If you have a redundant chimney stack on your Newmarket home and you are weighing up the options, understanding your material choices upfront will help you get the right finish at a fair price.
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Removing a chimney stack that is no longer in use is a practical roofing job, not a cosmetic one. The stack comes down to below the roofline, the opening is closed with new timbers if needed, and the roof covering is reinstated so the area is fully weatherproof. Done properly, you are left with a roof that keeps water out as well as it did the day it was first built - without the ongoing maintenance that a redundant chimney demands.
We cover Newmarket and a wide area around Bury St Edmunds, including nearby villages such as Mildenhall, Worlington, Pakenham and Great Barton.
The material used to close the gap left by the chimney is the decision that has the longest-term consequences. It determines how well the repair blends with the existing roof, how watertight the finish is, and how long it holds up without further attention. There is no single right answer; it depends on what your existing roof is covered with and what condition it is in.
Clay plain tiles are fired rather than pressed, which gives them a slightly varied surface texture and colour that weathers naturally and tends to blend well with older roofs. A well-fired clay tile has excellent frost resistance and can last for many decades.
Pros: Excellent longevity; natural appearance that blends with period properties; proven performance in this part of the country.
Cons: More expensive than concrete alternatives; sourcing a close colour match to aged tiles can be difficult; heavier than some alternatives, though this is rarely a structural issue on a chimney take-down.
If your existing roof is clay plain tile, the aim is always to match as closely as possible. A reclaimed tile is often the best match for older roofs, though it carries a small risk of hidden damage, so any reclaimed material should be checked before it goes on.
Concrete interlocking tiles are the most common covering on post-1960s properties. They are manufactured in a wide range of profiles and colours and are generally easier to source in matching quantities for a small patch job like a chimney take-down.
Pros: Lower unit cost than clay; widely available in many profiles; good match achievable on most modern roofs.
Cons: Colour fades over time, so a new tile never exactly matches an old one from the same range; concrete tiles have a shorter life expectancy than clay; some older profiles have been discontinued, making matching harder.
On a concrete tile roof, the patch from a chimney take-down will always be visible up close because new tiles are brighter and more uniform than weathered ones. From the ground, a good match in the correct profile and colour blends well within a few years as the new tiles weather.
Slate roofs are found on older properties and on some higher-specification new builds. Natural slate - typically Welsh or Spanish origin in this country - is extremely durable and, when sourced correctly, produces a very clean finish on a chimney take-down.
Pros: Very long service life; low maintenance; a close match is possible with the right source; looks excellent on period properties.
Cons: Higher material cost than clay or concrete tile; quality varies significantly between suppliers, so the source matters; Welsh slate is more expensive than Spanish but tends to be a better colour match for older Welsh slate roofs.
Reclaimed Welsh slate is often the best option where an older slate roof needs to be matched. As with reclaimed clay tile, it should be checked for delamination and nail-hole wear before use.
Artificial or synthetic slates are manufactured from fibre cement or similar composites. They are uniform in size and thickness, which makes cutting and fitting straightforward.
Pros: Lower cost than natural slate; consistent sizing makes the job more predictable; some ranges have a reasonable appearance from the ground.
Cons: Appearance differs noticeably from natural slate up close; service life is shorter than natural slate and varies between manufacturers; colour consistency can drift over time. On an older natural slate roof, an artificial slate patch rarely blends convincingly.
Artificial slate is most appropriate where the existing roof is already artificial slate, or where budget is the primary constraint and visual matching is a lower priority.
The flashing choice is as important as the tile or slate choice. Once the chimney stack is removed, the area where the stack met the roof needs to be properly sealed.
Lead is the standard and most durable option for any flashings associated with a chimney take-down. Code 4 lead is typically used for soakers and step flashings; Code 5 for wider flat sections. Lead is malleable, long-lasting and does not corrode in normal conditions. A properly laid lead flashing that is well dressed into the surrounding roof will outlast most other components on the roof.
Aluminium and some self-adhesive products are used as alternatives, particularly where lead theft is a concern or where the budget is tight. Self-adhesive flashing tape can perform adequately on lower-pitch roofs, but it is not the same as properly laid lead and does not last as long. If a roofer proposes self-adhesive tape on a main take-down rather than lead, ask why and whether lead is an option.
Before committing to a chimney take-down, a few direct questions will help you assess whether the quote in front of you represents a proper job:
We carry out chimney take-downs in Newmarket and across the wider area including Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall, Worlington, Elmswell, Thurston and Haughley. If you are ready to move forward or just want a clear price before you decide, call us to arrange a roof survey and we will give you a straight quote for the work.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
