Ely Roofers installs new pitched and flat roofs in Lakenheath, using slates, clay and concrete tiles and EPDM systems designed to perform for decades with the right care.
The quality of a new roof installation matters enormously. So does what happens after the scaffold comes down. A well-built pitched roof in natural slate or concrete tile can last 40 to 100 years, but not without some straightforward attention over that time. Neglect a few simple tasks and even a good roof will develop problems years before it should. This page covers what a new roof involves, how to choose the right material, what it costs, and then goes into the practical aftercare that actually protects your investment.
Ely Roofers installs new roofs in Lakenheath and covers nearby areas including Soham, Ely, Littleport and the surrounding Fenland villages. The advice on this page applies to any new pitched or flat roof, whether on an existing house, an extension or a new build.
On a pitched roof the process begins with a full strip - tiles or slates come off, and the timber structure underneath is checked. Any rotten rafters, damaged wall plates or failing joists are repaired or replaced before anything else goes on. New breathable underlay is fitted across the whole roof, followed by new treated battens gauged correctly for the tile or slate being used. The covering is then laid course by course, with attention to the eaves detail, the verge finish, and the ridge. Lead flashings are dressed at every abutment, valley and chimney base.
On a flat roof - over an extension, bay window or single-storey structure - the deck boards are checked and replaced where soft or damaged. The new waterproof system is then applied, with falls checked carefully to ensure water drains towards the outlet rather than pooling. We install torch-on modified bitumen felt and EPDM rubber membrane. EPDM is a single-piece system with minimal joins, which matters because joins are the most common point of failure on any flat roof.
Three main options cover the majority of pitched roof work:
For flat roofs, EPDM rubber membrane is increasingly the preferred choice due to its single-piece installation and long service life. Torch-on modified bitumen felt is a well-established alternative, particularly for larger areas. Neither uses fibre reinforcements in a way that affects performance for standard residential use.
For a standard semi-detached house, a full pitched re-roof in concrete interlocking tile typically costs in the region of £5,000-£9,000. Natural slate adds significantly to this; budget around £8,000-£14,000 for a similar property. These figures cover stripping, new underlay and battens, the tile or slate covering, ridge, verge and flashings, and scaffolding - but always confirm what is and is not included in any quote you receive.
For flat roofs on extensions, torch-on felt systems run roughly £70-£120 per square metre and EPDM rubber roughly £80-£130 per square metre, assuming the deck is in reasonable condition. Deck replacement adds to these figures.
These are honest typical UK ranges. The actual price for any individual roof depends on size, pitch, the number of hips, valleys and abutments, access, and how much timber work is required once the roof is stripped.
Once a new roof is on, most homeowners assume the job is done. In terms of the installation, it is. But a roof is not a sealed unit - it interacts with weather, gutters, vegetation and the structure of the house over decades. A small amount of attention each year prevents the kind of gradual damage that eventually costs serious money.
Blocked gutters are one of the most common causes of avoidable roof and wall damage. When gutters overflow, water backs up under the eaves and soaks the fascia board and rafter feet - the timber at the very edge of the roof that supports the eaves tiles. Over a few years this causes rot that can undermine the bottom courses of the roof. In winter, blocked gutters hold standing water that freezes, expands and forces the gutter joints apart.
Clear gutters every autumn after the leaves have fallen. If there are large trees near the house, check again in spring. If the gutters are consistently filling with debris, gutter guards are worth considering at the point of installation - raise this with your roofer before the scaffold comes down.
Moss colonises roof tiles in damp, shaded conditions. A thin covering is mainly cosmetic, but heavy moss build-up causes problems. Moss holds moisture against the tile surface, which accelerates frost damage in winter. On plain tiles, moss can grow underneath the tile laps and physically lift the tiles apart, allowing water in. On flat roofs, moss and algae growth can block outlets and accelerate membrane degradation around the edges.
Moss should be treated by brushing off the growth and applying a biocide, not by high-pressure washing. Pressure washing forces water under tiles and into the roof structure, and can erode the surface of concrete tiles, removing the coating that protects them. A soft brush and a suitable roof treatment product are the correct approach. A roofer can do this from a scaffold or tower.
If moss is persistent and the roof is in a heavily shaded spot, the long-term solution is to manage the vegetation causing the shade rather than simply treating the moss each time it returns.
Lead flashings at chimneys, abutments, valleys and soil pipe boots are the weak points of any roof - not because lead is unreliable, but because these are the junction points where two different surfaces meet, and movement, frost and UV exposure concentrate at junctions. A new installation uses correctly gauged lead properly dressed and clipped, but even well-fitted lead can develop hairline cracks after years of thermal expansion and contraction.
After a hard winter with significant frost, it is worth having flashings checked. A cracked flashing is a repair, not a replacement. Catching it early means a relatively minor cost; leaving it allows water to track into the timber and cause secondary damage that is far more expensive.
On roofs with a mortar-bedded ridge or mortar verge, the mortar gradually weathers, cracks and eventually falls away. This is not a sign of poor workmanship - it is what mortar does over 20-30 years of exposure. When the mortar goes, the ridge tiles are loose and can be lifted by wind, and the verge tiles are no longer properly supported at the edge.
A good practice after a new roof installation is to know which system was used. Dry-fix ridge and verge systems use mechanical fixings rather than mortar, which eliminates this maintenance need almost entirely. If your new roof was built with a dry-fix system, the ridge and verge need far less attention. If it uses mortar, a visual check from the ground with binoculars once a year will let you spot cracking or displacement before it becomes a problem.
A single slipped or cracked tile is a repair job that takes an hour. Left unfixed, it allows water into the underlay and, if the underlay is also damaged at that point, into the roof void and eventually the ceiling below. After any significant wind or storm, scan the roof from the ground. Missing or displaced tiles are usually obvious. If you see anything out of place, arrange for it to be fixed promptly - not next month.
A binocular check from the garden once or twice a year is a genuinely useful habit. You do not need to be a roofer to notice a tile that is sitting at a different angle to its neighbours, or a ridge tile that has dropped.
Flat roofs need slightly different attention. Clear any debris - leaves, twigs, pooled grit - from the roof surface and especially from around the outlet at least once a year. Debris traps moisture and adds weight; blocking the outlet causes standing water that stresses the membrane and any upstand flashings.
Check the upstands - the section of membrane that turns up the wall around the perimeter - for lifting or cracking. This is the most common failure point on a flat roof after the joins. Also check around any pipes or rooflights where the membrane has been cut and sealed; these seals are worth inspecting annually.
Do not walk on a flat roof unless you know what the deck can bear. EPDM is tough but the deck boards beneath it can be soft without showing it from above. If access is needed for maintenance or inspection, use a board to spread the load.
Some situations need prompt attention rather than a scheduled annual check:
None of these requires an emergency call-out if caught in time, but all of them will become more expensive the longer they are left.
A new roof installation is the right time to address the roofline. uPVC fascias and soffits are maintenance-free and protect the rafter feet from the rot that wood is susceptible to. If the existing guttering is cracked, pulling away or sagging, replacing it while the scaffold is up avoids paying for access again later. Ask your roofer what condition the existing roofline is in before work starts - it is a straightforward question and the answer should be part of any proper survey.
If you are planning a new roof on a property in Lakenheath or a nearby village, call Ely Roofers to arrange a proper survey and a written, itemised quote. We will explain the options, give you honest advice on materials, and talk you through what upkeep the finished roof will need.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
