If your roof in Lavenham has failed or is failing, knowing what you can safely do in the meantime - and what to avoid - protects both you and the roof until the proper work can be done.
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A new roof is not a job that happens the same day you call. Scaffolding needs to be arranged, materials need to be ordered to the right specification, and a roofer who is doing the work properly will need time to survey the existing structure before committing to a price. That gap - whether it is a few days or a few weeks - is the period where well-meaning but poorly judged DIY can make a bad situation worse.
This page covers what to do in that waiting period, what protective measures are reasonable, and - just as importantly - the things that look helpful but are not.
A full new pitched roof means stripping the old covering completely, inspecting the rafter structure and battens underneath, replacing anything that has rotted or failed, and then installing breathable underlay, new battens fixed at the correct gauge, and new tiles or slates. Ridge and hip tiles are fixed in mortar or with a dry-fix system. Flashings at chimneys and abutments are cut and dressed in lead.
For extensions and single-storey additions in Lavenham, flat roof replacement typically uses EPDM rubber or torch-on felt over a solid deck. Both systems require precise detailing at the edges and upstands - and that precision is what separates a system that lasts 25 to 30 years from one that fails within five.
A new roof for a standard semi-detached house in this part of Suffolk typically costs between £5,500 and £10,000, depending on size, pitch, access and the tile or slate specified. Flat roof replacement for a typical extension runs from around £1,200 to £3,500. These are the realistic current ranges - any quote significantly below them should prompt questions.
Before anything else, your priority is protecting the inside of your property from the water that is getting in. Move furniture, electronics and anything of value away from the affected area. Place buckets or containers under any active drips, but also lay down towels or plastic sheeting around them - drips splash, and water spreads further than the point of entry suggests.
Check the loft space if you have access. A leak that appears as a small damp patch on the ceiling below may be entering the roof much higher up and running along a rafter or the underlay before dripping down. The actual point of water entry into the loft is often not directly above where it appears inside.
There is a short list of things a homeowner can sensibly do without getting onto the roof or touching the tiles:
This is the section that matters most, because the mistakes made while waiting for a roofer are often irreversible or make the job harder and more expensive.
Do not get onto the roof yourself. This is not a risk assessment lecture - it is practical advice. Pitched roofs are steep, tiles and slates are slippery even when dry, and the consequences of a fall from roof height are severe. This applies equally to attempting to throw a tarpaulin over from above. Dragging a tarpaulin across tiles can crack them, dislodge others and pull at leadwork and ridge pointing. A poorly fitted tarpaulin that then fills with water and catches the wind creates a new set of problems.
Do not apply roofing sealant, mastic or expanding foam to tiles or flashings. These products are not a temporary fix - they are a complication. Sealant applied over a flashing or around a tile joint seals in moisture that is already there, making it harder to dry out, and it has to be removed before any proper repair or replacement work can be done. Foam products are even worse - they are almost impossible to remove cleanly and can bond tiles together in ways that damage them when they are finally lifted.
Do not replace individual tiles without understanding why they failed. A tile does not usually slip or crack in isolation. If a tile has come off, the fixing nail has probably corroded through, which means the tiles around it are in the same condition. Pushing a loose tile back up and hoping it holds is not a repair.
Do not ignore standing water on a flat roof. If you have a flat roof extension that is pooling water and you can see the membrane is damaged, resist the temptation to pierce the membrane to let the water drain through. The membrane is the only thing between the water and the deck below - once it is punctured, the deck gets wet and the damage accelerates.
If your property is listed or within a conservation area, the tile type, colour and profile for any new roof may need to satisfy planning requirements before work begins. Clay plain tiles are often specified for older or listed properties in this part of Suffolk - they are the traditional material and they weather to a colour and texture that suits older buildings. Natural slate is also widely accepted. Standard concrete interlocking tiles, however, are often refused on conservation area properties because the profile looks too modern.
Check planning requirements before you agree a specification with any contractor. A roofer fitting the wrong tiles on a listed building is not just an aesthetic problem - it can result in an enforcement notice requiring the work to be redone. A good contractor will raise this with you at the survey stage without being asked.
A proper pre-start survey should involve the roofer going into the loft space as well as looking at the external surface. The underside of the roof structure tells you things the outside does not - the condition of the underlay, whether any timbers are damp or sagging, and whether there are any structural issues that need addressing before the new covering goes on.
You should expect to receive a written quote that specifies the material, the specification and the price before any work begins. If scaffolding is needed - and for a full pitched re-roof it almost certainly is - check whether it is included in the figure or charged separately. Also ask how waste materials are removed from site.
If you are ready to get the roof properly looked at, call us to book a roof survey in Lavenham. We will give you a straight assessment of what the roof needs and a clear quote before any work starts.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
