New Roofs & Re-Roofing in Peterborough

Peterborough roofs and why they wear out

Peterborough has a wide mix of housing, and the roofs age in different ways. Close to the city centre, in areas such as Millfield, New England and around Park Road, there are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many originally roofed in slate. After well over a century the slates, nails and battens have often had their day, and repeated patching only holds things together for so long.

The new township estates built from the 1970s onwards, including Bretton, Orton, Werrington and Paston, are largely roofed in concrete interlocking tiles. Those tiles are hard-wearing, but many of these roofs were laid without a modern breathable membrane, and the original underlay, mortar ridges and battens are now showing their age. Newer areas such as Hampton are younger, but extensions and alterations still need roofing that matches the house.

Around the edges of the city, villages such as Eye, Thorney, Glinton and Yaxley have everything from older cottages to modern homes. Whatever the age of the house, the signs that a roof is approaching the end of its life are much the same.

When repair is enough, and when replacement makes sense

Not every tired-looking roof needs replacing. A few slipped tiles, a loose ridge or a leak around a chimney can usually be put right with a repair, and if that is all your roof needs, that is what we will tell you. Our page on roof repairs in Peterborough covers that side of the work.

Replacement starts to make sense when the problems are spread across the whole roof rather than in one place. Typical signs are: tiles or slates slipping in several areas; old underfelt that has rotted or torn so it hangs loose in the loft; battens that are soft or broken; daylight visible through the roof from inside; leaks that move around and return after repairs; and a roof that is sagging between the rafters. At that point, money spent on patching is often money you will spend again, and a full re-roof is the better long-term choice.

We take photos during the inspection so you can see the condition of the roof for yourself, and we will explain plainly which option we would choose if it were our own house.

Tile and slate choices

On most homes the natural choice is to match what is already there, or what suits the street. Concrete interlocking tiles are practical and cost-effective and suit most township and post-war houses. Clay tiles give a warmer, traditional look. Natural slate suits Victorian and Edwardian terraces and gives a long-lasting, crisp finish, and we can talk you through the difference between natural slate and man-made alternatives.

Ridges can be finished with a modern dry ridge system, which is mechanically fixed and needs very little maintenance, or traditionally bedded in mortar where that suits the property. Our guide on dry ridge vs mortar ridge explains the choice. Valleys, abutments and chimneys get new lead or the appropriate flashing, so the new roof is sound at every junction, not just across the slopes.

What happens on a full re-roof

After the free inspection and written quote, we agree a start date and arrange scaffolding. Scaffolding is needed on almost every full re-roof, both for safety and so the work can be done properly at the eaves and edges. It goes up before the roof is stripped and comes down once everything is finished and checked.

The old tiles or slates, battens and underfelt are then stripped off, and we check the rafters and timbers. Any damaged timber is dealt with before anything new goes on. A new breathable membrane is laid, which lets moisture escape from the loft while keeping rain out, followed by new treated battens set to the right gauge for the chosen tile or slate.

The new covering is then laid, along with ridges, hips, valleys, verges and flashings. We strip and cover in sections so that the roof is never left open to the weather, and we keep the site tidy as we go, with waste cleared at the end. Before the scaffold comes down we check the finished roof with you.

How long a new roof takes

Every roof is different, so we will give you a realistic idea of the timescale for your home at the quote stage rather than a one-size-fits-all figure. The main factors are the size and shape of the roof, the number of chimneys, valleys and dormers, the covering chosen, any timber repairs found once the roof is stripped, and the weather. A straightforward roof on a terraced house is a very different job to a large detached house with hips and valleys.

We keep you informed throughout. If we find something unexpected once the old roof is off, we show you and talk it through before going any further.

Covering Peterborough and nearby villages

We cover the whole city, from the terraces near the centre to Bretton, Orton, Werrington, Paston, Hampton and Stanground, as well as nearby villages including Eye, Thorney, Glinton, Yaxley and Whittlesey. You deal directly with Danny from the first call to the finished roof, and we will happily answer questions before you commit to anything.

For more on what a re-roof involves, see our main new roofs and re-roofing service, and if your home has an extension or garage with a flat roof, our flat roofing in Peterborough page covers that too.