Slate · Lead · Flat roofing
Slate, lead and flat roofing contractors in Chester.
New roofs, repairs and traditional leadwork for homes and commercial buildings. For small jobs we work from a cherry picker, so you're not paying for scaffolding you don't need.
About us
Roofers who specialise in natural slate and traditional lead.
Ridgeline Roofing handles everything from a single slipped slate to a full re-roof. Most of our work is on slate roofs and the leadwork around them, along with flat roofs on extensions, dormers and commercial buildings.
Every job starts with a proper look at the roof and photos of what we find, so you can see the problem for yourself before you agree a price.
- Speciality
- Natural slate and traditional leadwork
- Also
- Flat roofs, chimneys, fascias and gutters
- Access
- Cherry picker for small jobs, scaffold for big ones
- Quotations
- Fixed price, with photos of the problem
- Clients
- Homeowners, landlords and commercial property
Drawing 01 · How a roof is built
Every layer, in the right order
The layers that go into a slate roof and a flat roof, from the rafters up.
01Rafters
The timbers carry everything else. We check them for rot, sag and woodworm before anything goes back on, and repair them where needed.
02Breathable membrane
A breathable underlay keeps wind-driven rain out while letting moisture from the house escape, so the timbers stay dry.
03Treated battens
Battens are fixed to the gauge the slate needs, so every course overlaps the one below by the right amount.
04Natural slate
Welsh or Spanish slate, each one nailed or hooked in place. Laid properly, a slate roof lasts for generations.
05Lead flashings
Code 4 and Code 5 lead, dressed by hand around chimneys, abutments and valleys, which is where most leaks start.
06Ridge, fascia and gutters
Ridge tiles bedded or dry-fixed, with fascias, soffits and gutters to carry the water clear of the walls.
07Flat roof
On the extension: joists, deck, vapour control, insulation and a single sheet of EPDM, dressed up the wall under a lead cover flashing.
08Cherry picker access
For repairs like these, a cherry picker gets us up to the ridge in minutes, with no scaffold to hire, put up or take down.
Book a roof survey
Services
Pitched and flat roofs, new and old
Everything from a single slipped slate to a full re-roof, for homes and commercial buildings.
- Slate roofingNew slate roofs, re-roofs and repairs in Welsh, Spanish and reclaimed slate.
- LeadworkFlashings, valleys, dormers and bay roofs, dressed by hand in sheet lead.
- Flat roofingEPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and felt for extensions, garages and commercial roofs.
- Re-roofingStripped back to the rafters, new membrane and battens, then re-slated.
- Roof repairsLeaks, slipped slates, ridges and storm damage, often without scaffolding.
- ChimneysRepointing, new flashings, caps and cowls, rebuilds and removal.
- Fascias, soffits and guttersNew roofline, gutters and downpipes, and gutter clearing.
- Cherry picker accessSmall jobs done from the basket, with no scaffold to pay for.
Materials
What goes on your roof
Natural slate and lead where the house calls for them, and modern membranes where they do the job better. You'll see samples before anything is ordered.
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Natural slate
Welsh or Spanish, nailed or hooked to the right gauge. Laid properly, it lasts for generations.
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Reclaimed slate
Already weathered, so repairs and extensions blend in with the rest of the roof.
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Sheet lead
Code 4 to Code 7 for bays, dormers, valleys and flashings, dressed by hand.
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EPDM rubber
A single sheet with few or no joints that stays flexible in the cold.
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Torch-on felt
Reinforced layers heat-welded on, finished with a mineral cap sheet against the sun.
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GRP fibreglass
Resin and glass matting laid on site, with a hard topcoat that takes foot traffic.
Access
Small jobs without the scaffold
A few slipped slates, a leaking flashing or a blocked gutter don't need a week of scaffolding. Where there's room to set up, we work from a cherry picker instead.
| Compared | Scaffold | Cherry picker |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up | Put up before work starts, taken down after | Arrives and sets up on the day |
| Cost | Hire, erection and dismantling on the bill | No scaffold costs on small jobs |
| On site | Stays up for the length of the job | Gone when we are |
| Best for | Re-roofs, chimney rebuilds, long jobs | Repairs, flashings, gutters and inspections |
Drawing 03 · Find the problem
Where roofs usually go wrong
Pick a part of the house to see what you'd notice, what usually causes it, and how it's put right.
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- You'd notice
- Damp patches on the chimney breast inside, often worse after heavy rain
- Usual cause
- Failed lead flashings at the base of the stack, cracked flaunching round the pots, or open flues letting rain in
- Usual fix
- New lead flashings, repointing and flaunching, and caps on flues you no longer use
Smaller stacks are often done from the cherry picker. Rebuilds need scaffold.
Chimneys -
- You'd notice
- Ridge tiles rocking or out of line, or lumps of mortar in the gutter
- Usual cause
- The mortar bedding under the tiles breaking down after years of weather
- Usual fix
- The ridge lifted and re-bedded, or changed to a dry-fix ridge that doesn't rely on mortar
Usually done from the cherry picker.
Roof repairs -
- You'd notice
- Gaps in the roof, slates sitting lower than the rest, or pieces of slate on the path
- Usual cause
- Nails rusting through with age, known as nail sickness, or storm damage
- Usual fix
- Matching slates fitted and held with copper tingles. If they're slipping all over the roof, a re-roof
Repairs from the cherry picker. A re-roof needs scaffold.
Slate roofing -
- You'd notice
- A stain in the corner of a ceiling below where two roofs meet
- Usual cause
- Split or thin lead in the valley, or leaves and moss holding water against it
- Usual fix
- The valley relined in Code 5 lead, with the slates either side lifted and refixed
It depends on the length and reach. We check at the survey.
Leadwork -
- You'd notice
- Damp round the dormer window, or in the ceiling just inside it
- Usual cause
- The lead cheeks or the apron under the window splitting or lifting
- Usual fix
- New lead cheeks and apron, dressed to throw the water clear
Usually done from the cherry picker.
Leadwork -
- You'd notice
- Water coming in at the top of the bay window
- Usual cause
- Old lead cracking at the rolls, or the flashing into the wall coming loose
- Usual fix
- The bay recovered in new lead with rolls and drips, and a new flashing into the wall
Done from ladders or the cherry picker, with no scaffold.
Leadwork -
- You'd notice
- Water spilling over the gutter in heavy rain, or a green stain down the wall
- Usual cause
- Moss and silt blocking the gutter or the outlet, or joints that have slipped
- Usual fix
- Gutters cleared and resealed, or new gutters and downpipes
Done from the cherry picker.
Fascias, soffits and gutters -
- You'd notice
- Water pooling after rain, blisters or splits in the surface, or damp in the ceiling below
- Usual cause
- Old felt cracking with age, or a roof laid without enough fall
- Usual fix
- Replaced in EPDM, GRP or felt as a warm roof, laid to falls
Single-storey roofs are usually done from ladders, with edge protection.
Flat roofing
Process
How we work
The same five steps whether it's one slate or a whole roof, and a written report with photos before you agree a price.
- Step 1
Survey
We look at the roof properly, from the ground, a ladder or the cherry picker.
- Step 2
Report and photos
You see what we see: each problem photographed, with how urgent it is.
- Step 3
Fixed quotation
A fixed price in writing before any work starts.
- Step 4
The work
Done in the right order, with the house protected and the site kept tidy.
- Step 5
Sign-off
Photos of the finished roof, and everything cleared away before we leave.
What we found
Chimney flashingLead apron split where the stack meets the slopeRepair now
RidgeThree ridge tiles loose, mortar washed out of the jointsRepair soon
Rear slopeSix slipped slates, nails rusted through in one areaRepair soon
Front gutterBlocked at the outlet, overflowing in heavy rainClear
Dormer and valleyLead sound, some moss to clearKeep an eye on
Drawing 02 · Commercial flat roofs
A warm roof, from the deck up
How we build and replace flat roofs on schools, offices and industrial units, cut away at the corner so you can see each layer.
01Steel deck
Most commercial flat roofs sit on a profiled steel or concrete deck. We check its condition and fixings before anything new goes on top.
02Vapour control layer
Bonded to the deck, it stops warm, damp air from inside the building reaching the insulation and condensing there.
03Tapered insulation
Rigid PIR boards cut to falls, thinner towards the outlets, so rainwater runs off instead of sitting on the roof.
04Single-ply membrane
Wide sheets with heat-welded laps. Light, quick to lay over a large roof, and long-lasting when it's detailed properly.
05Upstands and coping
The membrane is dressed up the parapet walls and held with a termination bar, with metal coping on top to keep water out of the wall.
06Outlets and rooflights
Outlets sit at the low points of the falls. Rooflight upstands are sealed into the membrane so water runs round them, not through.
07Walkway and guard rail
Walkway pads mark a safe route from the roof hatch, and a guard rail keeps people away from the rooflight, which isn't built to take weight.
Talk to us about a commercial roof
Roof types
The roofs we work on
Victorian slate roofs, Chester's period and listed buildings, and flat roofs on modern extensions.
Coverage
Chester, Cheshire and Flintshire
Based in Chester and working within about 20 miles of it, across Cheshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the Wirral. If your town isn't listed, call and we'll tell you straight away.
Chester Our base
City centre, Hoole, Upton, Boughton, Handbridge, Blacon, Saltney, Vicars Cross
Cheshire
Ellesmere Port, Neston, Frodsham, Helsby, Tarvin, Kelsall, Tarporley, Malpas, Northwich, Winsford
Flintshire
Broughton, Hawarden, Queensferry, Connah's Quay, Buckley, Mold, Flint, Holywell
Wrexham and the Wirral
Rossett, Gresford, Wrexham, Heswall, Parkgate
Questions
Roofing questions
Will I need scaffolding?
Not always. Small repairs, flashings and gutter work can often be done from a cherry picker if there's room to set it up. Re-roofs and chimney rebuilds still need scaffolding, and we arrange it for you.
Is natural slate worth the extra cost?
For most older houses, yes. Natural slate lasts far longer than man-made alternatives and keeps the house looking right for its street. We're happy to price both so you can compare.
Can you match my existing slates?
Usually. We source reclaimed and new slate in most common sizes and colours, and we'll show you a sample before it goes on.
How long does a flat roof last?
It depends on the system and how well it's laid. EPDM and GRP roofs typically last 20 to 30 years or more, and felt roofs usually less. Flat roofing systems compared.
What if you find more problems once you start?
We stop, photograph it and talk to you before doing anything that isn't in the quote.
Book a roof survey
Contact us
Tell us about the roof and we'll arrange a time to take a look. If water is coming in now, call.
07700 900482Call or WhatsApp
- WhatsAppSend photos of the roof or the damp patch
- AreaChester, Cheshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the Wirral