02 — Repair, overhaul or re-roof
Three answers, and they cost very different amounts.
People tend to assume it is repair or replace. There is a third option in between that suits a lot of Sussex roofs, and a fourth that costs nothing at all. This is roughly how we decide.
Localised repair
Extends current lifeA handful of slipped or cracked tiles, a failed flashing, a leaking valley, a blown ridge
The covering is sound and one detail has let go. We replace like for like, re-bed or dry-fix what has failed, and leave the rest of the roof alone. Most of these are a half-day to a day, and they are the majority of what we do.
Strip and re-lay
20–30 yearsTiles still in good order, but battens, felt or bedding that are not
The existing tiles come off and are sorted, the battens and membrane are renewed, and the sound tiles go back on with new ones making up the shortfall. It costs meaningfully less than a full re-roof because you are not buying a whole roof’s worth of tiles — and on a clay or handmade tile it keeps the look of the house.
Full re-roof
40–60 yearsCoverings that have reached the end, or roofs where too many tiles are broken to reuse
Full strip, structure checked and repaired, new breathable membrane, new treated battens, new covering and new details throughout. It is the expensive answer and we only recommend it where a repair would be money spent twice.
Leave it alone
—Roofs that look tired but are working
Moss, lichen and a weathered colour are not, on their own, a reason to spend anything. If we get up there and the roof is doing its job, we will tell you that and charge you nothing for the visit.