Slate roofing in Lincoln

Slate roofing in Lincoln

Slate roofing in Lincoln. We survey the roof first, photograph what we find and give you an itemised written quote, so you know what you are paying for before anyone starts. Our Lincoln office covers Lincoln on 01522 303 418.

It sits in the LN1 postcode district. Lincoln is in the middle of our Lincoln patch, covered by the Lincoln team on 01522 303 418, and the survey is free whether or not you go ahead with the work.

The roofs in Lincoln

Lincoln splits sharply in two for roofing. Uphill, around the cathedral and the Bailgate, there is conservation area property in slate, clay pantile and proper lead detailing, where the covering and the detail both have to be sympathetic. Downhill and south towards the Hykehams and Bracebridge Heath it is largely twentieth century housing in concrete interlocking tile, with felt underlay of the same vintage.

Lincoln's roofs change dramatically between the uphill conservation area around the cathedral, where slate, pantile and lead detailing are the norm, and the post war estates downhill and to the south.

Lincoln has the most demanding slate work in our patch, particularly on older property uphill where the roofs are steep, complex and often visible from the street. Natural slate, correct lap and gauge for the pitch, and lead valleys rather than cement.

Working with stepped slate roofs on Lincoln's West Parade

West Parade and Beaumont Fee offer slate roofing problems shaped by sloping ground, changing eaves heights and older terraced buildings with varied roof pitches. Beaumont Fee's Victorian and Edwardian brick frontages can conceal a more complicated arrangement behind, including lower rear slopes and roof junctions against taller neighbouring walls. On a stepped West Parade terrace, water from the higher section must remain clear of the lower roof's wall junction. West Parade slate replacement therefore involves understanding the whole change in level, particularly when a narrow rear slope has accumulated patches that hide the original overlap and the lead beneath it.

For a stepped roof near Beaumont Fee, we measure each slope separately before deciding the slate overlap, because the rear pitch may differ from the frontage. Slate scaffold on Beaumont Fee needs lifts that follow the changing building levels, with a delivery arrangement suited to the street and checks on conservation requirements before material changes. On West Parade, the usual sequence is to lift slates around the affected abutment, inspect the support, renew failed weathering and then relay courses to the measured pitch. A larger West Parade slate renewal keeps temporary protection over the lower section while the higher roof remains open.

On West Parade, a free survey can establish which stepped slate section needs opening, using photographs of what we find to explain the route behind the lower wall junction. Repairing that West Parade abutment may be a short operation, whereas rebuilding courses across several levels takes longer in suitable weather. At Beaumont Fee, scaffold lifts, slate dimensions, boarding and intricate leadwork are factors to check in the itemised written quote. Following renewal beside a taller Beaumont Fee wall, keep the lower gutter free of debris so backed up water cannot obscure later checks for a returning slate roof leak.

What slate roofing in Lincoln involves

• Strip and re-laySound slate carefully removed, sorted and re-laid on new membrane and battens with new fixings.
• New natural slateWelsh and Spanish natural slate, holed and laid to the correct lap and gauge for the pitch.
• Fibre cement slateA lighter, lower cost alternative that suits many properties and lasts well when laid correctly.

That is the short version. There is a fuller explanation of the work, the materials and the detailing on our slate roofing page.

Signs your Lincoln property needs this

• Slates flaking or delaminating in layers at the tail
• Broken slates in the gutter after wind
• Valleys and lead work perished at the same time as the slates

Natural slate, fibre cement, and reclaimed

Natural slate is the long term answer and the right one on period properties, particularly anywhere a conservation officer has a view. It is heavier and dearer, and the roof structure has to be up to it, which on a roof that has always carried slate it will be.

Slate roofing in Lincoln at a glance

What affects the price in Lincoln

• Natural slate against fibre cement, which is a significant difference in material cost
• Whether the existing slate can be re-laid or has to be replaced
• Roof pitch, since a lower pitch needs a bigger lap and therefore more slate

The survey is free, there is no obligation, and the quote is itemised so you can put it next to anyone else's and compare like for like.