Brandon Roofers carries out roof repairs for homeowners in Lakenheath and the surrounding area, covering everything from slipped tiles to failed flashings and flat garage roofs.
When a roof is repaired rather than fully replaced, the materials used for the repair have to work with what is already there. A mismatch in tile profile, slate thickness or mortar type does not just look wrong - it can create new gaps and accelerate further deterioration. We carry out repairs to all types of pitched roofs in Lakenheath and nearby places including Feltwell, Methwold, Hockwold cum Wilton, Weeting, Mundford, Elveden, Cranwich and Thetford, using materials suited to the existing roof covering.
Concrete tiles are the most common roof covering on post-war housing. They are relatively inexpensive, widely available in a range of profiles and colours, and durable in normal UK conditions. A concrete tile that has slipped because its fixing nail has corroded is straightforward to replace. The challenge with older concrete tiles is colour-matching: the surface coating weathers and fades over decades, so a new tile in the same product line can still look noticeably different. This does not affect the performance of the repair, but it is worth knowing about before the work is done.
Concrete tiles become porous with age. A porous tile does not necessarily leak, but it does absorb more water and increases the load on the roof structure in wet weather. If tiles are letting water through the body of the tile rather than at a joint or fixing, individual replacement will not solve the underlying issue - the whole covering will eventually need attention.
Clay tiles are found on older properties and are generally more expensive than concrete as a replacement material. They are harder and denser than concrete, shed water more readily and do not absorb as much moisture. A well-made clay tile can outlast the mortar and timbers around it. Matching clay tiles for a repair requires care - the profile, colour and manufacturing era all affect how well a replacement blends in and how water runs off at the join. Sourcing reclaimed clay tiles of the right type often gives a better match than buying new, and this is worth discussing before work begins.
Natural slate is the premium pitched roof material. Welsh, Spanish and Chinese slates are all used in UK roofing, and they differ significantly in thickness, density and longevity. Welsh slate is widely regarded as the most durable, with a realistic lifespan of well over a century when properly fixed. Spanish slate is thinner and more variable in quality. Chinese slate has become common because of lower cost, but quality varies between suppliers. For a repair, using a slate that matches the existing covering in thickness is important - a thicker replacement sits proud and can be lifted by wind, while a thinner one lets water run underneath.
The most common repair on slate roofs is re-fixing slipped slates where the original copper or silicon bronze nails have corroded. A slate is rarely broken by age alone; it is more often the fixings that fail while the slate itself is still sound. Where a slate has cracked - usually from impact or from a nail driven too close to the edge - the replacement slate should be cut to the same size and fixed with matching clips or nails.
Lead is the standard material for flashings - the weatherproof seal between a roof covering and a vertical surface such as a chimney, parapet wall or dormer. Lead is used because it is soft enough to dress tightly into mortar joints and because it accommodates the constant thermal movement of the building around it. A lead flashing correctly installed with proper laps, steps and restraint clips can last 50 years or more.
The problem is that lead is expensive by the metre, and it is tempting to cut corners on length, overlap or fixing method. A flashing that is too short, lacks clips, or has been bonded with mastic rather than properly dressed into a chase will fail far sooner. Mastic can seal a flashing temporarily but does not cope with long-term movement - it cracks within a few years and allows water in at exactly the point it was supposed to seal.
When we repair or replace a flashing, the old lead is taken out completely, the chase cleaned and the new lead properly fitted. A mastic-only repair on a failed flashing is a short-term fix that will need doing again.
A significant number of pitched roof repairs involve mortar work: re-bedding ridge tiles, re-pointing hip tiles, or resealing a verge at the edge of the roof. Traditional sand and cement mortar is the standard material and still works well when correctly mixed and applied to a sound, clean surface. However, traditional mortar is rigid - it does not flex with the slight movement of the roof structure - and eventually it cracks and allows water in.
Dry-fix systems using purpose-made plastic fittings and flexible seals are an alternative for ridge and hip tiles. They remove the need for mortar at those junctions altogether. Dry-fix systems do not crack, do not need re-pointing and are increasingly standard on new roofs. Whether a dry-fix or a mortar repair is right depends on the age and condition of the roof, the tile profile and how much of the existing bedding needs to be replaced. Both approaches are valid; the honest answer is that mortar remains cheaper upfront and dry-fix costs more initially but avoids future re-pointing work.
Garage roofs and flat extensions are often covered in traditional built-up felt or EPDM rubber membrane. The choice of repair approach depends on which material is already there and how far it has deteriorated.
Traditional felt roofs have a typical working life of 10 to 15 years. Felt fails most often along seams and at edges, and splits or blisters develop on the surface as the material dries out and loses its flexibility. A localised split can be repaired, but where the felt has deteriorated across most of the surface, a repair patch is a temporary measure at best. At that point, a full replacement is more economical than repeated patching.
EPDM rubber membrane is a single-ply system that is more flexible than felt and significantly more resistant to UV and temperature extremes. A properly installed EPDM roof can last 30 years or more. Repairs to EPDM are done with compatible adhesive and patch material from the same system - mixing products from different manufacturers is a common cause of repair failures. The upfront cost of EPDM is higher than felt, but the longer service life makes it the better value option for most homeowners who are replacing a flat roof rather than just patching it.
Before agreeing to any roof repair, it is reasonable to ask the following:
We provide a written report after every inspection so you have a clear record of the roof's condition and the work carried out. This matters if you are selling the property or simply want to keep track of its maintenance history.
We cover Lakenheath and the surrounding area including Feltwell, Methwold, Hockwold cum Wilton, Weeting, Mundford, Elveden, Cranwich, Ickburgh and Thetford. If you have a leak, a slipped tile or a flat roof that has seen better days, call us to arrange a roof survey and get a clear picture of what needs doing.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
