When your roof starts showing serious warning signs, Ely Roofers can assess whether a full replacement in Burwell is the right call and carry out the work properly from start to finish.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Most roofs can be repaired at some point in their life. The problem is that repeated repairs on an ageing roof become a false economy. If a roofer is patching the same area every couple of years, or if multiple sections are failing at once, the cost of ongoing maintenance will eventually overtake the cost of stripping the roof and starting fresh. A full replacement gives you a sound structure, new weatherproofing from ridge to eaves, and no outstanding weak spots.
We carry out roof replacements across Burwell and the surrounding area, working on everything from Victorian terraces to modern detached houses. The job involves stripping all the existing tiles or slates and felt, inspecting the timber structure underneath, replacing any damaged battens or rafters, and re-covering with new materials bedded and pointed correctly.
Knowing what to look for can save you money. Catching a failing roof early gives you time to plan and budget. Leaving it too long risks water damage to ceilings, timbers and insulation that adds considerably to the final bill.
Roofs fail for a range of reasons, and understanding the cause helps you make an informed decision about what replacement materials to use.
Underlay breakdown. The felt or underlay beneath the tiles is the secondary line of defence. On older roofs this was often a bitumen-based felt that becomes brittle after 30 or 40 years. Once it cracks, water that gets past the tiles has nothing to hold it back from the rafters and ceiling. This is one of the most common reasons a roof that looks reasonable from the ground is actually failing.
Batten rot. Tile battens are thin strips of timber that the tiles hang on. When underlay fails or when wind-driven rain gets underneath the eaves, the battens get wet repeatedly and eventually rot. Rotten battens cannot hold tiles securely, which is why you start to see slippage across whole sections of the roof.
Ridge and hip mortar failure. The mortar that beds ridge tiles stiffens and cracks over time, pulled apart by frost and thermal movement. Once it goes, ridge tiles shift in the wind. A contractor who simply re-beds the ridge on an old roof may be masking a wider problem below.
Porous tiles. Concrete tiles in particular absorb water over time. A porous tile is heavier when wet, cycles through freeze-thaw more harshly, and eventually spalls or cracks. When a significant proportion of tiles on a roof are porous, replacement is more sensible than repeated patching.
Structural movement. Older properties sometimes have rafters that were undersized by modern standards, or that have been weakened by previous leak damage. When we strip a roof, we inspect every rafter and replace or sister any that are soft, cracked or bowed.
In most cases, a like-for-like roof replacement on a standard residential property in England falls under permitted development and does not need planning permission. You would typically need consent if the property is a listed building, if it sits in a designated conservation area and the replacement changes the appearance of the roof, or if you want to change the roof material significantly. If you are unsure, check with the local planning authority before work begins.
A full replacement on a standard semi-detached house typically runs from around £5,000 to £9,000 depending on the roof size, pitch, material chosen and the condition of the underlying timber. Larger detached properties can be considerably more. Natural slate costs more per square metre than concrete tiles, but it lasts longer and looks better on older properties. We price each job individually once we have seen the roof properly, because guessing without a look leads to surprises for everyone.
Before agreeing to a roof replacement, it is worth asking the roofer a few direct questions. Ask them to explain what they found on the existing roof and why repair is not the right answer in your case. Ask what happens if the timber underneath is worse than expected. Ask what materials they are specifying and why. A roofer who can answer these clearly is one who has actually assessed the job rather than just priced a square metreage.
It is also worth getting more than one price. A quote that is significantly cheaper than others is worth questioning: cheaper often means thinner battens, lower-quality tiles or corners cut on the ridge and flashings.
As well as Burwell, we carry out roof replacements in Ely and the surrounding villages. If you are nearby and your roof is giving you cause for concern, call us to arrange a proper roof survey.
If you have noticed any of the warning signs above, the sensible first step is a proper inspection from roof level. Call Ely Roofers to book a roof survey in Burwell and get a clear picture of what your roof actually needs.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
