Brandon Roofers fits new pitched roofs for homeowners in Littleport, using quality tiles and slate, and this page explains what to do if your roof fails before we can get to you.
A roof failure rarely happens at a convenient time. Whether it is a bad storm in January or a tile that slides off mid-week, there is often a gap between the problem appearing and a roofer arriving. Knowing what to do in that window makes a real difference to how much damage occurs inside your home.
This page covers what a new pitched roof involves and costs, the materials we use across our area including Littleport, and then goes into practical detail on what you can safely do while waiting for professional help, and what you should leave well alone.
A full re-roof means stripping everything: tiles, battens and old underlay. The timber structure is then checked for rotten or damaged rafters, and any that need replacing are dealt with before new materials go on. Breathable membrane underlay is laid first, then treated timber battens at a gauge matched to the tile or slate being used. The new covering goes on from eaves to ridge, and lead flashings at chimneys, abutments and valleys are renewed at the same time.
A new roof on a typical house in this part of Cambridgeshire will generally cost between £5,000 and £15,000 depending on the size of the roof, the pitch, the material chosen, and whether chimney or lead work is included. Larger or more complex roofs sit at the higher end. A proper survey is the only way to produce an accurate figure for your home.
We work from Brandon and cover Littleport and the wider area, also travelling to places including Feltwell, Methwold, Lakenheath and nearby villages.
The three main materials for pitched roofs are clay tiles, concrete tiles and natural slate. Clay is long-lasting and suits older properties well. Concrete is more affordable and carries a solid service life when laid correctly. Natural slate costs more upfront but is the right choice where the existing roof, local character or planning position demands it. Reconstituted slate products offer a middle option on price.
The choice also depends on your roof pitch; some tiles require a minimum angle to shed water properly. We will advise on the right material for your specific roof during a survey.
The priority when a roof is damaged is protecting the interior. Water getting into a roof space will track along rafters and purlins before it shows on a ceiling, and by the time a stain appears, the timber above may have been wet for some time. Acting quickly reduces the damage.
Here is what you can safely do from inside the house:
The temptation to get up on the roof and fix the problem yourself is understandable, but there are good reasons not to. Roofs are dangerous. A wet, pitched roof surface is slippery, and without the right equipment, footwear and a safe working method, a fall is a real risk. Roofing scaffolding and edge protection exist for good reason.
Beyond the safety issue, well-meaning temporary fixes can make the professional repair harder or more expensive. Things to avoid:
Understanding what has happened helps you describe it clearly when you call a roofer, and it helps prioritise the urgency.
Wind is the most frequent cause of sudden tile loss. Ridge tiles and verge tiles at the edges of the roof are the most exposed and the most likely to move or lift in high winds; a single ridge tile that shifts lets water straight into the top of the roof space. Hip tiles are similarly vulnerable.
Frost damage is less sudden but often shows up as a cluster of cracked or spalled tiles after a cold winter. If tiles are already old and porous, repeated freeze-thaw cycles crack them from the inside; the damage is not always visible from the ground until a piece breaks away.
Lead flashings at chimney stacks and abutments can also fail suddenly; if the flashing pulls away from the mortar joint in a wind or after a frost, water tracks in at the junction before it is obvious anything has changed.
If the damage is isolated, a targeted repair is usually the right call. But sometimes what looks like a single slipped tile turns out to be a symptom of a wider problem: underlay that has perished across the whole roof, battens that are rotted in multiple places, or ridge and hip mortar that is cracked from end to end. A roofer should inspect the whole roof, not just the obvious damage, so that a repair does not simply expose the next failure.
When problems are widespread, a full re-roof becomes more cost-effective than repeated patch repairs. We will assess honestly which category your roof falls into when we carry out a survey.
Pitched garage roofs in concrete tile follow the same principles as the main house. Flat-roofed garages typically use felt or EPDM rubber systems; both have different failure modes and lifespans, and a failing flat roof will often blister, split or separate at seams before it lets water through in a dramatic way.
Whether you are dealing with an urgent problem or thinking about a planned re-roof, a proper survey from safe access is the right starting point. Call Brandon Roofers to arrange a roof survey in Littleport and we will give you a clear picture of what your roof needs and what it will cost.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
