Roof repairs in Letchworth Garden City

A deep repair, or a new roof?

One of our Letchworth jobs started with the owner asking for a deep repair on a 120-year-old roof with four gables. The roof was failing, and the whole thing was replaced in the end, matched to the original. Plenty of other garden city roofs are a different story: sound overall, with a fault or two that a good repair will sort for a long time. The skill is telling which is which, and being straight with you about it.

When a repair is the right call

• The tiles are sound across most of the roof
• The problem is in one place: a valley, a dormer cheek, a chimney
• The timbers are dry and firm
• Any felt or underlay is intact away from the problem

When it isn't

• Tiles are flaking, slipping or breaking all over
• Leaks keep appearing in new places
• Battens or rafters have gone soft from long-term water
• Repairs would mean disturbing so much of the roof that it makes sense to do it once

We'll show you photos either way, so the decision is yours and made on facts.

Repairs on Arts and Crafts roofs

Valleys and gables

Garden city roofs often have several slopes meeting, which means valleys. Lead valleys and the tiles cut into them are a common source of leaks, and we renew them in Code 4 or Code 5 lead.

Dormers

Dormers bring flashings, small roofs and cheeks into one spot. We check each part rather than smearing sealant over the lot.

Tall chimneys

Many early houses have tall stacks. Worn pointing and tired lead flashing round them let water in, and step flashing done properly sorts it.

Matching tiles

A repair in a bright new tile stands out on an old roof. We match what's there as closely as we can, so the repair doesn't show from the street.

Conservation area repairs

Repairs that keep the roof as it is rarely change how a house looks, but in the conservation area and under the Heritage Foundation's Scheme of Management it's worth checking before anything visible changes. We'll flag it if we think your repair needs that conversation.