Slipped slateRoof Repairs in Manchester
Slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed flashing, ridge and verge repointing and chimney work on pitched roofs across Manchester and Greater Manchester.
- Photographed before pricing
- Matched slate and tile
- Nothing priced from the pavement
Repairs that suit the roof you have
A roof repair done well is invisible. Reclaimed Welsh slate matched to a Chorlton terrace, a clay tile in the right profile on a Didsbury semi, lead dressed properly around a chimney in Hale. A repair done badly is a smear of mastic, a patch of the wrong colour, or a tarpaulin that has been there since last winter. We do the first kind, and we photograph the fault before pricing it so you can see what you are paying for.
This page covers planned repairs to pitched roofs at daytime rates. If water is coming through now, our emergency roof leak team is available around the clock. If you have a flat roof over an extension, garage or bay, the flat roofs page is the one you want.
What we repair most
On the slate terraces of Chorlton, Levenshulme, Withington and Prestwich, the everyday repair is slipped slates. The slate is fine; the iron nails have rusted through. Individual slates are hooked back or replaced, and that remains the right approach until the roof reaches the point where a survey says otherwise.
On the tiled semis of Didsbury, Sale, Cheadle and Heaton Moor, the usual work is replacing cracked or frost-damaged tiles, rebedding or dry-fixing the ridge and verge where the mortar has perished, and renewing the lead flashing around chimneys and against walls. On the larger Edwardian houses of Hale, Bowdon and Altrincham, valleys and hips are the common weak points, and chimney stacks that have not been touched in decades.
Finding the leak, not the symptom
Water comes through the ceiling a long way from where it enters. Our roofers start in the loft, trace the water back along the timbers to the point of entry, then inspect that spot from outside. Guessing from the pavement is how the wrong repair gets done and the leak comes back. Our guide on a roof leak in heavy rain explains why some roofs only leak in a downpour, and if the leak has reached a light fitting, why your electrics keep tripping explains what that means and why the circuit should be switched off and left to an electrician.
Where the inspection shows a roof with more problems than a repair will solve, we say so, and a written roof survey with photographs is the next step. The main Manchester roofers page lists everything else we do, or call 07343 065023 to book.
Water coming through now?
Bucket under the drip, lights off in that room if you can reach the consumer unit safely, then call. Do not go on the roof.
Call 07343 065023Emergency roof leakPitched roof repairs we carry out
Photographed before pricing, matched to the existing roof.
- 01Slipped, cracked or missing slates hooked back or replaced
- 02Cracked, frost-damaged or missing tiles replaced
- 03Lead flashing renewed around chimneys, walls and dormers
- 04Ridge and hip tiles repointed, rebedded or dry-fixed
- 05Verges repointed or fitted with dry verge systems
- 06Valleys cleared, repaired or relined
- 07Chimney stacks repointed, capped or reduced
- 08Roof felt and battens repaired beneath a section of slates or tiles
- 09Moss and debris cleared where it is causing water to back up
- 10Storm damage made good after an emergency visit
Nail sickness on slate roofs
Most Victorian slate roofs in Manchester were fixed with iron nails, and after a century those nails have rusted to nothing. The slates are held by friction and their neighbours, and every gale takes a few more. That is nail sickness.
It can be managed for years by refixing slates as they slip. The point at which it stops making sense is when more than about a fifth of the roof has slipped or been patched, or when the battens beneath have started to fail. A survey with photographs tells you which side of that line you are on, and there is no reason to guess.
How a roof repair runs
Inspect, photograph, price, repair.
- Stage 1
Inspect
The roofer traces the leak from inside and inspects the point of entry from a ladder or roof access. Nothing is priced from the pavement.
- Stage 2
Photograph and price
You see photographs of the fault and receive a written price, fixed for the work described, before anything starts.
- Stage 3
Repair
Booked for a dry day. Materials are matched to the existing roof: reclaimed slate, the right tile profile, properly dressed lead.
- Stage 4
Photograph again
The finished repair is photographed from the same position, and the surrounding area checked so we are not back next month.
One slipped slate lets in more water than you'd think. We replace the slate and check its neighbours.
Roof repair prices
Daytime rates, fixed in writing after inspection.
- 01Slates or tilesSlipped or broken slates or tiles, up to five, from a ladderFrom£120Including materials
- 02FlashingLead flashing renewed to one side of a chimney or wallFrom£250Access equipment priced separately where needed
- 03RidgeRidge rebedded or dry-fixed, per runFrom£300Typical semi has one main ridge
- 04ChimneyChimney stack repointed and flashedFrom£550Includes tower access
Indicative placeholder — confirm against /pricing before publishing.
Full pricing and what is includedRelated roofing services
Often booked in the same visit as a roof repair.
- Emergency Roof Leak24-hour emergency roof leak repair across Manchester and Greater Manchester. Water through the ceiling, storm damage and lost slates. A roofer on the way within 90 minutes to stop the ingress.within 90 minutes
- 02Flat RoofsFlat roof repair and replacement across Manchester. Felt, EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass on extensions, garages, dormers and bay windows, with manufacturer-backed guarantees.
- 03Guttering and FasciasGuttering, fascias and soffits across Manchester. Leaking, overflowing and sagging gutters repaired or replaced, and rotten timber fascias and soffits replaced in uPVC.
- 04Roof Inspection and SurveyRoof inspection and survey across Manchester for homebuyers, landlords and owners. A written, photographed report on the condition of the roof, with priced recommendations and no obligation.
Ask me anythingQuestion 01 of 05Question 02 of 05Question 03 of 05Question 04 of 05Question 05 of 0501How do you find where a roof is leaking?
Water rarely comes through the ceiling directly beneath where it enters the roof. The roofer starts in the loft if there is one, tracing the water back along the rafters to the point of entry, then inspects that area from outside. On a slate roof it is usually a slipped or cracked slate; on a tiled roof a broken tile or a failed flashing; and around chimneys it is almost always the lead or the mortar. We photograph what we find before pricing the repair.
02Can slipped slates be put back, or do they need replacing?
A slate that has slipped because its nails have rusted can be refixed with a copper or stainless hook, which is quick and lasts for years. A slate that has cracked or delaminated needs replacing, and we match reclaimed Welsh slate to the existing roof so the repair does not stand out. If slates are slipping across the whole roof after every gale, that is nail sickness, and a survey will tell you how long patching remains sensible.
03What is the difference between repointing and rebedding a ridge?
Repointing replaces the mortar joint between ridge tiles that are still firmly bedded. Rebedding lifts the ridge tiles and resets them on fresh mortar, which is needed when they have loosened. On the 1930s semis of Sale, Cheadle and Heaton Moor the ridges are usually at the rebedding stage, and we often recommend a dry-fix ridge system that does not rely on mortar at all and will not need doing again.
04Do you repair chimneys?
Yes. Repointing the stack, replacing the lead flashing and soakers around its base, refitting or replacing the pots, and fitting a cowl or cap on a disused flue are all routine. Where a stack has been condemned as unsafe we can take it down below the roofline and tile over. Chimney work needs proper access, so it is usually done from a tower or scaffold, and the price includes that.
05How much do roof repairs cost?
Small repairs such as refixing a few slates or replacing cracked tiles are often done from a ladder and priced at a fixed figure. Flashing, ridge and chimney work is priced on the extent and the access needed, and a written quote follows the inspection. Our pricing page lists typical figures, and the price is confirmed in writing before any work starts. Emergency callouts are priced separately and differently.
Get the roof looked at properly
- Photographed before pricing
- Matched to the roof
- No doorstep quotes
One slipped slate lets in more water than you'd think. We replace the slate and check its neighbours.
