Beacon Basingstoke Roofing

Roofers in Windlesham

Windlesham lies 22.9 road miles east of Basingstoke, near junction 3 of the M3, on ground that began as open heath. Its roofs run from a line of Victorian houses near the centre to later homes under tall trees, with two conservation areas to respect. Every visit ends with photographs and a written quote you can hold us to.

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A Hampshire village cottage of flint and brick with a steep clay plain tile roof

Roofs we see in Windlesham

  • Roofer fitting roof tiles on a brick house near Basingstoke

    Victorian houses near the centre

    A long line of Victorian houses stands close to the middle of the village. Houses of that period usually carry slate or small clay tiles, brick chimney stacks and lead where the roof meets a wall. After a century and a half the nails behind the slates, the lead dressed round the stacks and the timber at the eaves are the parts that need looking at first.

  • White uPVC fascia, soffit and guttering under a tiled roof

    Later homes beneath the trees

    Windlesham grew from heath, and by 1911 the village was described as almost entirely modern, with more housing added through the twentieth century. Many of those roofs sit under mature trees. Leaf fall, shade and slow drying mean moss and blocked valleys, and that is as likely to cause a leak as any old tile.

  • Modern 2000s brick houses with grey concrete tile roofs on a new estate near Basingstoke

    Brick, stone and tile around the church

    St Saviour's Church at Valley End is built in red and brown brick with stone-dressed windows, and older brick houses with stone details need the same care. Stone dressings, brick chimneys and clay tiles are all permeable, so they need correct lime-based repair and well-kept flashings. A repair using the wrong mortar can do lasting harm to the brick it is meant to protect.

22.9 road miles east of Basingstoke

Planning and building control in Windlesham

Planning applications from Windlesham go to Surrey Heath Borough Council, whose officers also check building work. The village contains two of the borough's conservation areas, Updown Hill and Church Road, and the council lists them on its conservation and trees page. Trees are part of the picture here, so it is worth checking that page before any work that involves lopping branches clear of a roof.

Inside either conservation area, repairing a roof like for like, with tile or slate matching the existing, is normally unproblematic. Changing the covering or altering how the roof looks from the road may need consent, so speak to the council's planning team before ordering materials. Elsewhere in the village, a large re-cover may have to be notified under the Building Regulations, and we look after that paperwork. It is worth asking before the scaffold goes up, not after. If you are considering a roof window, read our roof window planning guide, since the rules are tighter in a conservation area.

What we find on Windlesham roofs

Two kinds of roof dominate here. The Victorian houses near the centre are old enough that fixings, lead and timber need regular attention, while the later homes spread through the village sit under large trees that keep the roofs damp. Wind, shade and age explain most of the faults below.

Chapter 1: Why are slates sliding on our Victorian house close to the centre of Windlesham?

What we find

Victorian roofs were laid with slate or small clay tiles on softwood battens, each fixed with iron or galvanised nails. Over time those nails corrode, thinning until the slate is held by almost nothing. A hard gust or a heavy frost is then enough to send one sliding down. The timber under the slates can also soften where a slipped slate has let rain in, which is why a single missing slate should not wait.

From the garden or pavement, look for slates sitting lower than their neighbours, or a dark gap where one is missing. Pieces on a path or in a flower bed are another clue. Inside, a stain on the ceiling at the top of the stairs, or a damp smell in the loft after rain, usually comes from the same slipped slate that has been letting water in for months.

What we fix

We replace slipped and cracked slates one at a time, fixing each with a copper tingle or a hook so the new slate is held without nails driven through the face. Where the battens are soft they are replaced in that area. If the underlay is torn, we fit a breathable membrane under the repair. A roof with scattered failures but sound slate overall is a repair, not a re-roof, and we quote it that way.

If nails have gone across a whole slope, a strip and relay is the proper answer, reusing the good slates and topping up with reclaimed ones. Our re-slating guide explains how that is done, and the slate roofing page covers the wider service.

Chapter 2: How should the ridge and verges be fixed on a later house in Windlesham?

What we find

On homes built after the Victorian period, the ridge (the capping along the top of the roof) and the verge (the roof edge at a gable end) were usually bedded in sand and cement mortar. Mortar shrinks and cracks as it ages, and once the bond breaks, a tile can rock and lift in the wind. Where a house faces open heath or fields, wind has room to run, so those edges take a fair amount of weather.

The first sign is often crumbs of mortar in the gutter or on the drive. You may also see a hairline gap between ridge tile and roof tile, or a verge tile that has shifted out of line. In the loft, daylight along the ridge or a damp stain on the ridge board shows that water is already finding a way through.

What we fix

First we take up a handful of ridge tiles, to see if the tiles are still good and it is just the bedding that has let go. Roof tiling standard BS 5534 wants the capping pieces held by screws or clips, so mortar alone is no longer trusted. The usual repair is therefore a dry-fix system: tiles screwed or clipped to a batten over a breathable roll, with dry verge caps along the gable ends. BS 8612 sets the performance bar for dry-fix kits.

For a semi-detached house, reported UK prices for a dry ridge start around £900 and reach £1,600, and scaffolding adds £300 to £900; the survey comes first and your fixed quote follows it. Our dry ridge or mortar comparison explains the choice, and the ridge tile repairs page covers the whole job.

Chapter 3: Why does the roof under the trees in our Windlesham garden stay green and damp?

What we find

A roof beneath large trees dries slowly. Shade keeps the surface damp, and falling leaves, seeds and twigs settle in valleys and against the lower edge of the tiles. Moss thrives in that moisture. It grows in thick cushions that hold water against the tile surface, pack into the gaps between tiles and wash down into the gutters, where it blocks outlets. Lichen and algae follow, and the roof turns dark and patchy.

The damage is slow but real. On concrete tiles, moss traps water that freezes in winter and breaks the surface. In a valley (the internal channel where two roof slopes meet), debris can dam the flow, so rain backs up and runs under the tiles. A gutter full of moss overflows down the wall, staining the brickwork and rotting the fascia beneath.

What we fix

We clear moss by hand with scrapers and brushes, then treat the roof with a biocide, a chemical wash that kills what remains and slows regrowth. We steer clear of jet washing, since it can scour the tile face and push water up under the laps. Valleys and gutters get cleared on the way down, and we check the tiles and flashings as we go, because moss often hides a cracked tile or lifted lead.

If branches overhang the roof, tell us. Trimming them back, which may need a word with the council if the tree is protected, does more for the roof than any treatment. Our guide to moss blocking gutters explains the effects, and the roof cleaning page covers the service.

Chapter 4: Can brick chimneys with stone dressings near Valley End be repaired without harming them?

What we find

St Saviour's Church at Valley End shows the local palette: red and brown brick with stone-dressed windows. Older houses with brick stacks, stone copings and clay pots need the same understanding. Brick and stone breathe, and the mortar around them was traditionally lime, which is softer than the masonry and lets damp escape through the joints instead of through the faces of the brick or stone.

The trouble starts when cement pointing has been used for repairs. It is harder than the masonry, so water gets trapped, and the brick faces spall (flake away) first. At the roof line, the lead flashing and soakers around the stack split with age. You may see damp on the chimney breast, white salts on the brickwork, or a cracked pot or crown where water enters from the top.

What we fix

We repoint using lime mortar matched to the original, taking out only the joints that have failed, and replace spalled bricks with matching reclaimed ones. Stone copings are lifted and rebedded if loose, and a cracked flaunching (the mortar crown that holds the pot) is renewed. New lead flashings and a back gutter are cut into the brick joints and dressed over the tiles, rather than sealed with mastic.

Inside a conservation area a matching repair rarely raises an objection, but we would still suggest asking the council before altering the look of a stack. Our chimney repointing guide explains the process, and the chimney repairs page sets out what else we do.

Windlesham roofing questions

Why do lead gutters and valleys split on older Windlesham houses?

Lead expands and contracts with temperature, and over many years a long, unrestrained run can crack along a fold or at a join. Poor laps and weak fixings make it worse. We look for splits, lifted edges and signs of water behind them. A small crack can sometimes be repaired, but a valley with many splits is better relined with new lead, correctly laid and lapped.

Do you cut back vegetation or only repair the roof?

We repair and clean the roof and clear the gutters, but tree work is a job for a tree surgeon. We will point out in the survey photographs where branches are touching tiles or dropping leaves into a valley, so you can decide. If a tree is protected, check with Surrey Heath Borough Council before anyone cuts it.

My house is in the Church Road conservation area. Do I need consent to re-roof?

Not always. A repair in matching materials seldom causes trouble, but changing the material, or the way the roof looks from the road, may need consent. Speak to Surrey Heath's planning team before ordering anything. Our photo survey gives you a record of the existing roof to show them, and we can quote for a matching repair.

Can slates on a Victorian Windlesham house be repaired without a full re-roof?

Usually yes, if the slate itself is sound and only the fixings have failed. We replace slipped and broken slates one by one and check the battens and lead as we go. If the whole slope is going, we say so and quote separately for a strip and relay. Our written 10-year workmanship guarantee covers the work.

We get a lot of leaves and needles in the gutters. Can you clear them as part of a repair?

Yes. Gutters and valleys can be emptied during the same call, and we look at the joints and fall while we are there. A gutter that holds standing water is usually sagging or badly aligned, and we would rather reset it than leave you with a recurring blockage. We can also discuss whether guards suit your trees.

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