A full roof replacement in Bury St Edmunds involves more stages than most people expect, and understanding the process helps you know what a proper job should look like.
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Two roofers can use the same tiles and arrive at very different results, depending on how carefully they carry out each stage. Cutting corners on the survey, the timber checks, or the detailing around flashings will not be obvious on the day the scaffolding comes down. It usually shows up two or three winters later. Knowing what a good replacement job involves means you can ask the right questions before you hand any money over.
We carry out full roof replacements in Bury St Edmunds and across the wider area including Mildenhall, Barton Mills, Culford, Risby and the surrounding villages. Here is an honest walkthrough of every stage, from the first look at your roof to the day we leave.
A proper assessment of a roof cannot be done from the pavement. Getting up onto the roof and, where possible, into the loft space is the only way to understand what is actually happening. From above, we check the condition of the covering, the ridge and hip details, all flashings, and the gutters and fascias. From the loft, we check the underside of the sarking felt for signs of moisture, the condition of the rafters and any purlins, and whether there is adequate ventilation.
At this stage the question being answered is not just "does this roof need replacing" but also "what does it need replacing with, and is there any structural work required first". A chimney stack that is badly pointed or a section of rafter that has started to rot needs addressing before new covering goes on, not after.
Once the survey is done, the scope of the work needs to be set out clearly before anything starts. That means agreeing the covering material (concrete tile, natural slate, clay tile), the underlay type, whether the ridge will be mortar-bedded or dry-fixed, what happens with the flashings, and whether fascias and soffits are being replaced at the same time. Getting this agreed in writing protects both parties.
This is also the time to raise any specific requirements, such as planning conditions if the property is in a conservation area or close to a listed building, or matching materials to a neighbouring property on a semi-detached house. Some areas have requirements about the colour or profile of replacement tiles and it is worth checking before ordering materials.
A full roof replacement requires a full scaffold, not just a couple of roof ladders. The scaffold gives safe working access around the whole roof perimeter and provides the edge protection needed to work safely and to stack materials. Expect the scaffold to go up a day or two before the roofing work begins, and to stay in place until all work including any chimney repointing or flashing work is finished and the site has been cleared.
If a roofer quotes for a full replacement without mentioning scaffolding, ask specifically how they intend to access the roof safely. Roof ladders alone are not sufficient for stripping and relaying an entire roof.
The old covering comes off first. On a tiled roof that means removing all the tiles, which can often be sorted and stacked if they are in good condition and the homeowner wants to keep them for outbuildings or other uses. The old battens and underlay come off next.
Stripping back to the bare timbers is when the real condition of the structure becomes clear. Rotted or cracked rafters need to be cut out and spliced or replaced. Any sections of rotten sarking board on older properties need to come out. This is not a surprise you want to encounter halfway through the job with no budget left to deal with it, which is why a thorough survey beforehand is important. A reputable roofer will flag the possibility of finding additional timber work at survey stage.
Stripped material needs to be managed carefully. Old tiles and debris should come down into a skip or bags, not be thrown off the edge of a roof into a garden. Ask how waste will be handled before the job starts.
Any identified rafter repairs are carried out at this stage, before anything new goes on. New timber is treated against rot and infestation. If the existing roof structure has any design limitations, such as inadequate purlin support on a wide span, this is the point to address them.
On older properties where the existing structure may not meet current standards for load-bearing or fixing, a structural assessment may be needed before specifying the new covering material. This is particularly relevant if a heavier material such as natural slate or clay plain tile is going onto a structure originally designed for lighter concrete tiles.
A breathable membrane underlay is laid over the rafters, lapped correctly at every join and fixed down before battens go on. The batten gauge is set to match the tile or slate being used, which determines how much each tile overlaps the one below. Getting the gauge wrong means either too much or too little tile exposed, both of which affect how the roof sheds water. New battens are fixed through the underlay into the rafters, not just tacked into the underlay.
Tiles or slates are laid from the eaves upwards, each course overlapping the one below by the correct amount. Verges and hips are detailed carefully. The ridge is either mortar-bedded using a mix that is not too rich (which would cause it to crack as it moves), or fitted with a dry-fix mechanical system that does not rely on mortar at all. The ridge is the most exposed point on the roof and the detail here affects how long the whole job holds up.
Flashings are cut, dressed and secured at every abutment. Lead is the correct material. Code 4 lead is standard for stepped flashings against walls; Code 5 for larger flat areas such as back gutters behind chimney stacks. Flashing work done with mortar alone, or with sealant tape, will fail in a few years and the water ingress it causes is often worse than the original problem.
Chimneys are repointed at the top (flaunching) and the lead flashings are replaced or re-dressed. Where chimneys are redundant and the homeowner does not intend to use the flue, it is worth discussing whether to cap and ventilate the pot rather than leave it open to the weather. Valleys where two roof slopes meet are lined with lead or Code 5 valley board and dressed to ensure water runs clear of the join.
A roof replacement is the natural time to assess the fascias and soffits. If they are rotten, replacing them while the scaffold is up costs significantly less than returning with access equipment later. New uPVC or timber fascias and soffits also give the eaves a clean finish that complements a new roof covering.
Gutters should be checked for falls (they need a slight slope to drain), secure fixing, and watertight joints. Blocked or poorly fixed gutters send water down the wall rather than away from the building, which can cause damp in the walls below.
When the roof covering is finished, a final check is carried out to confirm all tiles are correctly fixed, no ridge or hip pieces are loose, all valleys and flashings are sound, and gutters are clear and flowing correctly. The scaffold comes down after this check is satisfactory. All waste material is removed from the site.
After a replacement, the loft should be inspected once after the first heavy rain to confirm there are no issues with the underlay laps or any flashings. If you notice anything in the first few weeks, raise it promptly rather than waiting.
We work across Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area, including Mildenhall, Culford, Risby, Barton Mills and the surrounding villages. If your roof needs a proper assessment, call us to arrange a survey and we will give you a straight view of what the job involves from start to finish.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
