Newmarket Roofers carries out all types of roof repairs for homeowners in Fordham, from slipped tiles and cracked ridges to failed flashings and leaking flat roofs.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A roof repair can be as small as re-bedding a single ridge tile or as involved as replacing a long run of lead flashing around a chimney stack. We deal with all of it: slipped, cracked or missing tiles; failed mortar on hips and ridges; lifted or split felt beneath tiles; corroded or poorly fitted flashings; and leaking flat roof sections on extensions and bay windows.
For active leaks, getting a roofer out quickly limits the damage. For non-urgent repairs, booking ahead means the job can be planned properly and the right materials brought first time.
Before any tile is lifted, the roof needs a careful inspection to find the true source of the problem. Water travels before it drips, so the visible wet patch on a ceiling is rarely directly below the entry point. A thorough check of the valleys, ridges, flashings and any flat sections is essential before materials are ordered.
On a pitched roof, individual tiles are removed, the underlying felt checked for tears or bridging, and replacement tiles matched as closely as possible to the existing ones. Ridge and hip work is re-pointed with modern mortar or dry-fixed with a proprietary clip system, which outlasts traditional mortar in frost.
Flashings around chimneys and dormers are cut and dressed to lap properly against the masonry, then wedged and pointed. A flashing that has simply lifted at the top edge can be re-fixed; one that has cracked through or corroded needs replacing entirely. Patching a flashing with mastic is a temporary measure at best.
For flat roof sections, felt systems can develop splits, blisters or open laps over time. Small repairs are possible if the felt is otherwise sound, but a flat roof that has reached the end of its life is better replaced than repeatedly patched. EPDM rubber membranes are a popular upgrade for extension roofs because the material is flexible and handles temperature change well.
Small patch repairs such as replacing two or three slipped tiles typically cost in the range of £150 to £350, depending on access and tile type. Ridge re-pointing or dry-fixing a hip runs from around £300 upwards for a short section. Lead flashing replacement around a chimney generally costs between £400 and £900 depending on how much lead is needed and how complex the stack is. Flat roof repairs vary considerably: a straightforward felt patch may cost £200 to £400, while a full EPDM replacement on a standard single-storey extension commonly runs from £800 to £1,800. These are typical UK ranges and will vary with the size and condition of the specific roof.
Some areas have conservation zones where the visual appearance of a roof matters. Planning consent is not usually needed for a like-for-like repair, but if you are changing the material or colour of tiles on a listed building, it is worth checking with the local authority before work starts. We use reclaimed or matched tiles wherever possible to avoid a patched appearance.
This is the section most roofers leave out, and it is arguably the most useful. A roof that has just been repaired is in good condition today, but roofs are exposed to rain, frost and wind year-round, and small problems develop quietly. The best way to keep repair costs low over time is to catch issues early, before water has had a chance to work its way into the structure beneath.
Blocked gutters are one of the most common causes of water damage to the top of an external wall and the fascia board beneath the roof edge. When a gutter overflows repeatedly, it saturates the wall immediately below and can work back under the roof felt at the eaves. Clearing gutters of leaves and debris in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen, takes twenty minutes and prevents a much costlier problem.
While you are at it, check that the gutter is still fixed level and has not sagged. A sagging section holds standing water that accelerates rust in steel gutters and encourages moss growth on the tiles above.
You do not need to go onto the roof to check it. After a period of heavy wind, stand back from the house and look at the ridgeline and hip tiles. If any have shifted, you will often be able to see the gap or the tile sitting at an angle. Check the valleys and around the chimney from the same position. Binoculars make this much easier and cost less than a call-out.
If you spot something, act on it promptly. A single slipped tile leaves the felt exposed. Felt is not a long-term weathering layer and will split or lift if left open to wind. Once the felt goes, the roof structure beneath is at risk.
A light covering of moss on tiles is cosmetic. Heavy moss growth is a different matter: it holds moisture against the tile surface, accelerates freeze-thaw damage in winter, and can lift tiles slightly where it builds up at the edges. Moss also blocks valleys, causing rainwater to back up behind it.
If moss is thick, a biocide treatment followed by gentle brushing (never pressure washing, which drives water under tiles and can crack older ones) is the right approach. Zinc or lead strips fixed along the ridge release a small amount of run-off that inhibits regrowth over time.
Lead flashings expand and contract with temperature. Over many years, this movement can cause the lead to crack at stress points, or to pull away from the mortar joint that holds it to the chimney. After a cold winter with repeated frost, it is worth checking chimney flashings from the ground for any gaps or lifted edges. A flashing that has started to lift will let water in long before the problem is visible inside the house.
When you take quotes for roof work, these are sensible questions regardless of who you use:
If you have noticed a damp patch, a tile out of place, or just want a roof check before winter, call Newmarket Roofers and we will arrange a survey of your property. We will tell you what we find and what, if anything, needs doing.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
