Roofers in Seend

A roof that has sat on a hilltop for generations picks up small faults, and rain exploits the weakest. In Seend the older houses are stone and brick, so wall heads, chimney stacks and roof edges meet the weather first.

Q1.1Why does lead fail at the junctions?

Flashing is the lead, or in cheaper repairs mortar, that seals a roof to a wall or stack rising beside it. Lead that was fitted properly outlasts most things on a roof, yet it creeps downhill and splits, and old mortar fillets crack away from the brick. Around a stack or gable wall, a leak usually means a flashing edge has risen or a joint has opened. A soaker, the folded lead piece under each course of slate or tile against a wall, stays hidden until the covering is lifted, so we inspect the visible flashing and open up only what we must. More on stacks sits on our chimney repairs page.

Q1.2What goes wrong at verges and ridges?

The verge is the sloped rim of a roof where it ends beside a gable wall. If it relies on mortar, the bedding weathers and a gale can get under the edge. Ridge tiles on older houses were often bedded on mortar by itself. Since BS 5534:2014, a ridge cannot lean on mortar alone, so any ridge we rebed is also mechanically fixed. Up on an open hilltop, that extra grip is worth having.

Q1.3What is going on behind the covering?

Under the tiles, old battens go soft, nails rust through and the timber at the eaves soaks up damp. A tile that has slid is often a symptom of this, not the cause. When we find it, the survey photographs show you the same thing, so the written quote answers the actual fault rather than a guess.

Gutters cause quiet damage. A blocked or sagging run pours water down a brick or stone wall in place of carrying it away, and staining beneath the eaves gives it away. Clearing and realigning a gutter is a small job that can head off a bigger one.

The great majority of Seend roof jobs need no permission whatever. Renewing broken tiles, refixing slates or rebedding a ridge in matching material is upkeep. Three situations differ, and each is covered below.

Q3.1When does a large re-covering need approval?

Under the Planning Portal's test, you normally avoid a building control application when under 25 per cent of the total building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof is touched. Go further and Building Regulations approval applies, and the roof's insulation may then need upgrading under Building Regulations too. A covering 15 per cent or more heavier needs Building Regulations approval as well. On notifiable jobs we tell you what consent is needed and deal with the Building Regulations notification, using Wiltshire Council's building control team or a registered building control approver.

Q3.2What if the roof will look different?

Seend's conservation area dates from 1973, and Wiltshire Council's planning and conservation teams decide what counts as a change to its character. A re-roof in identical material leaves the house looking the same and seldom needs planning permission. A new type of covering, or alterations you can see from the lane, are best raised with the council before you commit, because asking first costs far less than undoing work afterwards.

Q3.3What about the listed houses and the church?

Holy Cross is a Grade I church, and Seend Manor House and Seend House are Grade II*. A listed building is protected in law: any change touching its character requires listed building consent, and the roof covering falls within that. The Church of England's churches in use sit outside that system, which works through a faculty instead. For a house you think may be listed, we help you check the council's records before pricing starts.