If your home in Stowmarket needs a new roof, there is often a gap between the decision being made and work starting - knowing what to do in that time, and what to avoid, protects your home and saves you money.
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A new roof on an existing house starts with scaffold being erected around the building so that roofers can work safely and securely. The old covering - tiles or slates, battens and underlay - is then stripped back to the rafters. Before anything new goes on, a roofer should check the timber structure carefully: rafters, wall plates and any decking need to be sound before the new covering is fixed. Any rotten or damaged timber should be replaced at this stage.
New breathable underlay is fixed across the rafters, followed by tanalised (pressure-treated) timber battens at the correct gauge for the tile being used. Tiles or slates are fixed course by course from the eaves upward. Ridge tiles go on last, either bedded in mortar or fixed with a dry-fix ventilated system. Leadwork at chimneys, valley gutters and abutments is replaced at the same time as the main covering, because the scaffold is already in place and it makes no sense to leave ageing lead while everything else is new.
For flat sections on extensions or outbuildings, the deck is checked for rot or movement, and the new system - mineral felt or EPDM rubber membrane - is installed over rigid insulation board. EPDM rubber is the more durable long-term option: it does not blister in warm weather and handles temperature movement without cracking. EPDM flat roofs typically cost £70 to £110 per square metre installed.
A full re-roof on a standard semi-detached house using concrete interlocking tiles typically costs £5,000 to £10,000. Natural slate costs more - typically £8,000 to £15,000 for the same size - because the material and fixing time are both higher. Costs can rise if damaged rafters or decking need replacing once the covering is stripped.
The three main options for pitched roofs are concrete interlocking tiles, natural slate, and plain clay tiles. Concrete tiles are the most economical and suit most house styles. Natural slate lasts longest when properly fixed and suits traditional properties well. Plain clay tiles are used where a period appearance is important - they are heavier than concrete and more expensive, and the roof structure should be checked to ensure it can carry the additional load.
On a re-roof, try to match the existing tile or slate profile if the house is in a conservation area or subject to a planning condition.
Once a roofer is booked and a start date agreed, there is often a period of days or weeks before the scaffold goes up and work begins. What you do - and avoid doing - in that time matters.
If the roof is already leaking or has known weak spots, the priority is to prevent water getting into the building structure while you wait. Saturated insulation loses its thermal performance and can take weeks to dry out. Water tracking into ceiling voids causes plasterboard to sag and can reach electrical fittings, which creates a safety risk.
Practical steps you can take while you wait:
The gap before work starts can prompt homeowners to attempt a temporary fix themselves. Some of these attempts are harmless; some cause additional damage or make the roofer's job harder. Here is what to avoid.
Do not walk on the roof tiles. Concrete and clay tiles crack under point loading from a person's weight, and natural slate is brittle. Walking on a roof without proper equipment and knowledge of where the load-bearing points are causes damage that may not be visible immediately but will lead to water ingress later. If you need to get a closer look at a problem, contact the roofer and ask them to go up safely - do not attempt it yourself.
Do not apply expanding foam or sealant inside the loft. It is tempting to try to seal a gap or crack in the underlay from below, but foam applied to a small area can push into the gap and make it harder for a roofer to identify and properly fix the source later. Foam also prevents the underlay from doing its job - moving water down to the gutter rather than holding it against the structure.
Do not apply roof paint or sealant coatings to tiles. Liquid coatings applied to a struggling roof do not address the cause of the problem. They can trap moisture beneath the surface, cause tiles to bond together making future work more difficult, and create a finish that deteriorates unevenly. A coating is not a substitute for proper repair or replacement.
Do not attempt to re-point ridge tiles with ready-mix mortar. The mortar mix, consistency and curing conditions all affect how well the joint holds. A ridge tile that is poorly re-bedded can shift or lift in the first frost and create a worse leak point than before.
Do not ignore the gutters. If the roof is leaking at the eaves, a blocked or overflowing gutter may be the cause - or it may be making a genuine roof problem worse. Clearing gutters is something most homeowners can do safely from a properly footed ladder at eaves height, without going on the roof itself. It will not fix a failing roof, but it rules out one common cause and stops overflow water from saturating the eaves timbers further.
A new roof is the most cost-effective time to replace timber soffits and fascias if they are rotting or due for renewal. The scaffold is already in place, so adding fascia and soffit work at the same time avoids a separate mobilisation cost later. UPVC fascia and soffit boards need no painting and do not rot. Soffit and fascia replacement on a standard semi-detached house typically costs £800 to £1,800 depending on the number of runs and whether any timber repairs are needed underneath.
If the guttering is old plastic that is sagging, cracked or has failing joints, it makes sense to replace it at the same time. A new gutter system on a house where the roof has just been replaced protects the new installation properly from the outset.
A new roof is also the right moment to check loft insulation and ventilation. Current guidance calls for around 270mm of mineral wool insulation at loft floor level for a cold loft. Adequate eaves ventilation is essential alongside this - blocked eaves cause condensation to build up in the loft space, which damages timber and creates mould on the underside of the underlay. Tell the roofer if you plan to top up your loft insulation so they can make sure eaves ventilation is not compromised during installation.
We install pitched and flat roofs. If your roof needs attention and you want a straight conversation about what is involved and what it will cost, call us to arrange a roof survey - we will come and look at the job properly before we quote anything.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
