New roofs and reroofs in tile and slate
A new roof means stripping the old covering off, back to the rafters, then building it up again. New battens, new breathable underlay, new tiles or slates. All work guaranteed.
What a reroof involves, start to finish
A reroof takes everything off the roof down to the rafters. The old tiles come off, the old battens come off, the old felt comes off. Then it goes back on in order: breathable underlay, new treated battens at the right spacing for the tile, then the covering itself.
Ridges, verges, valleys and the eaves are all detailed as the roof goes back on. Those details are where a roof leaks first, so they are not left to the end.
How long does a roof replacement take?
Three things decide it: how big the roof is, how cut up it is with valleys and dormers, and the weather. A stripped roof cannot be left open, so rain stops the work.
We give you the likely span when we look at the roof, and we tell you if it slips. Nobody can promise a date in a British spring and mean it.
Battens and underlay, the parts you never see
Two layers under the tiles do most of the work. Breathable underlay carries any water that gets past the tiles down into the gutter, and lets damp air out of the loft. Battens are the treated timber strips the tiles hook onto.
Older roofs usually have bitumen felt instead, which goes brittle and tears. The battens can be too thin, or rotten where they crossed a valley. A reroof replaces both, every time.
Tile and slate, and what each asks of the roof
Concrete interlocking tiles are heavy and quick to lay, and they are what most post-war estate housing is roofed in. Clay tiles are smaller and lighter. Natural slate is thin, heavy for the area it covers, and nailed rather than hooked on.
The choice is not only about looks. Weight, pitch and the state of the roof timbers all narrow it down. We tell you what your roof will take before you pick anything.
Where this work is covered
We are based in Surrey and cover Crawley, Brighton, Horsham, Reigate, Redhill and Dorking for a reroof. Further out than that, ring and ask.
Whole streets in Crawley went up in the 1950s and 1960s to one house type. They reach the end of the same roof at the same time.
How the job goes
What happens when we do your new roofs
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01Look at the roof
We look at the covering, the ridge, the verges and the timbers where they can be seen. Free estimate and free advice on what it needs.
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02Scaffold goes up
A full reroof needs a scaffold, not ladders. It goes up before anything comes off. It is what makes the work safe and the finish straight.
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03Strip and check
Tiles, battens and old felt come off and go in the skip. With the rafters bare we can see rot, splits and old repairs nobody could see before.
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04Underlay, battens, covering
Breathable underlay is laid up the roof and lapped. Treated battens go on at the right spacing for the tile. Then the covering goes on from the eaves up.
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05Ridge, verge and clear up
The ridge and the verge are finished, in mortar or in a dry system. Old material goes with us and the ground is cleared before the scaffold comes down.
Common questions
- Can I keep my existing tiles?
- Sometimes. Sound concrete or clay tiles can be taken off, stacked and relaid on new battens and underlay. Expect to lose some to breakage, so a top up batch is usually needed. Old slates are often reused the same way.
- What happens if it rains while my roof is open?
- A roof is stripped in sections, not all in one go, so the open part can be sheeted over at the end of the day. Heavy rain still stops work, because underlay and battens have to go onto dry timber.
- Do I have to move out while the roof is off?
- No. People stay in the house through a reroof. It is noisy, there will be dust in the loft, and you will want anything stored up there covered or moved first.
- Do the gutters have to come off?
- Usually yes. The underlay has to run into the gutter, so the gutter is dropped or taken off and put back. If the board behind it is soft, that is the moment to change it rather than screw a new gutter to rotten timber.
Roofing advice on this
Plain answers to the questions we get asked most about this work, written before you ask us for a price.
Get an estimate
Tell us what the roof is doing
Estimates and advice are free. Ring and describe the problem, or send a photograph of it, and you will get a straight answer about whether it needs a repair or a new roof.
All work guaranteed.
Want us to take a look at the roof?
Leave a name and a number and we will ring back to sort a time. Estimates and advice are free.