Cambridge is a city of mixed and often demanding roofing stock, from older terraces and post-war semis to modern new-build developments on the city's edges. Many of the older properties were built with Welsh slate that is now well over a century old, and the clay plain that Cambridge sits on can cause slow but steady movement in chimney stacks and parapet walls over time. Whether you need a repair to a leaking bay-window flat roof on a terraced house, a new slate installation on a period semi, or guttering work on a detached house, we cover it.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Cambridge sits within practical reach of Haverhill, making it a natural part of our working area. The city's older housing stock, much of it Victorian or Edwardian, generates significant demand for slate repairs, leadwork renewal, and chimney repointing.
We carry out the full range of domestic and commercial roofing work across Cambridge, from single-tile repairs on terraced houses to complete roof replacements on detached properties and flat-roof overhauls on extensions and outbuildings.
Cambridge is a city where the roofing challenges vary enormously by neighbourhood. The Victorian terraces common in areas south and east of the city centre typically have original or replacement Welsh slate, valley gutters in lead or felt, and chimney stacks that have seen more than a hundred years of weather. Modern new-build estates on the city's edges are more likely to present problems with concrete interlocking tiles, UPVC fascia boards, and flat-roof extensions where the felt or EPDM membrane has lifted or cracked.
A missing or slipped tile is the most straightforward roof problem, but leaving it even a few days in wet weather can allow water to track under the felt underlay and into the timber structure. On Cambridge's older terraced stock, where the original breathable sarking felt has long since decayed, a single broken slate can mean water is entering the roof space directly. We assess the full area around any repair, not just the obvious damage point, because secondary entry points are common.
When water is actively coming through a ceiling, the priority is to stop further ingress first. We can apply temporary weatherproofing where needed while a proper repair is planned, particularly in cases where a fallen chimney pot or a large section of displaced ridge tiles has left a significant opening. Call us to describe what you are seeing and we will advise on the best course of action before committing to any work.
A full re-roof is a significant investment and the specification matters as much as the price. On a Cambridge Victorian terrace, the most sympathetic and durable choice is usually a natural slate or a good-quality fibre-cement slate rather than a concrete tile, which sits too heavily on older roof structures and looks out of place on a period property. We will discuss the options honestly, including the weight implications, the batten spacing required, and the likely lifespan of each material.
For many houses, concrete interlocking tiles or clay plain tiles are both viable, and the choice often comes down to budget and the character of the surrounding street. We strip the existing covering, replace any rotted battens and damaged rafters, fit new breathable underlay, and then lay the new covering with properly bedded ridge tiles and lead or mortar at the abutments. The correct specification for flashings and valleys is where many cheaper jobs cut corners and fail early.
Flat roofs are common on extensions, bay windows, single-storey rear additions, and garages. The two systems we work with most are traditional built-up felt and EPDM rubber membrane. Felt flat roofs have a typical lifespan of around 10-15 years depending on specification and exposure; EPDM is a more durable single-ply option that, when correctly installed with proper edge detailing, will outlast felt significantly.
A common failure point on felt flat roofs is the upstand where the roof meets the house wall. If the flashing pulls away from the brickwork or the felt at the edge begins to crack and lift, water gets in behind the membrane and pools against the wall. This is often seen on older extensions where the original felt has simply reached the end of its life. We inspect the full perimeter and drainage outlets as part of any flat-roof assessment.
Older terraces often have original chimney stacks, some of which are no longer in active use but still need to be maintained. A redundant chimney that is not capped or adequately flashed can allow water to run down the inside of the flue and cause damp patches on internal walls - often misdiagnosed as rising damp. We repoint chimney stacks using an appropriate mortar mix (not a hard cement that will crack the softer Victorian brickwork), replace cracked or blown flaunching around chimney pots, and renew lead flashings at the base of the stack where they meet the roof slope.
On taller stacks or where the brickwork has significantly deteriorated, partial or full stack rebuilding may be the right answer. We will give you a straight assessment of what is actually needed rather than recommending work that is not necessary.
Timber fascia boards rot from the back, which means by the time you can see the paint peeling and the wood softening, the back face in contact with the rafter feet is often already badly decayed. Original timber fascias are still common on older housing, and replacement with UPVC can be a practical long-term solution. We fit ogee, square-line, or round guttering in UPVC or cast iron to match the character of the property.
Guttering on older period properties was often originally cast iron, and some owners prefer to retain that look. We work with both cast iron and UPVC systems and can advise on the difference in maintenance requirements - cast iron needs painting periodically, but properly maintained it will last many decades. UPVC is lower maintenance but has a different visual weight that does not suit all period properties.
Blocked or leaking gutters are a leading cause of damp in Cambridge's older terraced housing because the walls are solid brick with no cavity, so sustained water running down the face goes straight through. Keeping gutters clear and joints sealed is a straightforward job that prevents far more costly remedial work later.
An annual or biennial roof inspection on an older Cambridge property is money well spent. We check tile or slate condition, point up any open joints in the ridge and hip mortar, clear moss from valleys and gutters, re-dress any lead that has begun to lift, and assess the condition of any flat-roof sections. A written report of what we find and what, if anything, needs attention is something you can keep for your own records or pass on to a buyer if the property is sold.
Moss and lichen growth is not purely cosmetic. Moss retains moisture against the tile surface, which accelerates the erosion of concrete tiles and can force open the lap on older slates. Biocide treatment followed by gentle clearance when the moss has died is the correct approach; pressure washing a roof forces water under laps and can damage the underlay.
Roof windows are increasingly popular, particularly where loft conversions add bedroom space without extending the footprint. Velux and similar brands fit into the standard rafter spacing found on most Victorian terraced roofs, though the structural opening and the flashing kit must be specified correctly for the roof pitch and tile type. A poorly fitted roof window is one of the most common sources of a persistent leak that is difficult to trace.
We supply and fit roof windows as part of a loft conversion roofing package or as a standalone installation into an existing roof. We also repair and reseal existing roof windows where the flashing has corroded or the unit seal has failed. A misted double-glazed pane in a roof window means the seal has gone and the unit needs replacing rather than resealing.
We carry out commercial flat-roof repairs and replacements.
We work across Cambridge and the surrounding area, including the villages and towns neighbouring the city. From our Haverhill base we also cover Linton, Saffron Walden, Newmarket, Sudbury, Clare, Kedington, Sturmer, Steeple Bumpstead, Great Thurlow, Little Thurlow, and other parts of the Suffolk and Essex borders. If you are in Cambridge or the surrounding area and need a roofer, call us to discuss what you need and arrange for us to take a look.
Cambridge has a dense stock of Victorian and Edwardian terraced housing in its inner neighbourhoods, alongside post-war semis, purpose-built flats, and new-build estates on the city's expanding outskirts.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
