Roofers in Almondsbury

A hillside roof turned toward open ground has a harder job than one in a sheltered street. Wind arriving from the plain is pushed upward by the slope and meets the roof edge at speed, and rain comes with it at an angle that the roof's design may not have allowed for. In Almondsbury, those conditions apply to many of the houses on the upper slope and along the A38.

Failure on an exposed roof is usually progressive. First a nail loosens, then a tile or slate shifts a fraction. Wind then gets under the loose unit and lifts it higher, and the next one follows. By the time a tile lands on the lawn, the fixings along that whole course may be tired. This is why we check the surrounding courses and not only the missing piece.

The edges matter most. At the verge, the covering stops against the gable wall, and unless it is firmly fixed, wind lifts the end tiles first. At the ridge, the capping tiles are the highest and most exposed part. On a roof of any age, mortar alone no longer meets current practice, and BS 5534:2014 expects mechanical fixings for ridge, hip and verge. A dry-fix system, tested under BS 8612:2018, holds those parts without a mortar bed and copes better with the movement of an exposed roof.

Underlay deserves a mention as well. Driven rain can pass between tiles in strong wind, and an intact underlay (the membrane under the battens, the timber strips that carry the covering) catches it and drains it to the gutter. A roof on an exposed slope with perished underlay will leak in storms that a sheltered neighbour would shrug off.

If a gale has taken tiles off, we prioritise the temporary make-safe first, covering the opening so water stays out, and then plan a lasting repair. How we assess damage before pricing is covered under roof repairs.

The Bowl Inn is whitewashed stone, with parts said to have begun as monks' cottages in the 12th century and a licence dating from 1550. Few houses here are that old, but the older cottages in and around the village centre share some of the same traits: thick walls, small openings, and roofs that have been mended many times.

On a stone building the stack is usually the part of the walling that takes most weather. Stone stacks need lime mortar, which is softer and more open than cement and lets moisture escape through the joints rather than through the stone. A hard cement repair traps water and can accelerate decay in the stone around it. When a stack needs work, we rake out failed joints, repoint in lime and, if the flaunching (the sloping mortar cap round the pots) has cracked, renew it to shed water. Our chimney repairs page sets out when a repair is enough and when a stack must be rebuilt.

The roof covering needs similar thought. Replacing a stone or slate roof with something lighter and cheaper can change the character of an old house and, if the new covering is much heavier or lighter than the old, may call for a structural check. In most cases the better course is to repair what is sound and match what must be replaced.

Old roof spaces can shelter protected bats and nesting birds, so we check for signs before disturbing one.

If your cottage is listed or falls within a conservation area, consent may be required. South Gloucestershire Council is the authority to ask, and it is wise to ask before work begins. We can draft a short description of the work to accompany your application.