Ridge Tile Rebedding in Slough & the Thames Valley

Look for visible cracks in the mortar joints between the tiles at the very top of your roof. If you see small chunks of grey mortar lying in your gutters or on the ground around your house, that is a clear sign the bedding is failing. From the ground, you might also notice that the line of the ridge looks uneven or that certain tiles have slipped out of alignment.

We can certainly perform localised repairs if only one or two tiles have been dislodged by a storm or a falling branch. However, if the mortar is crumbling along the entire length of the roof, it is usually more cost-effective to rebed the whole ridge. This prevents you from having to call us back out six months later when the next section fails.

Most ridge tiles blow off because the mortar bedding has reached the end of its lifespan. Once the bond between the tile and the roof breaks, the tile is held down only by its own weight. High winds create "uplift," which can easily flip a loose tile. In the SL3 and SL4 areas, we often see this on older properties where the original mortar has become brittle over several decades.

A dry ridge system is generally considered more "fit and forget" because it doesn't crack or erode like mortar does. It also meets modern building standards (BS 5534) for wind uplift resistance. However, on some period properties in Windsor or Datchet village, a dry ridge might not suit the traditional look of the house. We can discuss both options with you during a site visit.

For a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house in Slough, we can usually complete the ridge rebedding in a single day, provided the weather is dry. We take great care to protect your garden and driveway from falling debris and we always clear away the old mortar once the job is finished.

It depends on the height of the building and the pitch of the roof. For most standard two-storey homes, we can often work using specialist roofing ladders and safety equipment. For taller Victorian villas or properties with difficult access, we may require a small tower or scaffolding to ensure the job is done safely and correctly. We manage all these logistics for you.

If the leak is coming from the very top of the roof, then rebedding the ridge will likely solve the problem. However, water ingress can also be caused by cracked tiles elsewhere, failed lead flashing around a chimney, or a perished underlay. We provide a full diagnostic check to ensure that once we leave, your roof is completely watertight.