Cambridge Roofers carries out roof repairs across Potton and the surrounding villages, fixing leaks, broken tiles, failed flashings and repointed ridges.
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Most homeowners only see the problem from the inside: a damp patch on the ceiling, a stain spreading across plasterwork, or a tile they spotted from the garden. What happens between that first phone call and a dry, sound roof again is worth understanding, so you know what a proper job looks like and what questions to ask whoever you hire.
This page walks through a roof repair from first inspection to final clear-up. We cover the most common faults, how each one is diagnosed, what the work itself involves, and what you should expect to be left with at the end.
Before anyone goes on your roof, a roofer should spend time looking at it from the ground. Binoculars help. This first pass often reveals slipped or missing tiles, damaged ridge tiles, cracked mortar, vegetation growing from a valley or gutter, and visible sagging. None of those things can be properly assessed without getting closer, but the ground check sets priorities and confirms whether access equipment will be needed.
Be cautious of anyone who quotes a price before setting foot on or near your roof. A number produced from a pavement glance is little more than a guess, and it tends to grow once the actual condition is seen.
For most two-storey houses, a good-quality extension ladder is enough to reach the eaves and carry out a thorough inspection of the main slope. Taller properties, hipped roofs or jobs where a roofer needs to walk the roof safely may require scaffolding or a tower. Access equipment is a cost worth accepting - it allows a proper inspection and safer, more accurate work.
On the roof, a roofer should be checking several things at once: the condition of individual tiles or slates (cracks, delamination, slippage, missing nibs or clips), the mortar on the ridge and hips, the state of any lead or other flashings at chimney bases, abutments and valleys, the condition of the felt or underlay visible at the eaves, and whether any gutters or soffits are contributing to damp getting in.
A good inspection also involves going into the loft space when there is access. Daylight visible through the roof, stained rafters, wet or compressed insulation, and rusted nail heads all tell a story that the outside view can miss entirely.
Water rarely enters and drips straight through to the ceiling below. It tends to travel along rafters, run across the felt, pool where the felt sags, and then drip somewhere completely unrelated to where the fault actually is. Diagnosing a roof leak properly takes time and some lateral thinking.
A common problem is a cracked or slipped tile that lets rain in, but the ceiling stain appears two metres away because the water has run along a rafter before dropping. Another frequent source of confusion is a chimney flashing that has lifted slightly at one corner: water gets behind it, wicks into the brickwork, and eventually shows as damp inside a chimney breast - which some homeowners initially put down to condensation or a damp-proof course problem.
Pointing out the likely source of a leak, and being honest when more than one source is possible, is part of what a thorough inspection delivers. If a roofer cannot identify the source with confidence, they should tell you that, rather than guess and charge you for a repair that may not solve the problem.
Once the cause is identified, you should be told clearly what needs doing and why. There are broadly three approaches: targeted repair of the specific fault; a wider repair of the affected area if surrounding materials are borderline; or a full re-roof if the roof as a whole has reached the end of its serviceable life.
A targeted fix is often the right answer. If three tiles have slipped because their nibs cracked and the rest of the roof is sound, replacing those three tiles is all that is needed. Recommending a full re-roof in that situation is not honest advice. On the other hand, if a roof is 40 years old, the felt is perished, dozens of slates are delaminating, and the ridge mortar is crumbling along its entire length, a series of patch repairs will cost more over the next five years than a re-roof would cost now.
Ask for a clear explanation of what is being proposed, why, and what will happen if only part of the work is done. You are entitled to that information before you decide anything.
The actual repair varies significantly depending on the fault. Here is what each common repair typically involves:
Tiles are lifted from the surrounding courses using a tool called a slate ripper or by carefully disturbing the course above. The broken tile is removed and a matching replacement is sourced. Getting a close match matters on older roofs: handmade clay tiles, natural Welsh slate, and reclaimed materials each have their own dimensions and weathering characteristics that affect how well a patch blends in and whether water is shed properly at the joints.
Slipped slates usually mean that the copper or aluminium nail or clip holding them has corroded or the slate itself has cracked around the nail hole. The slate may be undamaged and can sometimes be re-fixed with a lead clip if it is otherwise sound. If the slate is cracked or delaminating, it needs replacing.
Ridge tiles sit at the apex of the roof and are traditionally bedded and pointed in mortar. That mortar cracks over time as the roof moves slightly with temperature changes and as frost gets into any hairline gaps. When ridge mortar fails, water gets under the ridge tiles, wets the felt and the top of the rafters, and can eventually blow individual ridge tiles off in strong wind.
Repointing involves raking out the failed mortar, cleaning the surfaces, and re-bedding the ridge tiles in fresh mortar or, in some cases, using a dry-fix mechanical system that eliminates the need for mortar altogether. Dry-fix ridge systems are more durable in exposed positions because there is nothing to crack or wash out, though they are not always suitable for older or listed properties.
A correctly repointed ridge should have mortar that is slightly angled to shed water, with no gaps at the joints and no mortar bridging gaps where it should not. Run your eye along a newly repointed ridge: it should look even and tight.
Flashings are the metal - usually lead, occasionally zinc or an aluminium-based system - that seals the joint between the roof covering and a vertical surface such as a chimney, a party wall, a dormer or a soil pipe. Lead is the most forgiving material for this work because it can be dressed (shaped by hand) to follow curves and uneven surfaces. It also expands and contracts with temperature without cracking, provided it has been fitted with enough freedom of movement built in.
Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of persistent leaks. The mortar pointing that holds the top edge of the flashing into a mortar joint in the brickwork often fails before the lead itself does. Repointing that joint, cleaning the lead, and re-dressing any sections that have lifted or pulled away is often enough to solve the problem without replacing the lead at all.
Where lead has cracked, pulled apart at a joint, or simply corroded through, it needs replacing. New lead is cut, dressed and stepped into the mortar joints in sections, with each section overlapping the next to ensure water is shed outwards. The exposed top edge is pointed with a mortar or sealant appropriate for the joint type.
Valleys are the internal angles where two roof slopes meet. They can be lined with lead, mortar-bedded with cut tiles (a closed cut valley), or covered with a purpose-made valley trough tile. Each type fails differently. Lead valleys crack or lift at the edges. Mortar in a cut valley eventually fails and lets water sit rather than drain. Valley trough tiles crack or slip.
A valley repair typically means clearing the area, removing failed materials, treating or replacing any wet underlay beneath, and relining or re-tiling the valley. Valleys handle a concentrated flow of water from two slopes so they are not somewhere to do a minimal fix - the repair needs to be thorough.
Good roofers protect the area below the work. Tiles and debris should not simply be pushed off the edge of a roof. If you have a conservatory, a car, a garden or anything else below the working area, ask how the site will be managed before work starts. A tarpaulin or catch bag on the scaffold, or controlled lowering of materials, is standard practice.
Materials brought to the job - replacement tiles, lead, mortar, fixings - should be what was specified. If a roofer says they will use matching clay tiles and turns up with concrete ones, that is worth raising before they start.
Before a roofer packs up, walk around the property with them. Look at the repair from the ground. Check that ridge pointing is even, that replaced tiles sit flush and are not proud of the surrounding course, and that any lead work is dressed flat and properly pointed at the edges. Ask whether the gutters have been cleared of debris that fell during the work.
If there is loft access, check the underside of the repair area before the roofer leaves. No daylight should be visible, and any previously damp timber should be noted - it may need monitoring even after the repair is sound.
The site should be left as it was found, minus the roofing fault. Broken tiles and off-cuts of lead are not materials you should have to dispose of yourself. Any scaffolding or tower should be taken down and removed the same day in most cases, or within a day or two if it was erected separately.
Prices for individual repairs vary considerably depending on the scope. Replacing two or three slipped tiles on a standard two-storey house typically costs in the region of £150-£350. Repointing a ridge on a semi-detached property is usually £200-£500 depending on length. Lead flashing repairs around a chimney stack range from around £250 to £600 or more for a full replacement, depending on the size and condition of the stack. These are indicative figures - the only reliable price is one given after a proper inspection.
Cambridge Roofers carries out roof repairs in Potton and across the surrounding area, including nearby villages and towns such as Royston. If you need a repair assessed, call us to arrange a proper inspection before any work is agreed. We will tell you what we find, what we think needs doing, and what the alternative options are.
If you are unsure whether your problem needs urgent attention or can wait, call us and describe what you are seeing. We can often give useful guidance on the phone before a visit is arranged.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
