Slipped tiles, cracked flashings, leaking valleys - roof problems rarely fix themselves. We identify the cause of the fault, explain what needs doing, and carry out lasting repairs on pitched roofs, flat roofs, and chimney stacks across Poringland and the surrounding villages.
Photo from one of our recent jobs
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A roof repair is needed any time your roof lets water in or is close to doing so. That covers a wide range of faults - slipped or cracked tiles, failed lead flashings, open ridge mortar, blocked or broken gutters that push water back under the eaves, and flat roof membranes that have split or lifted at a seam. The longer a fault sits unattended, the more it costs to put right, because water works its way into roof timbers, insulation, and ceiling boards before it ever shows as a stain indoors.
Homeowners in Poringland and the nearby villages of Framingham Earl, Brooke, Alpington, and Stoke Holy Cross often contact us after noticing a damp patch on a bedroom ceiling or finding a tile in the garden after a spell of wind and rain. By that point, the water may already have been getting in for several weeks. Getting the roof checked promptly keeps a small repair from becoming a much larger job.
A proper repair starts with finding the true source of the leak, not just the place where water is appearing inside. Water travels along rafters and sarking felt before it drips, so the entry point is often several metres from where the damp shows. A visual inspection from a ladder or from the roof surface itself is the only reliable way to find it.
Common faults on pitched roofs include:
On flat roofs, the most common faults are felt that has bubbled, cracked, or split at a lap joint, and EPDM rubber membranes that have lifted at the edge detail or around a pipe penetration. A repair to an EPDM roof typically involves cleaning the area, applying fresh adhesive and a compatible patch, then re-securing the termination bar at the perimeter. Felt repairs use a torch-applied patch bonded well beyond the damaged area.
Lead work repairs - on chimney aprons, parapet copings, and dormer cheeks - require the lead to be properly dressed and fixed with clips rather than just pushed back. Lead creeps over time and will pull away again if it is not re-fixed correctly.
Ridge and hip re-pointing is one of the most routine pitched-roof repairs. The lime or sand-cement mortar that beds ridge tiles cracks as the roof moves through seasonal temperature changes. Once mortar falls away, the ridge tile itself can rock in wind and eventually slide down the slope. Re-bedding and pointing with an appropriate mortar mix is straightforward but needs to be done with the right materials - too-strong a Portland cement mix will crack again quickly because it does not flex with the roof.
Chimneys take more punishment than any other part of a roof. They project above the ridge line, so they are exposed to wind from every direction, and they go through greater freeze-thaw cycles because their thermal mass is lower than the main roof structure. Problems include spalling brickwork, open crown pointing, failed flaunching (the sloped mortar cap around the chimney pots), cracked pots, and failed step flashings.
A chimney that is no longer in use can be capped with a ventilated cap to keep rain out while allowing air circulation inside the flue. This prevents moisture building up in the stack and causing staining to internal walls. On working chimneys, the lead flashing and back gutter behind the stack are the most critical waterproofing details and are worth checking every few years.
Valleys carry a large volume of rainwater from two roof slopes into one channel and down to the guttering. They are a common source of leaks because debris collects in them, mortar-filled valleys crack and open up, and lead valleys can split at cold-rolled joints. Open valleys lined with lead or code-5 zinc are generally the most reliable long-term solution on older properties. Mortar-filled valleys on newer builds can last well if the mortar is flexible and properly supported, but once they begin to crack, water finds its way under the adjacent tiles quickly.
The most common flat roof systems on existing properties are built-up felt (two or three layers of torch-on bitumen felt) and EPDM rubber sheet.
A patch repair is viable when the membrane is generally sound and the damage is limited to a specific area. Where the felt has widespread crazing, multiple splits, or is simply at the end of its serviceable life, a full replacement is better value than patching. EPDM rubber membranes, when correctly installed and with edge details properly terminated, typically remain serviceable for several decades before replacement becomes necessary - but a poor installation can fail within a few years regardless of the material.
If water has been sitting on a flat roof because the fall is inadequate or the outlet is partially blocked, the membrane will deteriorate faster. Sorting the drainage problem at the same time as repairing the surface is important, otherwise the repair will be under stress again within months.
Leaks around Velux and other roof windows are very common and are almost always a flashing fault rather than a problem with the window unit itself. The factory flashing kits that come with these windows need to be fitted correctly against the tile profile, and on older installations the rubber or lead upstand at the head of the window is the first place to deteriorate. Re-flashing a Velux window correctly, with the manufacturer's flashing kit or a bespoke lead detail, usually cures the leak permanently. Replacing the sealed glass unit is a separate issue if the glass itself has failed or misted between the panes.
Roof timbers - rafters, purlins, and wall plates - are not designed to be wet. Once the sarking felt (the underlay beneath the tiles) is breached and water reaches the timber, rot can set in within a season. By the time the ceiling plasterboard stains, the rafter directly above it may already be soft. A repair that costs a few hundred pounds today can prevent rafter replacement and new ceiling boarding that costs several times that amount.
Wind lifts ridge tiles and loosens nail fixings on older plain tile roofs. Frost expands water that has crept into open mortar joints and accelerates the cracking. Getting the roof checked after any significant storm, or as part of a routine check every few years, is straightforward preventive maintenance.
We carry out roof repairs across Poringland and the broader Norwich area, including Wymondham and Thorpe St Andrew. Common failure points vary by roof type, and the repair approach and materials need to match the existing roof.
On slate roofs, like-for-like replacement with natural slate - Welsh or Spanish - keeps the roof looking right and matches the weight and fixing method of the original tiles. Swapping slate for a lightweight alternative tile is possible but changes the character of the roof and can cause problems with planning on older properties. On clay plain tile roofs, matching the colour and size of existing tiles matters because even small patches of a different tile stand out on a south-facing slope.
Before agreeing to any roof repair, ask the roofer to explain exactly what the fault is and where it is. A roofer who cannot or will not show you photographic evidence of the problem, or explain why the specific repair they are proposing will fix it, is not giving you enough to make an informed decision. Ask what materials will be used - for lead work, the BS EN code (code 3, 4, or 5) matters because thinner lead in exposed positions will fail sooner. Ask whether the repair addresses the cause of the fault or only the symptom.
A single slipped tile is easy to fix. But if tiles are slipping because the battens beneath them have rotted or because the original nails have corroded through, replacing one tile without addressing the batten will mean more slipped tiles within a year or two. A good roofer will tell you this upfront.
Roof repair costs in and around Poringland typically range from around £150-£300 for a simple tile replacement or minor re-pointing job, up to £800-£1,500 or more for chimney stack repairs, valley replacements, or larger lead flashing work. A flat roof patch repair generally falls in the £200-£500 range depending on the area and the system. A full flat roof replacement on a typical single-storey extension runs from roughly £1,000-£2,500 depending on the size and the system chosen. These are general working figures - the actual cost depends on the specific fault, access, and materials.
Roof repairs in Poringland typically cost between £150 and £1,500 for most common faults including tile replacement, re-pointing, lead flashing, and flat roof patching, with chimney and valley work at the higher end of that range.
If you have noticed a damp patch, found tiles on the ground, or simply cannot remember the last time your roof was checked, call us to arrange a roof inspection. We will tell you what we find, explain the options clearly, and give you a written price before any work starts. There is no benefit in leaving a roof fault to develop through another winter.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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