Cambridge has a varied housing stock, with properties of different ages and construction types across the city. Newmarket Roofers works across all of these property types, bringing the same attention to detail to a slate repair on a Romsey-area terrace as to a felt flat roof on a 1960s bungalow in Cherry Hinton.
Older housing stock frequently presents ageing slate roofs and original lead flashings that need specialist care rather than a quick patch.
Cambridge has a varied roofing landscape. That variety means every job is slightly different, and guessing at materials or skipping a proper inspection usually ends badly. We take the time to identify exactly what is on your roof before we quote or touch anything.
Our work in and around Cambridge covers the full range - pitched roof repairs, full re-roofs, flat roof installations, lead work, ridge and hip work, valley repairs, and guttering. If a job falls outside that scope, we will tell you honestly rather than take it on and make a mess of it.
Older terraces in Cambridge were often built with natural slate. Slate itself can last well, but the nibs that hold each slate in place, the battens beneath, and the torching - the old mortar bedding under the slates - all deteriorate long before the slate does. A common problem is individual slates slipping or lifting because their nibs have snapped, or because the battens have rotted. A straightforward slate replacement repair in Cambridge typically costs £150-£400 depending on access and the number of slates involved.
If the battens are widely rotten or the roof has been patched repeatedly over decades, a full re-roof is usually better value than continued spot repairs. Stripping back to the rafters, fitting breathable membrane, new treated battens and good-quality slates or plain clay tiles will give the roof a proper lifespan again. A full re-roof on a typical Cambridge mid-terrace is generally priced in the region of £4,000-£8,000 depending on pitch, size and material choice. We can walk you through the options and give a clear, written breakdown.
Semis with concrete interlocking tiles are generally trouble-free, but cracked tiles, slipped ridge caps and failed mortar pointing on hip and ridge ends are common after years of frost and rain. Re-bedding and re-pointing a ridge on a semi-detached is commonly around £300-£600 and will stop water getting into the roof structure before it causes timber damage.
Flat roofs appear on extensions, bay tops, garages and outbuildings across many Cambridge properties. Felt is still the most common system on older properties, but modern EPDM rubber is now the better choice for new installations and replacements. EPDM is a single-ply membrane that bonds directly to the deck; it handles temperature changes well, has no seams to open up, and manufacturer product lifespans for EPDM membranes are typically quoted at 20 years or more - though the actual service life depends on how well the deck below was prepared.
A common flat roof failure is split or blistered felt on a bay top or small kitchen extension. Water gets under the felt, soaks into the timber deck and eventually comes through the ceiling. A replacement flat roof on a standard single-storey extension in Cambridge typically runs from £800 to £2,500 depending on size, the condition of the existing deck and the system specified. We always check the deck before we quote so there are no surprises once we start stripping back.
Lead flashings are a common source of leaks on older properties. The flashing is the dressed lead that seals the joint between a roof slope and a wall, chimney or dormer. Over time, lead can crack, pull away from the mortar joint it is tucked into, or simply lift in high winds. In some cases the lead has been replaced with a mortar fillet at some point in the past - a cheap fix that never lasts. Proper lead work, correctly dressed and wedged, is the right answer.
Some properties have zinc or copper roofing on bay or dormer tops. We work with both materials and can advise on whether repair or replacement is the better course for a given situation.
Blocked or broken gutters are behind many damp problems in older homes. When gutters overflow, water runs down the face of the building, soaks behind render or gets into the cavity around window frames. Older cast-iron guttering uses putty seals at the joints that harden and crack over time. UPVC sections fitted later often sag if the brackets have corroded or pulled out of the fascia. We clear, repair and replace guttering across all Cambridge property types, and we will check fascia and soffit condition at the same time since replacing guttering on a rotten fascia is wasted money.
Modern properties bring their own roofing issues. Concrete and clay plain tiles on newer roofs can lift in wind if the clips were not correctly fitted during construction. Flat or shallow-pitch roofs on contemporary extensions may have inadequate drainage falls, causing water to pond. We inspect, advise and carry out remedial work on new-build roofs as well as on the city's older stock.
The best advice we can give is to get more than one price, and to make sure any roofer you use can show you exactly what they plan to do and why. Ask for a breakdown of materials and labour. Ask what they will do if they find rotten timbers once the tiles are off. Ask how they handle waste and what they do with old materials. A roofer who answers those questions clearly and without irritation is the one to trust.
Give us a call to arrange a roof survey and we will give you a straightforward assessment and a clear price.
Cambridge has a mix of property types and ages, from Victorian and Edwardian terraces near the centre to interwar semis, post-war estates and newer developments on the city fringes.
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A new roof fitted properly protects your home for decades. We install replacement roofs across Newmarket and the surroun
A full roof replacement carried out properly - stripping the old covering, inspecting the deck and structure beneath, th
Slipped tiles, cracked flashing, leaking valleys - roof repairs in Newmarket handled properly, with the right materials
Felt and EPDM rubber flat roofing for extensions, bay tops, outbuildings and commercial roofs in Newmarket and the surro
Rotten fascias, sagging soffits or leaking gutters cause damp and damage fast. We replace and repair fascias, soffits an
Lead work seals the joints where a roof meets a wall, chimney or window - and when it fails, water gets in fast. We carr
A crumbling or leaning chimney stack is a structural risk and a source of damp. We rebuild chimney stacks on homes acros
When a chimney stack is beyond repair, or simply no longer needed, taking it down properly protects your roof and the ro
Exterior cladding protects and transforms the outside of a building, covering weathered or damaged walls with a durable
Commercial roofing covers a wide range of building types, from retail units and offices to warehouses and agricultural p
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
