Roofers in Middleleaze

A roof built in the 1980s was put together to a good standard for its time. It simply has not had the benefit of modern materials, and the hidden layers have had a long time to age.

Q1.1What has happened to the felt and battens?

Felt under the tiles of this era tends to be bitumen-based, and by now it may have turned brittle, split along the battens or sagged between rafters. Where it has failed, water reaches the battens, which soften and let nails loosen. Tiles then slip even though they are intact. You can have a roof where the tiles look excellent from the road and the structure beneath is giving up.

Q1.2Is the pitch right for the tile?

Interlocking tiles have a minimum pitch, set by the manufacturer. Below it, rain can be driven under the laps. Marley's published figures include 15 degrees for Mendip, 17.5 for Edgemere and 22.5 for Double Roman, so a shallow roof needs the right tile and a well-laid underlay. Our page on minimum tile pitch explains how to check yours.

Q1.3Are the ridge, verge and flashings still holding?

Bedding that has lasted forty years is a good result, but it is rarely sound by now. Ridge tiles are now clipped or screwed as well as bedded, following BS 5534:2014, so re-bedding an older ridge also brings it up to the present method. Lead and cement flashings at chimneys and adjoining walls should be checked at the same visit.

Our roof repairs and roof replacement pages explain how we decide between the two.

We lift a few tiles at the survey where needed, photograph the felt and battens underneath, and show you what we found. That gives you a fair picture of the remaining life in the roof, and if the answer is that the roof has years left, the quote says exactly that. Where it does not, the photographs make the case for re-covering far better than a verbal opinion could.

West Swindon's suburbs are in Swindon Borough, so the council that deals with your roof is the same one that handles the town centre. The rules are simpler than in the old parts of town.

Q3.1Which re-roofs fall under Building Regulations?

Under the Planning Portal's guidance, a re-roof is normally outside building control while it affects less than 25 per cent of the total building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof. If a re-roof passes those limits, approval applies and the roof may also need better insulation under Part L. A covering 15 per cent or more heavier needs approval, so swapping a lightweight tile for a heavy one calls for a structure check.

Q3.2Does planning permission come into it?

Middleleaze is not on the council's list of 27 conservation areas, and the list shows no Article 4 direction here. Putting back what was there is rarely a matter for planning. Should you be considering roof windows, our skylights page goes through the planning questions.

Q3.3What about extensions and conservatories?

Replacing a glazed conservatory roof with a solid one needs a building control application first. A flat extension roof may need one as well when its insulation has to be improved. We explain which route applies and take care of the notice if the work is notifiable.

Before you accept any quote, you should know which route your job takes, who is responsible for the paperwork and how much time it adds, so you can plan around it. A re-roof that is notifiable is not a problem when it is planned for, and the application is simply one more line on the programme. If the council's inspector needs to see the roof structure, we arrange access at the right stage, before the new covering hides it. When the work is finished you receive the paperwork you need to keep with the house deeds, which matters at resale.