Leaks, broken tiles and failed flashings are common reasons to call a roofer in Sawston and the surrounding villages.
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Most roof problems fall into a handful of categories: slipped or broken tiles, cracked or open mortar on the ridge, failed lead or aluminium flashings around chimney stacks and abutments, and flat roof coverings that have split or lifted at the seams. Any one of these can let water into the roof space and, if left, into the ceiling below.
A targeted repair addresses the actual failure point. Replacing a single cracked tile, re-bedding a few loose ridge tiles or stripping and re-dressing a flashing is usually all that is needed. A full re-roof is rarely needed when a repair will do the job.
Tiles slip when the nibs that hook them onto the batten break off or when the fixing nail corrodes away. On older roofs - particularly those with plain clay tiles or concrete interlocking tiles - this is a gradual process that tends to accelerate once two or three tiles have already moved, because wind gets under the surrounding ones.
Ridge tiles are bedded in mortar, and that mortar cracks and shrinks over the years. Once a gap opens, rainwater gets in behind the ridge tile, soaks into the top courses of the main roof and eventually finds its way down through the felt. Repointing ridge tiles is a straightforward job that costs far less than repairing a wet ceiling.
Flashings are the strips of lead or code-metal that seal the joint between the roof slope and a vertical surface - a chimney stack, a parapet wall, a dormer cheek or a neighbouring roof. They fail when the pointing that holds them into the mortar joint falls out, when they crack through frost damage, or when a previous patch repair using mastic or flash-band tape has broken down. Properly re-dressed or replaced lead flashings should remain watertight for many years.
Flat roofs on extensions and outbuildings are a separate category. A traditional built-up felt roof has a finite life, and once the surface starts to show bubbling, cracking or open seams, a full overlay or replacement is usually more economic than repeated patching. EPDM rubber membranes last considerably longer and are now a common choice for replacement flat roofs. Typical flat roof repair costs run from around £150 for a small patch to £400 or more for a larger section, and full EPDM replacement on a small extension flat roof tends to cost between £800 and £2,000 depending on area and access.
Many repairs can be assessed and carried out in one visit. A good roofer accesses the roof safely, identifies the source of the water entry (which is not always directly above where the leak appears inside), carries out the repair and checks the surrounding area for any secondary faults that might cause the next problem.
A straightforward tile replacement usually takes an hour or two, including safe set-up and making good. Ridge repointing on a standard semi-detached house typically takes half a day. A flashing strip-out and re-dress with lead is usually a half-day to full-day job depending on how much flashing is involved.
Typical costs for common repairs: replacing one or two broken or slipped tiles, including mortar and clips where needed, generally runs £90-£180. Re-bedding and repointing a run of ridge tiles costs roughly £200-£500 for a standard roof, depending on length. Stripping and replacing a lead chimney flashing set can cost £300-£700. These are honest typical UK ranges - your actual cost depends on access, roof pitch and what materials are required.
This is the section most homeowners never think about until the next leak appears. A repair done well solves the immediate problem, but a little attention in the months and years that follow can prevent the next call-out entirely.
Blocked gutters are directly responsible for a surprising number of roof and wall problems. When a gutter overflows, water runs down the fascia board, soaks into the top course of brickwork and, on some roof designs, gets behind the felt at the eaves. Clearing gutters each autumn - after the last leaf fall - takes under an hour on most houses and costs very little if you do it yourself safely from a ladder on flat ground. If the gutters are high or the roof is steep, it is worth having it done professionally each year.
While you are at gutter level, check the condition of the fascia boards. Soft or spongy timber is a sign that water has been sitting against it for some time, which can eventually affect the rafter feet behind.
You do not need to go up on the roof to check it - you should not go up unless you are a trained roofer with the right equipment. A simple check from the ground with a pair of binoculars or a zoom camera is enough to spot obvious slipped tiles, lifted ridge tiles or missing sections of flashing. After a storm with strong winds, look along the ridge line and along the verge edges, which are where tiles are most likely to move.
If you see anything that looks wrong, call for a professional inspection rather than leaving it. A slipped tile left through a wet winter can allow months of slow water ingress before it shows inside the property.
A damp patch or tide mark on a ceiling after heavy rain is telling you something. It does not always mean a tile is broken - it might be a blocked valley gutter, a perished rubber seal around a roof light, or the first sign of flashing failure. Note where the patch is, how big it is and whether it appears after every rainfall or only after sustained heavy rain. That information helps a roofer diagnose the source faster and reduces the time spent on the roof looking for it.
Moss and lichen on tiles is not just cosmetic. Moss holds moisture against the tile surface and accelerates the freeze-thaw spalling that breaks up older concrete and plain clay tiles. On a north-facing slope that stays damp, moss can build up to a thickness that starts to lift tile edges and interfere with water run-off.
The practical approach is to have a biocide treatment applied every few years. The moss dies, dries out and gradually washes away in rain without the physical damage that pressure washing causes - high-pressure water forces itself under tiles, strips away granules from the tile surface and can dislodge mortar from the ridge. Do not pressure-wash your own roof tiles.
Chimney stacks are the single most common source of roof leaks on older houses. The stack is exposed on all four sides to the weather, the mortar in the pointing weathers faster than the rest of the roof, and the flashings around the base are subject to thermal movement every time the temperature changes. Have the stack inspected every five years or so, particularly if the house has been in the same ownership for a long time and there are no records of recent work.
Signs of chimney trouble include brown staining on the chimney breast inside the property, damp patches in the ceiling near the stack, or visible cracking in the stack pointing when viewed from the ground. Any of these is worth acting on before they become a larger repair.
Once the repair is finished, it is sensible to ask a few straightforward questions while the roofer is still on site:
A roofer who has done the job properly will have no problem answering these. If the answers are vague, that tells you something too.
Flat roofs need their own maintenance routine. Check twice a year - spring and autumn - that all outlet pipes are clear of debris. Standing water on a flat roof is not normal and puts load on the structure as well as accelerating felt or membrane degradation. If water pools consistently in one area, the outlet may be partially blocked or the falls (the slight slope built into the roof to drain water away) may have settled.
Keep the roof surface clear of leaves and dirt. On a felt roof, look for any bubbling or cracking of the surface layer. On an EPDM membrane, look for any open seams or points where the membrane has pulled away from an upstand. Both are repairable early and become more expensive the longer they are left.
If you have a leak, broken tiles or a flashing that has failed, call a roofer to arrange a roof survey. A good roofer will explain what the problem is, what the repair involves and what it will cost, without pressure to proceed or unnecessary additions to the scope of work.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
