New Roofs
New roofs, specified for the coast they stand on
A new roof is the single biggest thing you will do to a house that nobody will ever compliment you on. It should be the last time you think about it for forty years — and near the sea, whether it is depends almost entirely on decisions made in the first week.
What we actually do
We strip the old covering back to the timbers and inspect what is underneath, because on a roof of any age there is usually something. Rotten battens, tired sarking, a rafter foot that has been wet for years at the eaves — all of it is cheap to put right while the roof is open and expensive to reach afterwards. Then it is breathable membrane, new treated battens, and the covering laid to a gauge that suits the pitch and the exposure.
The part that matters near the sea
Fixings. A roof three miles inland can be laid on galvanised nails and be perfectly happy. The same specification on a seafront property in Seaford or on the Peacehaven clifftop will be dropping slates within twenty years, because salt in the air corrodes the nail inside the slate hole where nobody can see it. We use copper or aluminium throughout, and on exposed elevations every slate is mechanically secured rather than only the perimeter courses.
Edges, not the middle
Roofs almost never fail in the middle of a slope. They fail at the ridge, the verge, the abutments and the eaves — the places where wind can get a purchase and lift. That is why we dry-fix ridges and verges as standard on exposed work instead of bedding them in sand and cement, which on this coast has a working life rather than a permanent one.
Matching what is already there
Much of the older stock here is Welsh slate, a good deal of it in conservation areas, and some of it listed. Where the property needs to look the way it has always looked, we match the slate, keep the original detailing and use lead where lead belongs. Where it does not, we will tell you honestly which of the modern coverings will give you the best result for the money.
What the job includes
- Full strip, inspection and replacement of defective timbers
- Breathable underlay and new treated battens throughout
- Natural slate, clay or concrete tile to suit the property
- Copper or aluminium fixings — never galvanised near the sea
- Dry-fixed ridge, hip and verge on exposed elevations
- New lead flashings, dressed and wedged rather than sealed
- Site cleared and all waste removed
Talk it through first
Half the time we can tell you on the phone whether it sounds like a morning’s work or something bigger.
New Roofs
Questions we get asked about this
How long does a new roof take?
On a typical Sussex terraced or semi-detached house, most of a working week, weather permitting. Larger or more complicated roofs — multiple slopes, valleys, dormers — take longer. We will give you a realistic run of days with the quote, and we will tell you when weather has moved it rather than leaving you wondering.
Can you re-roof one slope rather than the whole house?
Often, yes. It is common for the weather side to be finished long before the sheltered side, and there is no sense stripping a slope that has twenty years left. What we will not do is lay new work over a slope that needs stripping just to save a day.
What happens if it rains while my roof is off?
We never open more than we can make watertight the same day, and the roof is sheeted overnight. Channel weather is not a surprise to us — the sequencing of a strip is planned around it.
Will I need scaffolding?
For a full re-roof, yes, always. It is a working platform and a safety requirement, not an upsell. It is included in the written quote so there is no separate bill arriving later.
Free quotes & advice
Get a free quote for new roofs
We will come out, look at it properly and put it in writing — what is wrong, what we propose, and what we are using. No charge either way.