Roofers in Leafield

Leafield's position is unusual even by Cotswold standards. At 194 metres it stands well above the surrounding valleys, with open plateau on every side. That height is the source of the village's good views and also of most of its roofing trouble.

Q1.1What does wind do to a tiled roof?

It works on the weakest detail. A tile is not blown off in one piece; it lifts a few millimetres in each gust until a nail pulls or a clip fails. Ridge and hip tiles, bedded on mortar, crack along the joints and rock. Verges, the edges of the roof at a gable, let wind in underneath and loosen the cement pointing. The 2014 revision of BS 5534 removed mortar as the sole means of holding ridge and hip tiles, so fixings are added, and one route is a dry-fix ridge system tested under BS 8612. Our ridge, verge and dry-fix page sets out what each choice involves.

Q1.2Does a tiled roof need ventilation?

Yes, and exposure makes it more important. Under a non-breathable underlay, Marley's guidance, based on BS 5250, calls for a continuous 10 mm gap along the eaves on roofs steeper than 15 degrees, with extra high-level ventilation above 35 degrees. Warm damp air escaping from a house into a cold loft condenses against the underside of the covering, and the timber suffers. We check eaves vents as part of every survey.

Slipped tiles are the commonest sign of trouble after a gale, and one slipped tile is rarely alone. The nail or clip that failed was holding in the same timber as its neighbours, so we check the rows either side and the battens behind. A single refixed tile may be all that is needed, but if the battens have softened or the nails have rusted, a larger section has to be stripped and re-laid. Either way, the survey photographs show you the evidence.

When a storm has already done its work, our first call is to make the roof safe, and the lasting repair is planned afterwards. Photographs taken at survey are yours to keep.

Leafield's history includes some large buildings. The Langley radio station ran from 1912 to 1986, and the site was later redeveloped as a training college and then a motorsport technical centre. Roofs on buildings of that scale and use obey different rules from a cottage slope.

Q3.1How long does a flat roof covering last?

It depends on the material and the workmanship. MyBuilder, in a guide updated on 21 August 2026, says a flat roof typically lasts 15 to 30 years. Sources vary by covering: GreenSpec gives EPDM an expected service life of 20 to 30 years, Less puts GRP at 25 to 40 years, and torch-on felt at 10 to 20 years, with a good job able to last 20. Those are typical figures, never promises.

Q3.2Why do large roofs leak at the joins?

Sheets expand and shrink, seams open, and rooflight kerbs and gutter linings crack where movement concentrates. Falls matter too: the design target is 1 in 40 so that the finished roof achieves at least 1 in 80, and a roof that ponds water is a roof that fails sooner.

Q3.3Can a business keep trading during repairs?

Usually, if the work is planned in sections and the building is made safe at the end of each day. Our commercial roofing page describes the approach. Fragile materials, such as old cement sheeting or rooflights, are treated as hazards before anyone steps on them.

Planned maintenance suits a large site better than emergency calls. A yearly walk across the roof, a clear-out of outlets and gutters, and a note of any movement at seams or rooflights keeps small faults small. The record of what was found and fixed also helps if a building changes hands or a landlord asks about the state of the roof.

Smaller outbuildings, such as garages and porches, run on the same reasoning at a smaller size. A garage whose felt has nearly run its course needs a repair-or-replace decision just like a factory roof, and the survey photographs make that decision visible to you before any money is committed. Inside the village, we also look at what lies under any flat roof, because a rotted deck or blocked outlet changes the answer from a patch to a re-cover.