Dilham is a small North Norfolk village near the northern edge of the Broads, with a character shaped by its waterside setting and its quiet rural lanes. The housing here is a mixture of older property types. Properties in villages like Dilham are often older than their owners realise, and roofs that have served for decades can start showing problems in multiple places at once when maintenance has been deferred.
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Damp, sheltered spots encourage moss and lichen growth on roofs.
Some properties in damp, sheltered surroundings see moss and lichen establish themselves on roofing materials. Clay pantiles, concrete tiles and even slate can develop significant moss coverage in a few years in this kind of setting, and the weight and moisture retention that comes with a heavy moss build-up accelerates the wear on mortar bedding and tile surfaces underneath. It is a manageable problem, but it needs to be treated rather than ignored.
The traditional property types here - flint and brick cottages and older farmhouses - carry roofs that were built with natural materials and lime-based mortars. These roofs are generally sound if they have been maintained, but they need to be worked on with compatible materials. Pointing a lime mortar joint with hard cement, or replacing clay pantiles with modern concrete ones, causes problems over time because the materials expand and contract at different rates and at different speeds. Knowing which materials to use on which properties matters.
A common problem on older cottages is failed ridge mortar. Ridge tiles are bedded in mortar that sits fully exposed to the weather at the highest point of the roof. The mortar cracks and shrinks over years, and once the joint opens up, water gets in at every heavy rain. By the time a homeowner notices a damp patch internally, the ridge mortar may have been failing for a season or more.
Chimney stacks on older properties are another frequent source of problems. A typical issue is where the lead flashing around the base of the stack has lifted or cracked. Lead flashing expands in warm weather and contracts in cold, and if it was installed without enough allowance for this movement it eventually pulls out of the chase in the brickwork. Water then runs straight down the back of the stack into the roof void. Re-dressing or replacing the lead and re-pointing the chase sorts the problem, but it needs to be caught before the roof void timbers become wet.
Flat roofs on garages and extensions follow a predictable pattern of failure. Traditional built-up felt flat roofs have a lifespan of roughly 10-20 years before they begin to blister, crack and split. When water gets through a split in the top layer it sits between the layers and accelerates the deterioration. If a felt flat roof is more than 15 years old and has not been inspected, it is worth having a look before it fails in a wet spell.
We carry out all the standard domestic roofing work on properties in and around Dilham:
EPDM rubber has become the preferred flat roofing system for most domestic applications over the past decade, and for good reason. Unlike traditional felt, EPDM is applied as a single bonded sheet with no seams to open up. It stays flexible in cold weather. It is also far more resistant to UV degradation than felt. The installed cost for an EPDM flat roof in this area is typically in the range of £70-£120 per square metre, which is more than a straight felt replacement but represents a better long-term spend for most homeowners.
One thing to check before any flat roof replacement is the condition of the deck underneath. If the plywood or timber boarding beneath the existing felt has taken in water and begun to rot, replacing the deck is part of the job. Fitting a new membrane over a soft or rotten deck will not give a sound result. A proper inspection before the work starts determines what is involved and avoids surprises once the old material has been stripped.
A full re-roof on a traditional Norfolk cottage is a significant piece of work but it is also a long-term investment. The job involves stripping the old tiles and underlay, inspecting the rafters and battens, replacing any that are damaged, fitting new underlay, re-battening and relaying the tiles. On a property that was originally pantiled, maintaining the clay pantile finish is usually the right choice - both for the look of the building and because heavier concrete tiles can overload older roof structures.
Typical costs for a full re-roof in this part of North Norfolk range from around £6,000 for a small cottage to £14,000 or more for a larger farmhouse or extended property, depending on tile specification, access and the amount of structural work required underneath. These are guide figures; the actual price depends on what we find when we inspect the roof.
We work across the wider North Walsham area and cover all the surrounding villages. As well as Dilham, we take on roofing work in North Walsham, Stalham, Worstead, Honing, Bacton, Swafield, Trunch, Mundesley, Aylsham, Cromer and Holt. Norwich is also within our working area. If you have a roofing job in or near Dilham, call North Walsham Roofers and we will arrange a time to come and look at it.
Whether you have a specific problem you are already aware of, or you just want to know what condition your roof is in before winter, call us to arrange a survey. We will give you an honest report on what we find and a clear price for any work that is needed. There is no pressure and no vague estimates - just a straight assessment of your roof and what it needs.
Dilham has a mix of older property types.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
