New roofs and re-roofing

When a re-roof is the honest recommendation

Repeated repairs on a covering that is brittle, porous or coming to the end of its fixings can cost more than starting again, and they rarely leave you with a dry loft for long. A re-roof is usually the right conversation when a large share of the tiles or slates have failed, when the underlay and battens are rotten, or when the roof has been patched so often that there is no sound covering left to work with. We would rather say that clearly than keep adding short-term fixes.

What a full re-roof actually includes

Stripping the old covering is only the visible part. Underneath we expect to judge the battens, the underlay, the condition of the rafters we can see, the ventilation path, the ridge and verge details, and the flashings at chimneys, abutments and valleys. A quote that only prices “new tiles” is not a complete roof. If timber, insulation or leadwork needs attention, that is raised before work starts rather than discovered as a day-two extra.

Choosing a covering

Concrete tiles, clay tiles and natural or fibre-cement slate each behave differently in West Wales weather and on a given roof pitch. Weight matters on older rafters; appearance matters on streets of matching terraces; planning or conservation rules can matter in older centres. We discuss what is already on the building, what is common on the street, and what will actually last on that pitch, rather than steering every job to one product.

Access, neighbours and the working week

A re-roof needs a clear access plan: scaffolding or equivalent, a place for a waste skip or bagged arisings, and a way to keep the house dry as each section comes off. Terraces, tight lanes in older Welsh towns and occupied commercial buildings all change that plan. We talk through it with you so the programme is realistic.