New Roofs in Fulbourn

Expert New Roofs
in Fulbourn

Choosing the Right Material for Your New Roof

The biggest decision in any re-roofing project is the tile specification. It affects cost, appearance, weight, how long the roof lasts and, in some cases, what planning will permit. This page sets out the main options honestly, including where each material falls short, so you can make the right choice for your home in Fulbourn rather than simply going with whatever a contractor happens to stock.

Newmarket Roofers works across Fulbourn and the nearby towns and villages including Newmarket, Cambridge, Histon, Ely and Bury St Edmunds. We carry out full re-roofs, new roofs on extensions and self-builds, and re-roofs of older properties where ongoing repair has become uneconomical. We work with natural slate, clay plain tiles and concrete interlocking tiles.

Natural Slate

Natural slate is the most durable roofing material available for pitched roofs. Welsh slate and Spanish slate are the two most common sources used in the UK. A well-laid natural slate roof has an expected service life of well over 100 years, provided the fixings, battens and flashings are renewed when needed.

Honest pros:

• Exceptional lifespan - the tiles themselves rarely fail; it is usually the fixings or felt beneath that bring a slate roof to the end of its life first
• Natural appearance that suits older and period properties without looking out of place
• Low maintenance once correctly installed
• Favoured by local planning authorities for conservation areas and listed buildings
• Lighter than many people assume - natural slate is thinner than concrete tiles, though individual pieces are denser

Honest cons:

• Higher material and labour cost than concrete or clay - a natural slate re-roof typically costs 30 to 50 per cent more than a concrete tile equivalent on the same roof
• Sourcing matched slate for repairs later can be difficult if the original supplier's quarry has since closed or changed production
• Requires a competent slater; not all roofers have the skill to lay natural slate correctly, particularly at hips, valleys and abutments
• Spanish slate varies considerably in quality between quarries; the denser, blue-grey varieties outperform lighter, greener material

A natural slate roof on a standard three-bedroom semi-detached property in this area typically costs between £8,000 and £14,000 or more depending on roof complexity and slate specification. These are current UK market figures and vary with roof size, pitch, chimney stacks and access.

Clay Plain Tiles

Clay plain tiles are a traditional roofing material widely used on older properties across the region. A plain tile is small - typically 265mm by 165mm - and laid in a double-lap pattern, meaning each tile is covered by two courses above it. This makes for an extremely weathertight roof when laid properly.

Honest pros:

• Authentic appearance well-suited to older properties and conservation settings
• Fired clay does not degrade the way concrete coatings do; colour is through the body of the tile, not a surface finish
• Long service life - well-fired clay tiles on a well-maintained roof can last 60 to 100 years
• Widely accepted by planning authorities in sensitive locations, particularly when colour and texture match the existing or neighbouring roof

Honest cons:

• More labour-intensive to lay than interlocking tiles, because of the double-lap method and the tile count per square metre; this increases the labour element of the quote
• Heavier than concrete interlocking tiles on a per-square-metre basis; the roof structure must be confirmed adequate before specifying clay plain tiles on a property where the original roof was interlocking
• Some clay plain tile ranges are no longer manufactured, which can make future repairs harder if a matching batch is not kept in reserve
• Less cost-effective than concrete for straightforward re-roofs where appearance is not the primary concern

A clay plain tile re-roof typically sits between the cost of concrete interlocking and natural slate. On a similar three-bedroom property, expect to pay broadly in the region of £7,000 to £12,000 depending on specification and the extent of associated work.

Concrete Interlocking Tiles

Concrete interlocking tiles cover the majority of homes built in the UK since the 1960s. They are the standard choice for most straightforward re-roofs and new roofs on extensions. The tile profiles vary from low-profile (almost flat) to bold double-roman, and they are available in a wide range of colours.

Honest pros:

• Lowest material cost of the three main tile types
• Widely available - matching replacement tiles are easy to source during the life of the roof
• Faster to lay than plain tiles, which can reduce labour costs on straightforward pitches
• Manufacturer finish lifespans have improved considerably on modern tiles compared with products from the 1970s and 1980s

Honest cons:

• The surface coating does degrade over time. Older concrete tiles go porous when the coating breaks down, absorbing water and cracking through freeze-thaw cycles. This is why many concrete roofs laid in the 1970s and 1980s are now failing
• Heavier than natural slate; structural timbers should be checked, particularly on older properties with undersized rafters
• Can look out of place on period properties where planning authorities expect a more traditional material
• Moss and algae growth is common on north-facing slopes once the surface coating ages, which adds ongoing maintenance

A concrete interlocking tile re-roof on a typical three-bedroom semi-detached property in the Fulbourn and Cambridge area typically costs between £5,000 and £9,000. Roof size, complexity, chimney stacks and the condition of the underlying timbers all affect the final figure.

What the Tile Specification Does Not Cover

Whichever tile you choose, the quality of the whole roof depends on what goes beneath and around them. The materials question is really about three systems working together: the tile, the underlay and the fixings.

Underlay. Modern breathable membrane underlays allow moisture vapour from inside the house to escape through the roof, rather than condensing on the underside of the felt and rotting the battens. If your current roof has original non-breathable bitumen felt, a re-roof is the logical time to upgrade. You cannot change the underlay without removing all the tiles.

Battens. Tiling battens should be treated softwood. The gauge (spacing) at which they are fixed must suit the tile being used. Getting the gauge wrong means tiles cannot interlock or drain correctly. All battens should be replaced as part of a re-roof, not just those that are visibly rotten.

Fixings. BS 5534 is the British Standard for slating and tiling. It specifies where tiles must be mechanically fixed (nailed or clipped) rather than hung by their nibs alone. In exposed positions, most or all tiles must be fixed. Ask any contractor what fixing pattern they use and how it compares to the standard for your roof's exposure category.

Lead Flashings and Ridge Details

The tile is rarely where a new roof first leaks. Flashings at chimney stacks, in valleys and at the junction of a roof with a wall are the vulnerable points. Lead properly dressed in steps into the mortar joints of brickwork will outlast almost any tile. Flashings surface-applied with sealant will not.

Ridge tiles can be fixed in two ways: mortar-bedded or dry-fix. A mortar-bedded ridge relies on a mix that will shrink and crack over time; it is a system that needs re-visiting every couple of decades. Dry-fix ridge systems use mechanical clips and a ventilated foam closer instead of mortar. There is nothing to crack or wash out. Most new builds and many re-roofs now specify dry-fix ridge, and it is worth discussing with your contractor which is appropriate for your property.

Roofing Advice: What to Check Before You Commit

Before signing a contract for a new roof, these are the practical things worth confirming:

• Is the quote based on replacing all battens and felt, or only damaged sections?
• Does the price include new lead flashings at all abutments and the chimney stack?
• What tile specification is quoted - manufacturer, profile and colour? Get this in writing.
• Is ridge work included, and will it be dry-fix or mortar-bedded?
• Does the quote include scaffold, waste removal and disposal?
• Will the rafter feet and fascia boards be inspected before the new roof goes on?

A written, itemised quote makes it possible to compare fairly between contractors. If a quote is a single lump sum with no detail, ask for a breakdown before you proceed.

Planning and Conservation Considerations

If your property is in a conservation area or is listed, the tile specification may not be entirely your choice. Local planning authorities may require replacement tiles to match the original material and colour as closely as possible. Clay plain tiles or natural slate may be specified where the existing roof uses them. It is worth checking with the local authority before ordering materials, particularly if you are considering a change from one tile type to another.

Get a Written Quote for Your Fulbourn Roof

If you are comparing materials or simply trying to understand what a new roof will involve and cost, the best starting point is a proper survey of the existing structure. Call Newmarket Roofers to arrange an inspection and a written, itemised quote. We cover Fulbourn, Cambridge, Histon, Newmarket, Ely, Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area.