Slate roofs in Bedford
Slate repairs and complete slate re-roofs for Bedford terraces and period houses, in natural Spanish slate or man-made slate, with proper lead valleys and gutters.
Phones answered 7 days a week
Free quote · no obligation
- We look first and show you what we find
- An itemised quote, in writing
- Leaks answered any time
How it works
Getting it sorted is simple
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Step 1
Tell us what the roof is doing. About 30 seconds.
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Step 2
Let us come and look.
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Step 3
Say yes or no to the written price.
Then leave it with us
We do the hard part
- Photos of what we find, so you can see it too
- A straight answer, and no work the roof does not need
- Scaffold, skip and materials all itemised on the quote
- Building Control sign-off arranged on a re-roof
- A written company guarantee on the work
Our work
Photos from our recent jobs
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A full re-roof with new timber soffits and fascias
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An old polycarbonate workshop roof, rebuilt with four opening skylights
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A full re-roof and a large chimney stack taken down
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Welded leadwork round a chimney, done the traditional way
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Spray foam out and a new roof on, with TLX Gold insulated membrane
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A natural Spanish slate roof with lead valleys and a Code 5 box gutter
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A returning customer: the side roof, matched in man-made slate
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A slate hip roof, finished
“The finished roof looks great, and is an excellent match to the original which is important in Letchworth.”
Before you ask
Questions people ask
Can you replace one broken slate on my terrace?
Yes. A single slate can be slid into place and secured without stripping the roof. If lots of slates are slipping, we will tell you the nails have likely gone right across the roof.
Is natural slate worth it over man-made?
On a period house or a terrace where the neighbours have natural slate, usually yes, because it looks right. On an extension or newer house, man-made slate is often the sensible choice.
What is nail fatigue?
It is when the nails holding slates rust through with age, so slates slip even though the slate itself is fine. It tends to affect the whole roof at once.
Ready when you are
It takes about 30 seconds to ask, and you are not committing to anything.
More about slate roofs in Bedford
Bedford's slate roofs
The Victorian streets around Castle Road, Queens Park and the town centre are full of slate. A good slate lasts a very long time, but what holds it on does not. The nails rust through, slates slide down out of line, and the battens behind them soften. Roofers call this nail fatigue, and it is the most common reason a slate roof starts to fail.
What to look for from the street
- Slates sitting lower than their neighbours, or gaps in the rows
- Bits of broken slate in the gutter or on the path
- Metal clips holding slates in place, a sign of earlier repairs
- Rust stains or a wavy look across the slope
Repair or re-slate?
A handful of slipped slates can be refixed. When slates are coming loose all over, the nails have usually gone across the whole roof, and fixing one patch at a time just moves the problem around. We will show you photos and give you an honest view of which camp your roof is in.
We have carried out complete slate re-roofs on houses around 200 years old. One of those customers told us the roof was now entirely watertight and looked very smart, which is what we aim for.
Natural or man-made slate
Natural Spanish slate
Real slate, split from stone. It has the depth and slight variation that suit a period house, and it is what we would usually fit on a terrace where the neighbours have natural slate.
Man-made slate
Uniform and lighter, and a good choice for extensions, side roofs and newer houses. We have fitted it on side roofs where it suits the house well.
The details that make a slate roof last
- A breathable membrane and new treated battens under the slate
- Lead valleys formed in Code 4 or Code 5 lead
- Box gutters relined in Code 5 lead where the house has them
- Slates holed and fixed to the right gauge so each course laps properly
Your written quote lists the slate, lead, membrane, battens, scaffold and skip separately, so you can see where the money goes. If the house is in a conservation area, we check what that means for your choice of slate before anything is ordered.
Other work in Bedford: Roof Replacement · Roof Repairs · Flat Roofs · Tiled Roofs · Chimney Repairs · Leadwork · Roof Inspections · Moss Removal & Roof Cleaning · Soffits, Fascias & Gutters · Spray Foam Removal · Cavity Wall Insulation Removal