If your roof in Burwell needs replacing, Newmarket Roofers handles the full job from strip-off to ridge, working cleanly and carefully to leave you with a properly built roof.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A roof replacement is a significant cost, so it is natural to wonder whether a repair would do the job. The honest answer is that it depends on the condition of the whole roof, not just the visible damage. A few slipped tiles on an otherwise sound roof with a solid felt underlay and good battens can almost always be repaired. The calculation changes when the underlay is brittle and leaking, when battens are rotten across much of the roof, or when the same areas need patching year after year.
A roofer inspecting the roof from inside the loft as well as from above can tell you how much life is left in the existing structure. If the answer is less than five to eight years, replacement now will almost certainly save money compared with a series of increasingly large repairs over the same period.
One useful question to ask when getting quotes: what would you find once the old roof is stripped, and how would that change the price? A roofer who can answer that clearly is one who has actually thought about your roof rather than producing a number from a template.
The work begins with scaffolding. A safe, stable scaffold is not optional on a roof replacement; it protects the roofers, allows materials to be moved efficiently, and keeps tiles and debris from landing on your property or a neighbour's. Scaffold goes up before any roof work starts and comes down only when everything is finished and inspected.
With access in place, the existing tiles or slates are stripped off and lowered to ground level. Old battens and the felt underlay beneath them come off next, exposing the rafters. The rafters are inspected for rot, splitting or deflection. Any that are damaged are repaired or sistered before the new roof build-up begins.
New breathable membrane is laid across the rafters, lapping correctly at the joints so water cannot get behind it at any point. Treated timber battens are fixed over the membrane, and tiling or slating starts at the eaves and works upward. At the ridge, a dry-ridge system (mechanically fixed, no mortar) is generally the recommended option as it does not rely on mortar that can fail in frost. Hips and valleys are finished to match.
Lead flashings around chimneys, soil pipes and abutments are replaced or re-dressed as part of the job. Fascias, soffits and guttering are inspected and replaced where rotten or broken. The whole area is cleared of debris before the scaffold comes down.
The pitch of your roof limits what materials are suitable. Very shallow pitches need a material with a lower minimum pitch specification, and that rules out some plain tile profiles. A roofer will know what works at your roof's angle.
Extensions and garages often have a flat or near-flat roof that needs separate consideration. Flat roofs fail differently from pitched roofs and generally have a shorter lifespan. When a flat roof needs replacing, the two most practical systems for domestic use are torch-on felt (a multi-layer system applied with heat) and EPDM rubber membrane.
EPDM is a single-ply rubber sheet that handles temperature movement well and, correctly installed, is long-lasting. Torch-on felt in three or more layers remains a solid standard. Both are a major improvement over the old single-layer mineral felt that many flat roofs still carry.
Flat roof replacement in this area typically costs in the range of £70 to £120 per square metre, depending on the system, the area size and the condition of the existing deck boards. A price cannot be confirmed without inspecting the deck.
For a three-bedroom semi-detached house, a full re-roof in this part of Cambridgeshire typically costs between £6,000 and £10,000 including scaffold. A four or five-bedroom detached house may cost £10,000 to £18,000 or more. Prices depend on roof size, pitch, material chosen and what the survey reveals about the existing structure.
Any quote given without a visit to the property should be treated as a rough guide only. The actual cost depends on what is found once the roof is inspected closely, and that cannot be determined accurately from photographs or a description over the phone.
This section covers the gap that most homeowners find frustrating: you have spotted a problem, a roofer is booked, but the appointment is a few days away. Knowing what to do in that window can prevent a minor issue from becoming a seriously expensive one.
If water is coming through the ceiling, place a bucket or container directly beneath the drip. If the ceiling is sagging noticeably, it may be holding a pocket of water, so keep everyone out of the room and do not poke, prod or pierce it - it can come down without warning.
Move furniture, electrical equipment, rugs and anything else of value away from the affected area. Lay down old towels or plastic sheeting to protect the floor. If a ceiling light fitting is near the wet area, switch off the circuit at the consumer unit rather than risk water getting into the fitting.
If you have loft access, go up and look. You are not looking to fix anything; you are trying to understand where the water is entering and whether it is a small localised drip or a broader issue. Look for wet patches on the rafters, on the underlay, or on the top of the insulation. A single drip coming from one point on the underlay is usually a minor problem. Water coming through in several places suggests a more serious failure.
Place a bucket in the loft if the drip is significant. Note which rafter bay and approximately how far from the eaves the water is entering. That information is useful to the roofer and can help them locate the entry point quickly.
Roof tarpaulins and temporary covers sold for emergency use can reduce further water ingress if a section of roof covering has been dislodged. However, getting onto or near a roof is dangerous. Do not go onto the roof yourself. Do not lean out of an upstairs window to reach the roof. Do not stand on a ladder unsupported to try to push a tile back.
If a tarpaulin can be placed from a safely positioned ladder that reaches only to the edge of the roof, and if the ground is stable and someone is holding the ladder, it may be possible to drape a cover over the affected area. In most cases, calling the roofer and explaining the urgency is a better use of your time than risking a serious fall.
Take photographs of any wet patches on the ceiling, any visible damage inside the loft, and anything you can see from ground level outside. Note the date and what the weather was doing when the problem appeared or worsened. This record is useful both for the roofer assessing the problem and for any dealings with your home insurer if water damage has affected the interior.
Keep a note of any previous repairs to the roof, including who did them and when, if you have that information. A pattern of leaks from the same area tells the roofer something different from a first-time failure.
Most roof issues can safely wait a few days for a standard appointment. Request an urgent visit if: large sections of tile or slate have been dislodged and the roof deck is directly exposed to rain; water is entering near an electrical fitting or a consumer unit; there is structural damage (a fallen chimney, a broken rafter visible from inside the loft); or the volume of water coming in is too much for a bucket to manage.
Roofers understand that emergencies happen. Explaining clearly what you have found when you call will help them judge how quickly they need to get to you.
Newmarket Roofers carries out roof replacements in Burwell and the surrounding area, including Soham, Reach, Fordham and Dullingham, as well as further afield to Cambridge, Moulton and Six Mile Bottom. Call us to confirm we cover your address.
If you are dealing with a roof problem now or planning a replacement, call Newmarket Roofers to arrange an in-person inspection in Burwell. We will look at the roof properly and give you a clear picture of what is needed and what it will cost.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
