Understanding exactly what happens during a new roof installation in Thetford helps you plan properly and ask the right questions before any work starts.
A lot of homeowners in Thetford approach a new roof with a vague sense of the job - scaffolding goes up, old tiles come off, new ones go on. The reality is more detailed than that, and each stage has a direct effect on how well the finished roof performs and how long it lasts. Brandon Roofers installs pitched roofs using clay tiles, concrete tiles and natural slate, working across Thetford and the surrounding area.
Here is the full process, stage by stage, so you know what to expect from start to finish.
Before any price is agreed or materials ordered, the roof needs a proper inspection. This means getting onto the roof itself, not looking up from a ladder on the ground. A ground-level or ladder inspection can identify obvious problems but will miss underlay condition, batten rot, nail corrosion and structural movement that only become visible when you are on the roof and can lift tiles to look beneath them.
During the survey we assess the existing tile or slate condition, check the underlay for splits and brittleness, look at batten size and condition, inspect the ridge and hip bedding, check all flashings and examine the chimney stack if there is one. We also look at the roof structure - the rafters, purlins and wall plates - for any sign of rot, movement or inadequate support. If structural work is needed, this is identified at survey stage, not halfway through the job.
If you can access your loft safely before we arrive, it is worth having a look yourself. Any staining on the rafters, wet or soft timber, sagging felt or pinpoints of light coming through are all useful things to report when we speak.
A full roof replacement requires a full scaffolding platform around the property. Working off a ladder alone is not safe for a job of this scale and does not allow materials to be moved efficiently. The scaffold should cover all elevations being worked on and should have edge protection. Scaffold erection typically takes half a day to a full day for a standard house.
The scaffold will be in place for the duration of the job. For a standard semi-detached or detached house this is typically several days to a week or more depending on size and complexity. You will need clear access around the property during this period, and if you have a driveway directly below the working area, vehicles may need to be moved.
The old tiles, slates or felt are stripped off completely. On a full re-roof, this is not optional - leaving old underlay in place and tiling over it is poor practice that shortcuts the job and will cause problems sooner than expected. All stripped material is loaded into skips or builders bags and removed from site. Ridge tiles, hip tiles and any lead flashing are all taken off at this stage.
As the old covering comes off, the full condition of the timber structure becomes visible. Any rotten or damaged rafters are replaced at this point. This is the right time to do it - once tiling has started, accessing the structure again is disruptive and expensive. Any new timber should be pressure-treated. If a rafter has to be spliced or sistered, it should be done properly with the right overlap and fixings, not just packed out.
Modern breathable membrane underlay is fixed across the rafters before battening begins. The membrane is lapped correctly at horizontal joints - the lower sheet always overlaps the one below it so water runs off rather than in. At verges and eaves, the underlay is dressed into the gutter or over a fascia board so any water that gets past the tiles is directed outward, not into the wall or eaves timbers.
This stage is invisible once the tiles are on, which is why it matters so much. Underlay installed with poor laps, gaps or insufficient fixing is a common cause of leaks that are difficult to trace because the entry point may be several metres away from where the water finally appears inside.
Pressure-treated timber battens are fixed horizontally across the rafters at the correct gauge (spacing) for the tile or slate being used. The gauge is not a guess - it is calculated from the tile's minimum headlap specification and the pitch of the roof. Get the gauge wrong and tiles will either not cover each other adequately or will not lie flat. Counter-battens running vertically beneath the horizontal battens are used on some installations to create a ventilation channel above the membrane - this is good practice and is worth specifying.
Tiles or slates are laid from the eaves upward, with each course lapping the one below. At the eaves, a double course is laid to ensure the first visible tile is properly supported and the line is straight. Every tile is fixed according to the manufacturer's specification for the pitch and exposure - in exposed positions, every tile should be nailed or clipped. Leaving alternate tiles unfixed to save time is a shortcut that leads to wind damage.
Verge tiles at the edge of the roof are either pointed in mortar or fitted with a dry verge system - interlocking plastic or aluminium units that do away with mortar entirely. Dry verge is more durable over time because mortar joints shrink and crack. The choice between the two affects the finished appearance and is worth discussing before the job starts.
Ridge tiles sit at the apex of the roof and are either bedded in mortar or fitted using a dry-fix ridge system. Mortar ridges need re-pointing every 15 to 20 years as the bedding dries out and cracks. A dry-fix system uses mechanically fixed ridge caps with a ventilated understructure - it does not require maintenance in the same way and allows the roof to ventilate at the ridge, which is important for preventing condensation in the roof space.
Hip tiles follow the sloping junction at the corner of a hipped roof and are bedded in the same way. Valleys - the internal junction where two roof slopes meet - are formed in lead or with purpose-made valley tiles. Lead valleys should be dressed correctly with adequate laps and clips to allow for thermal movement without splitting.
All lead flashings are replaced as part of a new roof. This includes step flashings up the side of a chimney, cover flashings over the front and back of a chimney stack, and any soakers where the roof abuts a wall. Lead is the correct material - proprietary alternatives exist but lead properly dressed and welted to handle thermal movement remains the most durable flashing material available.
Chimneys should be inspected at this stage. Pointing that has failed on the chimney stack itself should be raked out and repointed. If the chimney pot is damaged or the flaunching (the mortar cap around the pots) has cracked, these are repaired at the same time.
A new roof is the natural time to check and replace guttering, fascia boards and soffit panels if they are deteriorating. The scaffold is already up, which means no extra access cost, and these components work together with the roof to manage rainwater off the building. Blocked or broken gutters allow water to run down the wall face - it is worth addressing them while the scaffold is in place.
Once all tiling, flashing and ridge work is complete, the site is cleared - all waste tiles, packaging and debris removed. The scaffold is struck once the work is signed off. Before leaving, the finished roof should be walked and visually inspected: ridge tiles all seated correctly, flashings dressed tight, all verges pointed or capped, gutters clear and seated properly, no broken tiles in the new covering.
If you are in Thetford or a nearby village and you want to discuss a new roof, call us to arrange a proper survey. We will tell you honestly what the roof needs and what it will involve.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
