Roofers in Penenden Heath

Penenden Heath grew as Maidstone expanded north from the 19th century onwards, so its streets mix older houses with later 20th-century homes. Many of the older terraces and villas still have natural slate roofs and tall chimney stacks. On roofs that old, the most common problem is nail sickness. The nails holding each slate corrode, and slates slip one by one, often after autumn winds. A few slipped slates are a quick repair, but lots of them suggest the roof needs re-slating, often reusing the sound slates.

Chimneys are another frequent job. Look out for worn mortar joints, cracked flaunching and failed lead flashing where the stack meets the roof. On a terrace, a chimney stack is often shared with the house next door, so talk to your neighbour before work starts. You may be able to share the cost of the scaffolding, and some work to a shared stack falls under the Party Wall Act.

Many houses also have a smaller roof over a rear extension or bay, where water collects in valleys and against walls. Leaks there are often caused by failed lead flashing rather than the tiles. In the later homes, concrete tiles are more common, and the usual jobs are rebedding the ridge or fitting a dry ridge and dry verge system. Flat roofs on garages and extensions often start to leak after 15 to 20 years.

Rented homes are common here, close to the town centre. In most tenancies, the landlord is responsible for keeping the roof, gutters and drainpipes in repair, so tenants should report leaks to the landlord or agent promptly.

Scaffolding is often the biggest single cost in a roofing quote, so ask whether it's included and how long it will be up. Ask the roofer to send photos of the problem from the roof, and check what guarantee comes with the work. Reviews on Trade Pilot come from real, invoiced jobs, so you can see which roofers have finished similar work for other homeowners.