Roofing
Slate roof replacements
Slate roofs installed all year round, in new slate or your own existing slates carefully relaid.
Slate roof replacements are a large part of what we do, from traditional properties with existing natural slate to modern homes wanting a completely new slate roof. We take the project from the first inspection through to completion and Building Control sign-off where it is required, and we install all year round.
Slate is the covering that outlives everything else on a house, and on a lot of Norfolk properties it is the only thing that looks right. Laid well it will still be there in a hundred years. Laid badly it will let water in by the second winter.
Can your existing slates be reused?
Do not assume an old slate roof automatically needs brand new slates. Slate outlives its own nails by a long way, and depending on age, type and condition a good proportion of what comes off a Victorian roof is usually fit to go straight back on.
If you are not sure, we will inspect the roof and assess the slates properly. We are looking for deterioration, cracking, delamination and excessive weathering, all of which affect whether a slate is worth relaying. Where they are sound we carefully remove, sort and reinstall them as part of the new roof, and any damaged or unsuitable slates are made up with appropriate replacements.
We tell you the salvage rate before you commit, because it changes the price. Reusing your own slate is also what keeps the character of an older property, which matters on a listed building or in a conservation area.
Or a completely new slate roof
If your existing slates are past economical reuse, or you would simply prefer the appearance and the peace of mind of a completely new covering, we supply and install new slate to suit the property and the budget. We work with a wide range of slate roofing products:
- Natural Welsh slate
- Natural Spanish slate
- Natural Brazilian slate
- Fibre cement slate
- Man made and synthetic slate products
- Traditional and heritage style slates
- Modern slate effect roofing products
Which one suits you depends on the style and the pitch of the roof, the look you are after and what the property will carry. Fibre cement and the man made products weigh a lot less than natural slate, which matters where the existing timbers are marginal, and they cost less. They will not last as long as natural slate and up close they do look different. We will say all of that before you choose rather than after.
Building Control compliance
Where a slate roof replacement needs Building Regulations approval, we carry the work out in accordance with the current Building Regulations and arrange the Building Control inspections and sign-off.
That gives you the reassurance that the relevant parts of the new roof have been inspected and that the work has been completed to the required standard, and it gives you something on file when you come to sell.
More than just changing the slates
A proper roof replacement is not simply taking the old slates off and putting new ones back on. Depending on the specification, a slate re-roof from us includes:
- Scaffolding and access equipment where required
- Safe removal and disposal of the existing covering
- Careful removal and sorting of existing slates where they are being reused
- Inspection of the exposed roof structure, and repairs to any split or rotten timber
- A quality breathable roofing membrane
- New treated roofing battens, set to the gauge the head lap demands
- Eaves and ventilation upgrades where they are needed
- Leadwork and weathering details formed in new lead
- Reinstatement of suitable existing slates, or installation of new
- On-site skips and responsible waste disposal
- Building Control inspections and sign-off where applicable
- A full site clean on completion
- A warranty on the work in writing
Slate repairs and re-hooking
Not every slate roof needs replacing. Slipped slates get refixed properly rather than mortared in place, and we match reclaimed slate where we can so a repair does not stand out from the road. Once slates are slipping across the whole slope rather than in one spot the nails have gone, and patching stops being worth the money.
How we work
- Assess the existing slate. Some old slate is worth salvaging and relaying. Some has delaminated and is finished. We tell you which you have got.
- Written report and quotation. Before we start you get a detailed written report explaining the condition of the roof, the work we recommend and exactly what is included. If reusing your slates is on the table, we set out their condition and whether it is a practical option. No jargon and no guesswork.
- Set the lap for the pitch. This is the detail that decides whether a slate roof works, and the one most often got wrong. On a shallow pitch the head lap matters more than the slate does.
- Nail, do not clip. Every slate fixed as it should be, not hooked back with tingles unless we are repairing rather than relaying.
- Renew the leadwork. Valleys, soakers and abutments formed in new lead as part of the job rather than reused.
Slate roof replacements we have done
Photographs from our own jobs. Click any of them to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a slate roof last?
Natural slate itself lasts well over a century. What normally fails first is the nails and the battens holding it up, which is why a re-roof using salvaged slate on new timbers is often the sensible job.
Can my existing slates be reused?
Often a good proportion of them can. We inspect them for deterioration, cracking, delamination and heavy weathering, and tell you what the salvage rate is before you commit, because it changes the price. Anything unsuitable is made up with matching replacements.
Can you match my existing slate?
Usually. Slate varies by quarry in colour and thickness, so we take a sample and match it as closely as we can. On a patch repair we will use reclaimed slate where it is available.
Is fibre cement slate any good?
It is a genuine option, not a cheap fake. It weighs a lot less than natural slate, which matters if your timbers are marginal, and it costs less. It will not last as long as natural slate and up close it does look different.
My slates keep slipping. Why?
Almost always nail sickness. The nails have corroded through and the slates are no longer held. Once it starts happening across the roof rather than in one spot, patching stops being worth it.
Recent work
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