If you're planning a new roof in Cromer, here's an honest account of what the job involves from the moment we first look at the roof to the moment we leave your property tidy.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A new roof is one of the largest single jobs a homeowner is likely to commission. It involves scaffolding, several days of work, and a property that's temporarily exposed to the elements. Knowing what happens at each stage helps you prepare, ask the right questions and spot if something isn't being done properly.
We install new roofs across Cromer and the surrounding area, including Sheringham, Holt, Mundesley, North Walsham, Reepham and Aylsham, as well as further afield to Norwich, Hellesdon, Hethersett, Sprowston, Wroxham, Stalham and Thorpe St Andrew. If you're unsure whether we cover you, just call.
A new roof should never be quoted from the pavement. A proper survey requires getting up and physically inspecting the covering, the timber structure, the flashings and the guttering. A visual inspection from ground level or a ladder at eaves level is not sufficient to price a job accurately or to identify hidden problems.
During the survey we check the condition of the existing tiles or slates, look at the underlay if it's visible from the loft, assess the ridge and hip mortar, inspect all lead or aluminium flashing details, and look for any movement or deterioration in the roof timbers. We also note access constraints that will affect how scaffolding needs to be set up.
If there's a loft, a walk through it with a torch on a bright day tells us a great deal. Daylight coming through gaps in the covering, damp timbers, staining on the felt and sagging between rafters are all things we look for at this stage.
After the survey, a written quote should itemise materials and labour separately. You should be able to see clearly what type of tile or slate is specified, what underlay is being used, whether batten replacement is included, what will happen with flashings, and what waste removal is covered.
A quote that just says "strip and re-roof" with a single figure doesn't give you enough information to compare it against other quotes or to know what you're actually getting. Ask for a breakdown before you accept anything.
Lead times matter too. Ask when the job can start and how long it's expected to take. For an average semi-detached house, a full pitched roof replacement typically takes three to five days on site once scaffolding is up, though this varies with roof complexity, the number of hips and valleys, and the material being used.
Scaffolding goes up before any roofing work starts. It needs to be properly erected by a scaffolding contractor and should provide safe working access to all elevations of the roof being worked on, not just the front. Scaffold boards at eaves level also catch any tiles or debris that might otherwise fall to ground level.
Scaffolding typically stays up for the duration of the job plus a day or two for inspection and removal. It usually adds to the total project cost and should be shown as a separate line in any quote so you can see what you're paying for it.
If a roofer offers to do a full roof replacement without scaffolding, walk away. Working from a ladder on a full re-roof is dangerous and prevents the job from being done properly.
The existing tiles or slates are stripped off and lowered to ground level safely - not thrown from the roof. Waste goes into a skip or is loaded directly to a vehicle, depending on access. A reputable roofer will protect your garden, paths and any existing guttering during this process.
Once the covering is stripped, the timber structure is inspected fully. Battens are almost always replaced as a matter of course - old battens are typically too deteriorated to be worth keeping. Any sections of rafter that are soft, split or rotten need to be cut out and replaced at this stage, before the new covering goes on. Don't let a roofer skip this inspection because it adds time. Covering over a problem with new tiles doesn't fix it.
The underlay - a breathable membrane on modern roofs - is also fitted at this stage, over the rafters and under the new battens. It acts as a secondary weather barrier if water ever gets past a tile, and on a full re-roof there's no reason to reuse old felt.
New treated battens are fixed to the rafters at the correct gauge for the tile or slate being used. Getting the gauge right matters - tiles fixed at the wrong spacing won't weather correctly and can allow water to track back under the lap.
Tiles or slates are then fixed from the eaves upwards. Each tile is mechanically fixed - either nailed or clipped - at the correct intervals for the pitch and exposure of the roof. On a wind-exposed roof, every tile may need to be individually fixed. On a more sheltered roof in a lower wind zone, some tiles may only need fixing at every third or fourth course, depending on the manufacturer's specification for that product.
Valleys - the internal angles where two roof slopes meet - are one of the areas where detail matters most. Valley tiles, lead-lined valleys or plain lead-cut valleys are all options depending on the material and the design of the roof. This is where water concentrates, so it needs to be done right.
Ridge tiles are bedded or mechanically fixed along the apex of the roof. Older re-bedded ridges used mortar alone, but modern practice increasingly uses mechanical fixing with a mortar or foam pointing finish. This is more durable and less likely to fail in high winds.
Lead flashing around chimneys, party walls, skylights and abutments is cut, dressed and tucked into mortar joints (referred to as "chasing in"). Lead should be secured with lead wedges and pointed with a durable flexible sealant or fresh mortar, not just sealed over with a strip of mastic tape. When you get your quote, it's worth asking specifically how flashings will be detailed.
Once the roof covering is complete, a final inspection should check that every tile is correctly seated, that no mortar has dropped into the gutters, that all flashings are secure and that the ridge is fully pointed. Gutters are often dirtied during a re-roof and should be cleared out before the roofer leaves.
Scaffolding is then struck and removed, and any waste remaining on site is taken away. The property should be left as clean as it was found. If a skip has been on the drive or the pavement, check the area underneath once it's collected.
If you're ready to get the process started, call Aylsham Roofers to arrange a full roof survey in Cromer. We'll inspect the roof properly, give you a written quote with a clear breakdown, and explain every stage of the work before it begins.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
