges of tiles and slates and holds moisture against the surface. Left for years, it shortens tile life and can work into the batten layer.

Moss and Algae: What to Do About It

Moss treatment is a subject with a lot of conflicting advice. Pressure washing a tiled roof is not recommended - it forces water under tiles, erodes the tile surface and can dislodge fixings. Scraping moss off by hand while on the roof dislodges tiles and is a safety risk without proper staging.

The practical approach is a biocide treatment applied from a low-pressure sprayer. This kills the moss and algae without disturbing the tiles. The dead moss then breaks away over several months of rain and wind rather than all at once. Some moss treatments also leave a residue that slows re-growth. Zinc or copper strip fixed near the ridge also suppresses moss growth over time as rainwater washes trace amounts of metal down the slope - a long-established and effective method.

Biocide treatments are available from roofing suppliers for DIY application, but they require safe access - typically extending ladders or a scaffold platform at the eaves. For most two-storey houses, this is a job to pass to a roofer.

Flat Roof Aftercare

Flat roofs need slightly different attention. An EPDM membrane, if properly installed and fully bonded, is resistant to standing water and does not need the same level of maintenance as an aged felt roof. But the outlet and edges still need checking.

• Clear the roof outlet or drain each autumn. A blocked drain on a flat roof causes water to pond and the level to rise until it finds a way past the upstand or through a lap.
• Check the edge trim and any upstands at walls and parapets annually. These are the points where water most commonly finds a way in on a flat roof, and they are easy to inspect from a ladder or a safe position at the edge.
• Look at the surface after any period of frost. EPDM handles frost well, but older felt surfaces can crack after sustained cold if they have already degraded.

How Often to Have a Roofer Look at the Roof

A visual check by a roofer every three to five years is a reasonable interval for a roof that is performing well and showing no signs of problems. After any significant storm - extended wind, hail or the kind of event that brings branches down - it is worth having a look sooner rather than waiting for the next scheduled check.

On older roofs approaching 25 to 30 years of age, an annual check is sensible even if nothing obvious has gone wrong. The materials are reaching the end of their expected life and small faults develop more quickly at that stage. Catching them early still costs much less than a ceiling soaked by a slow-developing leak.

Moss, Valleys and Gutters: The Triad of Avoidable Problems

The three most common causes of premature roofing problems on otherwise sound roofs are all maintenance-related: moss left to establish for years, valley gutters left to block and overflow, and eaves gutters left blocked until the fascia rots. None of them results from a failed installation. All of them are entirely preventable with straightforward annual attention.

A roof that is kept clear, inspected periodically and has small faults repaired promptly will reach its expected lifespan. One that is left entirely unattended from one decade to the next almost never does.

Covering Sawston and the Surrounding Area

Cambridge Roofers works across Sawston and the wider area, including Cambridge, Saffron Walden, Royston and nearby villages. If you want a roof survey - whether you have just had a new roof installed and want peace of mind, or you have not looked at the roof in several years and want to know what condition it is in - call us to arrange one. We will give you an honest assessment and, where work is needed, a clear written quote for the job.