If you're planning a new roof on your Sheringham home and want to know exactly what the process involves, this page takes you through the job from the initial inspection right through to the day we leave your property.
Before anything else, a proper assessment of the existing roof is needed. This is not a five-minute look from the ground. A thorough inspection means getting up on the roof to check the condition of the tiles or slates, the ridge, the hips, any valleys, and all lead flashings around chimneys, dormers and abutments.
We also look at the roof from inside the loft where access allows. This tells us whether the felt underlay has deteriorated, whether there is any evidence of water ingress into the timbers, and whether the rafter structure is sound. A roof that looks fine from the kerb can have rotten battens and split underlay that only show up from this angle.
The inspection also determines the roof's pitch, area and layout - information needed to calculate materials accurately. We note whether there are any awkward details like lead soakers around a stack, a complex valley arrangement or a parapet wall that will need careful waterproofing.
Once we know what's there and what needs to come off, we confirm the specification for the new roof. This covers the covering material (clay tile, concrete tile, natural slate or synthetic slate), the underlay type, the batten size and spacing, and how the ridge and hips will be finished.
Underlay choice is worth a word here. Traditional bitumen felt is still used but breathable membrane has become the standard on most new roofs. Breathable membrane allows water vapour to escape from the roof space without the need for additional ventilation at the eaves in the same way as older felt. This matters for roof health over the long term. We'll confirm what we're using and why.
Ridge and hip tiles can be mortar-bedded in the traditional way, or dry-fixed using a mechanical system and proprietary caps. Dry-fix systems don't crack, don't need re-pointing after ten years, and are now the preferred method on most new installations.
A full roof replacement requires proper scaffold. This protects the people doing the work, protects your property and allows the job to be done correctly. You should be cautious of any contractor who proposes to do a full strip and re-roof from ladders alone - it isn't safe and it isn't practical for a job of this scale.
Scaffold is typically erected the day before stripping begins. Neighbours are usually informed if the scaffold affects shared access or the pavement. We make sure the scaffold is set up to give clear access to all slopes and all ridge and valley points.
Stripping is exactly what it sounds like. The old tiles or slates are removed first, followed by the battens, and then the felt or membrane. All waste material is lowered from the roof in bags or via a chute into a skip or trailer below - not thrown from the eaves. This protects your guttering, your fascias and anything below.
Once the roof is stripped back to bare rafters, the timber structure is inspected again in detail. On older properties, this sometimes reveals rafter damage that wasn't visible before. Common problems are rotten rafter feet at the eaves (where moisture collects), undersized rafters in older sections, or rafters that have been notched or drilled by previous trades and are now structurally compromised. Any repairs needed are identified and discussed with you before work continues.
If rafter repairs are needed, we deal with them at this stage. A rotten rafter foot can usually be sistered - a new length of timber bolted alongside the damaged section to restore strength. A completely failed rafter may need replacing in full. Battens from the previous installation are never reused; new treated timber battens are used throughout.
Any work done to the timber structure at this point directly affects how the finished roof performs, so it's not an area to cut corners on. We'll confirm any additional work found and the cost before proceeding.
New underlay goes on before any tiles. The membrane is fixed horizontally across the rafters, starting at the eaves and working up to the ridge, with each course lapping over the one below by the manufacturer's specified amount. At the eaves, the membrane laps into the gutter to direct any water that gets beneath the tiles out and away from the fascia board.
Eaves protection - usually a plastic or aluminium tray that sits at the bottom of each rafter bay - is fitted at this stage to prevent birds and pests from nesting at the eaves and to keep the underlay properly supported over the first course of tiles.
Treated timber battens are nailed across the rafters at a spacing calculated for the tile or slate being used. The spacing (called the gauge) is determined by the tile's headlap specification and the roof's pitch. Get the gauge wrong and the tiles won't cover each other correctly, which leads to water ingress. Every batten course is checked for level as we go.
Tiles or slates are laid from the eaves upward. The first course is doubled (two layers at the bottom) to make the bottom edge weather-tight. Each subsequent course overlaps the one below by the specified headlap. Tile clips or nails are used at intervals to secure the covering against wind uplift - on exposed roofs, every tile may be clipped.
Valleys - the junctions where two roof slopes meet - are lined with lead or a formed valley trough before tiling reaches them. Getting valley details right is critical because they carry a high volume of water in heavy rain. Lead soakers are cut and fitted around chimney bases before the flashing is dressed over them.
We cover Sheringham and the wider area including North Walsham, Holt, Overstrand, Mundesley, Stalham, Trunch, Rollesby, Martham, Marsham, Lenwade, Horning and Norwich. Every site gets the same approach regardless of size.
The ridge is the last part of the main covering to be completed. If dry-fix, the ridge tiles are mechanically fixed to a continuous batten along the apex. If mortar-bedded, each ridge tile is individually set in a mortar mix. Hip tiles are handled in a similar way, working from the bottom of the hip up to the ridge junction.
Lead flashings are cut, shaped and dressed into any adjoining masonry at this stage. A good flashing is stepped into the mortar joints of the brickwork - not just stuck to the surface - and turned down over the tile surface to form a weatherproof seal.
Once the roof is complete, we carry out a final check from both the scaffold and the inside of the loft. We look for any tiles that aren't sitting flat, any clipping that's been missed, and any details that need a final touch. Gutters are checked and cleared of any debris from the installation.
All waste material and scaffold is removed, and the site is left clean. If you'd like to check the finished work before scaffold comes down, just say so at the start - it's easily arranged.
If you're ready to get a new roof on your Sheringham property, call North Walsham Roofers to arrange an inspection and get a clear, itemised quote for the full job.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
