Roofing in Thorney Hill

Re-fixing the perimeter zone is the job this hamlet needs most. Wind does not lift a roof in the middle, it gets under the edges and the corners, and the most exposed elevation here faces south west.

The code of practice, BS 5534, was tightened in 2014 so that a site like this now needs mechanical fixing well in from the verge and the eaves rather than a clip here and there. Where a roof predates that, we clip out the whole perimeter zone properly, for a fraction of what losing a slope costs. Mortar bedding on an exposed roof cracks, lets go and takes the tile with it, so off it comes and a dry ridge and dry verge go back screwed down on a ventilated roll, which is both stronger in wind and vents the ridge line as it goes.

Storm damage and repairs. Slipped, cracked and missing tiles after a blow, a ridge tile gone, a verge stripped back along its length, and the leak that follows. On the post-war houses in Thorney Hill it is concrete tile, nearly all of it interlocking, and the covering is generally in better condition than whatever is holding it down. Older cottages on the green carry plain tile, clay tile and a little natural slate on battens with no sarking under them. Thatch is a different trade and we say so before you ask: we tile and flash up to it. When the nails have gone, the batten ends are soft and the underlay has torn away at the eaves, the covering comes off, wet rafter feet come out, and it goes back on breathable membrane and treated battens with a matched tile, fixed to today's schedule, not the one it was first laid to. If it is one slipped slate, a loose hip tile or a single leak at the chimney, roof repairs in Thorney Hill covers finding and mending that one fault.

Garages, rear extensions, porches and dormers go in felt, GRP fibreglass or EPDM rubber, and the deck sets the life of all three, so it comes first, then the falls, the upstands and the outlet. On an exposed roof the flashings matter twice over: chimney soakers, back gutters, valleys and abutments go back in code rated lead, cut and clipped at the free edge so wind cannot get a grip on it. Oak and holly leaf off the forest side fills gutters and valleys every autumn, and on ground that shrinks and swells, where that water ends up beside a foundation is a structural question rather than only a damp one. While a covering is off, insulation and eaves ventilation cost a fraction of what they cost later, and Approved Document L sets the standard a renovated roof should reach.

No rate per square metre works for a roof in this spot, because the wind and what is under the tiles decide more than the area does.

Exposure. The settlement sits on open ground at the edge of the forest, with the worst weather from the south west. An exposed scaffold needs more ties and often debris netting, and it stands longer because a strip cannot be opened on a bad forecast, so it is priced by the days it is booked as well as its size. Work at height rules are the reason it is itemised separately.

Fixing to today's standard. Concrete tiles on older roofs were often nailed only every few courses. A re-cover fixes every tile and mechanically fixes the ridge and verge to the tiling code of practice, which takes more fixings and more time than the roof it replaces.

Under the tiles. Older roofs usually have bitumen felt that has sagged or perished at the eaves, so a re-roof brings a breathable membrane and new battens.

Trees. Houses set among trees collect debris in valleys and gutters, and moss holds water on the tiles, so a valley relined in lead is priced on its own.

Ask any quote what code of lead goes on the chimney, whether every tile is mechanically fixed, and who pays for the skip.

Thorney Hill lies 6.8 miles out from 80a Wolverton Road, Boscombe, our base. We cover it along with Holmsley, Bransgore, Burley and the BH23 lanes on that side of the forest. Planning sits with the New Forest National Park Authority, and building regulations with New Forest District Council.

The company behind this page is Bournemouth Roofing & Building Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 15471719. The owner is Thomas Hannen, and he comes out and prices the roof himself. Checkatrade carries a verified customer's score for us of 10 out of 10. The visit is free, and you pay nothing for the itemised written quote. Before you book a visit in Thorney Hill, you can read our customers' Google reviews, word for word, on our reviews page.

Most repairs in Thorney Hill need no application at all. What decides whether a change to the outside of your house does is who the council is, whether a conservation area or a listing applies, and whether the place sits in a protected landscape.