Slate roofs in Hampshire and Surrey

Build a consistent slate covering course by course

1. Examine the existing slate. We check the thickness, dimensions and condition of the covering, including the fixings around damaged pieces. This establishes what needs replacement and what remains suitable to retain within the proposed slate work.
2. Select the replacement material. For repairs, the match considers surface character as well as size. For renewal, the proposed slate is assessed against the pitch and intended course pattern before the covering is specified.
3. Set out the supporting base. The batten layout follows the chosen slate and required overlaps. Eaves details are established before work moves up the slope, giving the courses a consistent starting point across the roof.
4. Fix with attention to alignment. Slates are laid in courses with their joints and overlaps checked as fixing advances. Cutting around dormers and valleys is planned so short or awkward pieces do not undermine the surrounding pattern.
5. Inspect the finished slate details. We review the course lines, secure attachment and cut edges, then check the connections with ridges and flashings. The finished slate surface needs continuity at its boundaries as well as across its centre.

Slate work at the scale your roof needs

• Replace individual slates: A local repair restores missing or fractured pieces within serviceable courses. Matching the dimensions and thickness helps replacement slates sit correctly without forcing adjacent pieces out of their established position.
• Renew a damaged slope: Where defects extend across a defined slope, renewing that section allows its supporting layers to be addressed together. We explain how the new slate area will meet any covering that remains.
• Install a complete slate roof: A full covering gives the opportunity to plan the slate size, ridge finish and junctions as one specification. See new roofs for the broader decisions involved in replacing every slope.

How long slate roofs takes

Slate work includes selecting, setting out, fixing and cutting individual pieces. A roof with valleys and dormers needs more detailed cutting than an uninterrupted slope, while repairs also depend on finding suitable replacements for the existing covering.

What affects the price

• Slate dimensions, thickness and the replacement material selected
• Extent of individual repairs or slopes requiring renewal
• Condition of existing slate fixings and supporting battens
• Cutting required beside dormers, valleys and chimney stacks
• Access needed to reach the affected slate courses

Discuss the slate match and repair boundary before comparing costs. Ask for a free quote with ground-level views of the slope and any visible gaps or slipped pieces in its courses.

Looking after it afterwards

Watch for newly slipped pieces from ground level, especially after strong winds. Keep spare slate details with the roof paperwork to help future matching. Avoid walking on the covering, as a load on an unsupported slate can fracture it.