Mildenhall Roofers carries out roof repairs in Waterbeach and nearby villages, covering everything from slipped tiles and leaking flashings to full flat roof replacements.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
When a roof develops a problem, the repair method and materials you choose matter as much as finding someone to do the work. A patch that uses the wrong material, or a like-for-like fix where a full replacement would have been the better call, can leave you with the same problem again within a few years. This page sets out the honest options for the most common types of roof repair so you can make an informed decision.
Pitched roofs are covered in a range of materials, including concrete interlocking tiles, clay plain tiles, or natural slate. Each has different repair characteristics and costs.
Concrete interlocking tiles are the most common covering on homes built from the 1970s onwards. They are relatively inexpensive and straightforward to replace individually, but matching the colour and profile of an older tile can be difficult because many profiles are no longer manufactured. A mismatched tile is usually better than leaving a gap, but it is worth asking a roofer to check whether a close match is available before ordering. Concrete tiles can also develop a powdery surface coating over time, and the mortar bedding on ridges and hips tends to shrink and crack after 20-30 years, making ridge re-bedding a very common repair on roofs of this age.
Clay plain tiles are found on older properties and on many houses where the owner wanted a more traditional appearance. They tend to be more durable than concrete over the very long term but are more expensive to replace because they are smaller (meaning more tiles per square metre) and because reclaimed or matching new clay tiles carry a price premium. On a clay tile roof, individual tiles are often held in place by nibs hooked over the batten rather than being nailed, so a single tile can slip without any fixing failure; it simply needs to be re-hooked and, if the tile itself is intact, can be re-used.
Natural slate has a lifespan that can exceed 100 years on a well-maintained roof, but the fixings - typically copper or stainless steel nails - can corrode or the slate can delaminate. When slates begin to fail in numbers, the roof may reach a point where patching individual slates is no longer cost-effective. A useful rule of thumb is that if more than 20-25% of slates need attention, a full re-cover is likely to be more economical over a 10-year period than continuing to repair. New natural slate is sold by origin: Welsh, Spanish and Chinese slate vary in quality, price and expected lifespan. Welsh slate is generally considered the most durable but carries the highest price. Spanish slate is a good mid-range option. The roofer should be able to confirm what specification is being used.
Flat roofs are found on garages, extensions, dormer tops and some bungalow sections. The two most common repair and replacement materials are built-up felt and EPDM rubber membrane. Here is an honest comparison:
Traditional three-layer built-up felt has been used on flat roofs for decades and is well understood by most roofers. It is the lower-cost option at installation and is straightforward to patch when damage is localised. The significant drawback is lifespan: standard felt typically lasts 10-15 years before it begins to crack and blister, particularly if the roof is in a sunny or exposed position. Modified bitumen (torch-on felt) lasts longer - typically 15-20 years - and forms a stronger bond to the deck. It is worth asking which specification is being quoted.
Felt is also less forgiving at low temperatures. It becomes brittle in hard frosts and can crack if walked on during cold weather. If a felt roof is repaired with a patch, the patch must be properly bonded at all edges; a poorly adhered patch will lift in warm weather as the felt beneath it expands.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a single-ply rubber membrane that has become the preferred option for many flat roof installations over the past 15-20 years. It stays flexible at temperatures well below freezing, making it far less prone to cold-weather cracking. A properly installed EPDM roof typically carries a material lifespan of 40-50 years, though the quality of installation has a significant bearing on this.
The main joints on an EPDM roof are at the edges and around penetrations (pipes, outlets, upstands). These are bonded with a specialist adhesive and, when done correctly, form a watertight seal. The most common failure points on EPDM roofs are poorly bonded seams or an upstand that has not been taken high enough up the adjoining wall. A repair to a seam or a failed upstand is relatively quick, but it requires the right adhesive and primer for the material.
EPDM costs more to install than basic felt, but over a 20-year period it is almost always the more cost-effective choice when you factor in repeat repair and replacement costs for felt.
Lead flashing seals the junction between the roof covering and a vertical surface such as a chimney stack, a parapet wall or the side of a dormer. It is the most durable flashing material available and, when properly dressed and pointed in, should last 50 years or more. However, it is also one of the most common sources of roof leaks when it fails.
Lead fails in a few specific ways. The pointing that secures the top edge of the flashing into the mortar joint can shrink and crack, allowing water to track behind the flashing. The lead itself can crack if it has been cut too long without expansion joints (lead moves significantly with temperature change). Badly dressed lead - flashing that has not been properly formed against the surface it is sealing - will gap and admit water at the slightest movement.
A repair to existing lead may involve re-pointing the top edge, re-dressing the lead against the surface and applying a sealant compound. Where lead has cracked or been cut without adequate expansion allowance, replacement of that section is the correct fix. Never accept a permanent repair that relies solely on sealant applied over the top of existing failed lead; this will not last.
Ridge tiles on a pitched roof are bedded and pointed with mortar, which typically needs attention every 20-30 years. When the mortar cracks, the ridge tiles become loose and can shift in wind. A ridge re-bed involves lifting each tile, cleaning off the old mortar, and re-bedding and pointing with fresh mortar or a flexible pointing compound. Dry-fix ridge systems, which use a mechanical fixing and ventilated cowl rather than mortar, are increasingly common on re-roofing work and eliminate the mortar maintenance cycle.
Chimney repairs should always include an inspection of the flaunching (the sloped mortar collar around the base of the chimney pot), the pointing between bricks, and the condition of the flashing at each side. These elements tend to deteriorate at a similar rate, so repairing only one of them is often a false economy.
Concrete or metal garage roofs are a specific case. Many flat-roofed garages have older felt that is well past its useful life. If the deck beneath (typically timber or concrete) is sound, a re-cover with EPDM or torch-on felt is straightforward. If the deck has been affected by prolonged moisture ingress, the deck itself may need repair or replacement before the new covering goes on, which adds to the cost. This is why getting onto the roof and inspecting the deck is an important part of any garage roof survey.
We carry out roof repairs across Waterbeach and the surrounding villages, working from our base in Mildenhall. We also cover other nearby places. Call us to arrange a roof survey so we can inspect the roof properly and give you a clear account of what needs doing and what your options are.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
