Roofing across the borough of Croydon
Our address is 60 Kitchener Rd, Thornton Heath, CR7 8QL, which is in the London Borough of Croydon. We are a family run firm, third generation roofers, and our own team carries out every job, from a single slipped slate to a full new roof.
The borough runs from Thornton Heath in the north, through the town centre, to South Croydon and Purley. Its housing spans most periods. Close to the centre are streets of Victorian and Edwardian houses, among them The Waldrons, a crescent of Victorian houses, and Chatsworth Road. Both are conservation areas, and the borough has about twenty of those in all. Further out are the suburbs built between the wars, such as Addiscombe, which also has terraces from the 1910s. Behind many of these houses sit flat roofed extensions, and the town centre has its share of commercial roofs.
Roof Repairs in Croydon
Roof repairs in Croydon very often mean the slate roofs of the Victorian and Edwardian streets. Slates usually outlast the nails that hold them, so on a roof of that age they begin to slide out of line, and one slipped slate soon becomes several. These houses also have lead valleys where the back addition meets the main roof, and low party walls with flashing on each side. Every one of those is a place where water finds a way in.
Our roof repairs cover:
- Roofs that leak
- Slates and tiles that have broken or gone missing
- Leadwork and flashing that has failed
- Faults at the gutters and the roofline
- Damage after storms and bad weather
We trace a leak back to where it starts, which is often some distance from the stain on the ceiling, and we match replacement slates and tiles to those already on the roof. When the damage cannot wait, we carry out emergency roof repairs across South London and the South East.
Chimney Repairs in Croydon
A Victorian terrace shares its chimneys. Each stack sits on the party wall and carries a row of pots, half belonging to one house and half to its neighbour. Most of the fireplaces below went out of use long ago, yet the stacks still stand in the weather, with mortar washing out of them and pots working loose.
Our chimneys and leadwork service includes capping, repointing, flashing repairs, full rebuilds and removals. Repointing is enough when the bricks are sound. A stack that leans, or whose top courses have come loose, is taken down to firm brickwork and rebuilt. Flues that are out of use are capped to keep the rain out while leaving them ventilated. We also repair the lead flashings where the stack passes through the slates.
A shared stack is a shared responsibility, so it helps to speak to your neighbour before work begins.
Brick Repointing in Croydon
Many Victorian houses in this part of London are built in yellow stock brick, which weathers to brown and grey. It was laid in lime mortar, and after more than a hundred years of rain and frost that mortar often sits well back from the face of the wall. Open joints let water into the brickwork, and damp indoors follows.
In our brick repointing work the old mortar comes out and new mortar, matched for colour, goes in, so the fresh joints blend with the wall around them. Traditional methods are used where the building needs them, which matters on the older houses and in the conservation areas. The work ranges from a garden wall or a parapet to a chimney or the whole front of a house, and listed buildings are included.
Bay fronts, garden walls beside the pavement and the parapets of back additions are the usual places to check.
Flat Roofing in Croydon
Flat roofs cover the rear extensions, garages and dormers of houses across the borough, and most of its shops, offices and workshops as well. Our flat roofs, domestic and commercial, are laid in torch on systems, felt, GRP fibreglass or EPDM rubber. Repairs run from sealing a leak once it has been found, to mending blisters and tears, reinforcing joints and edges, and improving the drainage on a roof where water ponds.
Property Refurbishment in Croydon
Many of the larger Victorian and Edwardian houses have been divided into flats, and landlords and homeowners alike need work done inside as well as out. Our property refurbishment service covers decorating, plastering, rendering, floors and tiling, updated bathrooms and kitchens, and structural improvements where a building needs them. The roof and chimneys can be repaired as part of the same job. We can also help with surveys, planning applications, drawings and the management of the project.
Facias Replacement in Croydon
Houses from the 1920s and 1930s were built with timber fascias, soffits and bargeboards, often with a gable over the front bay. Decades of paint hide the rot until a gutter bracket pulls out. We replace them with fascias and soffits in uPVC, and with them the bargeboards, box ends, gutters and downpipes. A gutter that only needs clearing or realigning is dealt with on its own.
Damp Proofing in Croydon
Victorian houses have solid walls with no cavity, and many have a cellar or a lower ground floor. Raised paths and flower beds can bridge the damp proof course, and a blocked gutter can soak a wall from the top. Our damp proofing starts with a survey that tells rising damp from condensation and from penetrating damp. Then we treat the cause: a damp proof course injected into the wall, tanking or a waterproof membrane for a cellar, a treatment to an external wall, or improved ventilation.
Common questions from Croydon homeowners
What counts as an emergency roof repair, and what should I do until someone arrives?
Treat it as an emergency if water is coming through a ceiling, if a storm has opened the roof, or if tiles, slates or parts of a chimney have fallen or look ready to fall where people walk. Ring us on 020 8945 7505. Until someone arrives, put buckets under the drips and move furniture and electrical items out of the way. If water is near a light fitting, switch that circuit off at the fuse box. Keep everyone clear of the ground below loose tiles, and do not go up on the roof yourself. Photographs of the damage will help with an insurance claim.
Is scaffolding included?
We own our scaffolding. It is supplied and put up free of charge on new roofs, renovations and qualifying projects. For a smaller repair we look at the access on a free site visit and tell you what the job needs before you agree to anything. Our pricing has no hidden costs.
Are your quotes free?
Yes. Quotations are free and carry no obligation, and so are site visits. We work for landlords, homeowners and commercial clients. Every job is insured, with public liability cover, and guaranteed. Contact us to arrange a visit.