Roof Repairs in Tonbridge by Type of House
Tonbridge grew outwards from the River Medway and the castle beside the High Street, and its roofs show when each part of the town was built. What a roof needs depends a good deal on its age and shape, so it helps to take the houses one group at a time.
Victorian Terraces and Semis Near the Centre
The tight streets close to the centre are lined with Victorian terraced houses and semis. Many were roofed in slate, with a chimney stack shared on the party wall and a lower roof over the rear addition. Slates on a roof of this age often slip because the nails holding them have rusted through, even though the slate itself is still good. The usual repairs are refixing or replacing slates, renewing the lead where the rear roof meets the main wall, and repairing the shared stack.
Larger Villas Towards Quarry Hill
South of the centre the land climbs towards Quarry Hill, above the reach of the river, and the houses there are larger: villas of the late Victorian and Edwardian years. Their roofs are bigger and busier, with hips, gables, bays and dormers, and many are covered in clay tile. Every extra junction is a place for water to get in, so these roofs depend on their leadwork. We repair and renew valleys and box gutters in lead, along with step flashings and their covers, and we replace broken tiles with ones that match.
Later Estates
Houses on the later estates mostly have concrete tiles on a simple pitched roof. The common faults are cracked mortar along the ridge and verges, tiles lifted by the wind, and gutters and roofline boards that have reached the end of their life.
Whichever kind of house you have, the list is much the same: leaks, broken or missing slates and tiles, flashing that has failed and damage left by a storm. Emergency roof repairs are part of the service throughout the South East and South London. Our roof repairs page goes into more depth.
Chimney Repairs in Tonbridge
A fault at the top of a chimney soon shows as a damp patch on a bedroom ceiling or on the chimney breast. On a terrace the stack is usually shared, so it makes sense for both owners to have it looked at together.
Stacks can be repointed, capped, rebuilt where the brickwork has failed, or removed if they are not wanted. We also repair the lead flashing at the base, a common source of leaks beside a chimney. The Tonbridge Conservation Area covers the castle and the old High Street on the north side of the river. Inside it, ask the council before a stack is lowered or removed. The full list of work is on our chimney repairs page.
New Roof in Tonbridge
A slate roof where the nails have failed across whole slopes, or a tiled roof with rotten battens and torn underlay, is better replaced than patched again. Our new roof work takes in slate and tile on pitched roofs, complete reconstruction, extensions to an existing roof and flat roofs built new. Chimneys can be rebuilt or demolished while the roof is off.
The scaffold is our own equipment and, on a new roof, comes at no cost to you: we supply it and put it up. On a terraced street with little room at the front, the scaffold and the roofing can then be planned as one job. Learn more about a new roof.
Flat Roofing in Tonbridge
Rear additions, garages and outbuildings are where most flat roofs are found. The coverings we work with are EPDM rubber, fibreglass (GRP), felt and torch on, for houses and for commercial property. A flat roof that holds water after rain needs its drainage improved as well as its covering mended. Leaks are found and sealed, and blisters, tears, joints and edges are repaired. Read about flat roofing.
Damp Proofing in Tonbridge
Low ground beside the Medway has flooded in the past. The flood storage area upstream at Leigh now protects the town, but ground close to a river still holds more moisture than ground up the hill. Our damp surveys and inspections establish whether the trouble is condensation, penetrating damp or rising damp. Depending on the result, the answer may be a damp proof course injected at the base of the wall, tanking, a membrane, an external treatment or improved ventilation. Find out how our damp proofing works.
Brick Repointing in Tonbridge
Victorian brickwork was laid in lime mortar, which is softer than the brick and slowly weathers back. Once the joints are open, the wall takes in rain. The old mortar comes out and fresh mortar of a matching colour goes in, by traditional methods where the building requires them. We repoint garden and boundary walls, parapets, chimney stacks and complete elevations, on listed buildings as well as ordinary houses. Our brick repointing page has the detail.
Facias Replacement in Tonbridge
Fascias, soffits and gutters take all the rain off a roof, and on a terrace one run of gutter often serves several houses. Our roofline work covers new uPVC soffits and fascias, downpipes and gutters repaired or replaced, and new box ends and bargeboards. Gutters that spill over are cleared and put back in line. Go to guttering, fascias and soffits for more.
Property Refurbishment in Tonbridge
Older houses often need several things done at once. Our own team handles structural improvements, rendering and plastering, new floors and tiling, bathroom and kitchen updates, and the painting and decorating to finish, alongside any repairs to the roof and chimney. Planning applications and surveys are something we can help with. Read more under property refurbishment.
Tonbridge Roofing and Damp Questions
Can a slate roof be patched, or does it need stripping?
If a few slates have slipped and the rest are firm, a patch repair is the right job. If slates come down in several places each winter, the nails are failing across the roof and patching turns into a yearly cost. At that stage the roof is usually stripped and the sound slates are sorted and laid again on new battens and underlay, with new slates to make up the number. We will tell you which stage your roof has reached.
What causes damp low down on a wall in a house near the river?
There are several possible causes, and more than one can be present. The damp proof course may be missing or worn out, or it may be bridged by a path, a flower bed or render built up above it. A leaking gutter or downpipe can soak the foot of a wall. Condensation can settle on a cold wall at skirting level. Ground that holds a lot of water makes each of these worse. A survey tells them apart, which matters because each needs a different treatment.
How do gutters cope with heavy rain?
A gutter in good order, set to the correct fall and kept clear, will carry a heavy shower. Trouble starts when leaves and moss block it, when a joint leaks, or when the brackets sag and water runs the wrong way. The overflow then pours down the wall and soaks the brickwork. Clearing and realigning a gutter is a small job compared with the damp it prevents.
Ours is a family business with public liability insurance, and the work carries a guarantee. A quotation costs nothing, and you can ask for one through our contact page.