At Environ Property Services, we offer the following roof repair services for period homes in London:

• Tile repairs or replacement for clay, slate and lead roofs
• Fresh lime mortar for flaunching (which secures chimney pots) and fillets (joints between tiles and walls)
• Chimney repairs, including brick repointing, replacement chimney pots and lead flashing
• Restoration of original decorative roof tiles in conservation areas and listed buildings
• Repair or replacement of rotten or damaged roof timbers
• Removal of inappropriate roof modifications such as heavy tiles or excessive insulation
• Structural works to reinforce sagging roofs

To book any of the above services, give us a call or request your call back.

Unqualified roofers damage period buildings

Whether you just need a few tiles patched up or rotten timbers replaced, repairs to roofing on a period property should always be performed by roofers with knowledge of traditional building techniques and how to care for old structures.
Poor workmanship will not only result in repairs that don’t last, they can damage the surrounding structure and increase maintenance costs in the long run.

For example, spray-on sealants and foams are used as a quick fix to waterproof a roof but cause long term damage to the timbers while also making it incredibly difficult to perform future repairs and inspections as all tiles have been locked in place.

Using concrete rather than lime mortar when fixing hip and ridge tiles is another common mistake, as this inflexible mortar is not suitable in period homes where slight movement is expected. Lime mortar can compress and absorb force from this movement, whereas cement mortar will crack or damage the surrounding tiles.

Unfortunately, much of our time working on period roofs is spent undoing the damage done by unqualified roofers.

Specialists in Georgian and Victorian period roof repairs

Terry Clark, director of Environ Property Services, is a trained member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. We believe the best way to look after a period building is to use the same construction techniques and materials as when they were built, or as close as possible.

Even slight changes to a period building can cause damage over time. If tiles are replaced with a heavier material, the weight can cause the roof to sag; if a felt underlay is installed it can block ventilation and lead to damp and mould; if the wrong timber is used it could bend or crack under the pressure.

Before we begin work we carry out a thorough survey of the roof to establish the types of tiles, mortar and timbers used in its construction and identify where the structure is failing and why. Only then can we be sure of the correct approach and methods for repair.

Wherever possible, we prioritise repair rather than replacement in the effort of preserving valuable historic fabric. This requires a high level of craftsmanship beyond what most roofers are capable of.

If you live in a conservation area or if your building is listed, sympathetic repairs using matching materials are more than an aesthetic concern, they are a legal obligation. Hiring the wrong contractor can land you with a fine or even a criminal record.