Haverhill Roofers installs new pitched roofs in Finchingfield and the nearby villages, working in concrete tiles, clay tiles, natural slate and Suffolk pantiles on houses, extensions and outbuildings.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A new pitched roof starts with stripping the old covering back to the rafters, inspecting all the structural timber, replacing anything that is damaged or rotten, and fitting a breathable underlay membrane. Treated battens are then fixed at the gauge required for the tile or slate being used, and the covering is laid from eaves to ridge. Ridge, hip, valley, verge and chimney details are all completed before the scaffold comes down.
The materials available - concrete tiles, clay tiles, natural slate and Suffolk pantiles - differ in weight, longevity, minimum pitch requirements and cost. The right choice depends on the building type, the pitch of the roof, any planning constraints, and your budget. We can talk through the options when we visit.
To give you a realistic starting point:
A new roof is planned work. You have a survey, choose materials, get quotes, confirm the programme and book the scaffold. That process takes time, and in the meantime a property with a failing or damaged roof needs to be managed carefully. Knowing what to do - and what not to do - while you wait can make a real difference to how much damage occurs and how much the eventual repair costs.
This section is specifically for homeowners in Finchingfield and nearby who are in the gap between deciding they need a new roof and the date when work starts.
Get water away from vulnerable areas. If you have a known leak point - a cracked tile, a failed flashing around a chimney, or a gap at a verge - position a container under it in the loft space to catch water. Check and empty it after each rainfall. This sounds basic but it prevents water from running along rafters, soaking insulation, and reaching ceilings where the damage becomes visible and expensive.
Keep gutters clear. In the period before a new roof goes on, blocked gutters allow water to back up under the lowest tile course, which worsens any existing ingress and can affect fascias and soffits. Clear them manually - with a trowel or a gutter scoop - rather than using a pressure washer, which can dislodge tiles that are already loose.
Make a note of where and when water appears. If you can photograph damp patches or take a video of water tracking through the loft after rain, that information is useful for the roofer. It helps pinpoint where the primary failure is, which can affect what else is found when the covering comes off.
Check your loft after any significant storm. Wind can displace tiles that were previously holding, turning a contained situation into an active one. A torch check of the loft after bad weather takes five minutes and can alert you to a change that needs a temporary patch before the main work is done.
If a serious storm creates a large open section of roof before the planned installation date, a temporary repair may be warranted. This usually means a roofer using heavy-gauge polythene sheeting fixed under tiles and weighted or battened at the edges to keep it in place. This is not a long-term solution and it does not replace the need for the new roof, but it can prevent weeks of water ingress while the programme of work is confirmed.
A temporary repair of this type is a job for a roofer, not a DIY project. The risk of falling from an unsecured roof covering or through a section that has already been weakened is significant.
This is the part most people do not hear clearly enough. There are things homeowners routinely attempt on roofs that cause more damage than the original problem, and sometimes cause serious injury.
Extensions and garages sometimes have felt flat roof sections alongside the main pitched roof. If a felt flat roof is leaking, a temporary repair using self-adhesive flashing tape can limit ingress in the short term, but it is not a substitute for re-felting or installing a proper EPDM rubber covering. These systems need to be assessed and replaced properly, not repeatedly patched.
On the day work starts, scaffold should already be in place from the previous day. The crew strips the old covering first, which allows a proper inspection of the timber below. Any issues found - rotten rafters, failed wall plates, damaged brickwork at chimney stacks - are assessed and you are told what needs doing before the new covering goes on. This is normal; it is not unusual for some additional timber work to emerge once a roof is opened up, particularly on older properties.
The underlay, battens and new tile or slate covering follow, with all edge, junction and flashing details completed before the scaffold is removed. Skips or disposal bags are used for the stripped material, and the area around the property should be cleared before the team leaves.
We install new pitched roofs in Finchingfield and the surrounding area, including Haverhill, Great Sampford, Ridgewell, Steeple Bumpstead, Clare, Ashen and Kedington. Whether it is a house re-roof, a new extension roof or an outbuilding, we can visit, assess and quote.
Call Haverhill Roofers to arrange a site inspection. We will look at what you have, confirm whether a full replacement is needed or whether a targeted repair will serve you, and give you a written quote that sets out the scope and the materials before any work starts.
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.
