If you're facing a roof replacement in Attleborough and want to know exactly what the job involves - from the initial inspection through to clearing the last piece of waste - this is the page for you.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A full roof replacement is one of the larger jobs you'll have done on your home. Knowing what each stage involves means you can ask the right questions, understand what you're being quoted for, and spot a roofer who is cutting corners. It also helps you know what to expect while the work is going on.
Dereham Roofers carry out roof replacements across Attleborough and the surrounding area. Here's a straightforward account of how a properly executed roof replacement goes from start to finish.
Before anything is quoted or agreed, the roof needs to be properly assessed. A visual check from the ground with binoculars can give some indication, but the only way to accurately assess a roof's condition is to get up onto it and look closely at the tiles, ridge, hips, valleys, flashings and mortar. A check from inside the loft is also essential to assess the condition of the underlay, batten and structural timber.
During a proper inspection, a roofer should be checking:
This inspection is what allows a roofer to quote accurately and to flag any structural timber work that needs doing before or during the replacement. Any quote produced without a proper roof inspection should be treated with caution - if the roofer hasn't seen the underlay condition or the batten state, they are guessing.
Once the inspection is done, the next step is agreeing what the job will involve. This includes choosing the replacement material (tile type, slate type, colour and profile), deciding whether fascias and soffits are being replaced, and agreeing what happens with ridge details - whether mortar-bedded ridge tiles or mechanically fixed dry-ridge systems are being used.
Dry-ridge systems are worth mentioning specifically. Traditional ridge tiles are bedded and pointed in mortar. That mortar fails after 20 to 40 years and needs re-doing. A dry-ridge system uses a mechanical fixing and a ventilated ridge unit that requires no mortar, which is more durable and removes a maintenance item from the roof. It adds cost upfront but is a better long-term detail on a new roof.
The specification should also confirm the underlay type. Ask for breathable (vapour-permeable) underlay rather than standard felt - it's better for the roof structure and is now the standard on quality replacements.
No responsible roofer strips a pitched roof without proper scaffolding. Full scaffold with edge protection is a requirement for work at roof level and protects both the workers and your property below. Scaffold is typically erected by a separate scaffolding contractor and will be in place before any roofing work begins.
Before stripping begins, skips or tipper-trailer access is arranged for waste. Paths, driveways and any plants or garden features immediately below the roof line should be protected where possible - good roofers will lay boards or sheeting to protect hard surfaces from falling debris and dropped tiles.
The existing tiles or slates are removed first, working from the ridge down to the eaves. Ridge tiles come off first, then main field tiles, then verge tiles and eaves tiles. All of this material goes directly into the skip or onto the trailer as it comes off.
Once the tiles are off, the old felt underlay and the battens are stripped back to the bare rafters. This is the stage where the true condition of the roof structure becomes visible - any rotten batten or damaged rafter that wasn't visible before the strip is identified now. If structural work is needed, it is carried out at this point before anything new goes on.
If you've asked for any original tiles to be set aside - for re-use, matching or reclaim - this is when they're separated from the skip waste. Let the roofer know before stripping begins, not after.
Any rotten or damaged rafters, purlins or wall plates are cut out and replaced with treated timber at this stage. If the damage is limited to one or two sections, it can usually be spliced in without replacing entire lengths. If there is widespread rot - often caused by a long-term leak that wasn't dealt with - more extensive work may be needed.
The extent of any structural repairs should be explained to you clearly before the work is done, and you should understand what's being replaced and why. Photographs taken during stripping are useful here - a roofer who can show you the problem on a photo before fixing it is giving you something concrete rather than asking you to take their word for it.
Once the structure is sound, new breathable underlay is laid from the eaves up to the ridge, overlapping at each course to ensure any water that penetrates the tiles runs down and out rather than into the structure. The underlay is fixed to the rafters and lapped correctly at abutments and verges.
New treated timber battens are then nailed horizontally across the rafters at the correct gauge (spacing) for the tile being used. The gauge determines how much of each tile is exposed and must be calculated precisely for the tile specification - the wrong gauge causes tiles to fit poorly and can create gaps that allow water in.
Tiles or slates are fixed in courses starting from the eaves and working upward. Every tile or slate is individually checked as it goes on - cracked or substandard pieces are removed before they get fixed to the roof. Nailing or clipping frequency depends on the pitch of the roof and the exposure of the site - on steeper or more exposed roofs, more tiles are mechanically fixed rather than relying on gravity and overlap alone.
Valleys, where two roof slopes meet, are detailed carefully at this stage. Swept and laced valleys use cut tiles to form the junction and require a high level of skill to lay well. Mortar or lead valleys are an alternative and are faster to form. The choice of valley detail affects both appearance and longevity.
Lead flashings at chimney stacks, dormers and abutments are dressed and secured at this stage. Lead work should be fixed with lead clips, not mortar alone, to allow for thermal movement.
The ridge is the last major element. If using a dry-ridge system, the ridge units are clipped and sealed mechanically. If using mortar-bedded ridge tiles, they are bedded on a cement mortar mix and pointed neatly. Verge tiles at the edges of the roof are either mortar-bedded (traditional) or fitted with a dry-verge unit that clips on without mortar.
Once the roof is complete, a final walk-round inspection checks that all tiles are sitting correctly, all ridge and hip tiles are secure, all flashings are dressed properly and all gutters are clear and flowing correctly. Scaffold is cleared of any debris before it comes down.
All waste from the job - old tiles, felt, battens and any packaging - should leave with the roofer. A skip should be removed promptly, not left on the drive for weeks. The site should be left clean and tidy.
If your roof needs replacing and you want a clear explanation of what the job will involve before you commit to anything, call Dereham Roofers. We'll carry out a proper inspection and walk you through what we found and what we're proposing, so you know exactly what you're agreeing to.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
