Full Strip & Re-Roof — Altrincham

The roof was finished, and patching it again was throwing money away

David and Angela had lived in their Altrincham house for years. The roof had been patched more times than they could count — a few slates here, a smear of mortar there, a bucket in the loft when the wind came from the west.

By the time they called us, the ceiling in the back bedroom had a brown stain that grew every winter.

We put a drone up before we set foot on a ladder. The footage told the whole story.

What the drone survey found

The slates were delaminating — splitting into layers and sliding. Once one goes, its neighbours follow.

The mortar bedding along the ridge had blown. The ridge tiles were sitting on nothing but old, crumbling sand.

Under the slates, the felt had perished. That black sagging membrane is the last line of defence when water gets past a slate, and theirs had rotted through in three places we could see from above.

The lead around the chimney and in the valleys was cracked and lifting. Lead that old works loose every time the roof heats and cools.

We showed David and Angela the drone footage on a tablet at their kitchen table. No jargon. Just the roof, close up, explaining itself.

Two other roofers had quoted to patch it. We told them patching a roof in that state is paying twice — once now, and again in two winters when the next slate goes. They agreed. We stripped it.

We’re not the cheapest, and David and Angela weren’t looking for the cheapest

A re-roof is a big job and a big spend. The homeowners who call us aren’t shopping for the lowest number on a scrap of paper. They want it done once, done right, and never thought about again.

That’s what we sell. Not a price — a finished roof and a guarantee behind it.

The strip and re-roof, step by step

Strip to the rafters. Every slate, every batten, every length of old felt came off and went in the skip. We don’t re-lay old slate over new felt. You can’t see what you’re standing on if you do.

New breathable membrane. A modern breathable underlay went on across the whole roof. It sheds any water that gets past a slate and lets the roof timbers breathe, so the loft stays dry instead of sweating.

New treated battens. Fresh, graded, treated battens, gauged to the slate. The batten gauge sets the slate lap. Get it wrong and the roof leaks in driving rain no matter how good the slate is. We set it by hand and checked every course.

Natural slate. We laid natural slate, nailed twice per slate, course by course, with the laps set for Cheshire and South Manchester weather — which means rain that comes in sideways. Cut slates around the chimney and verges were dressed by hand, not snapped.

All-new leadwork. Every scrap of old lead came off. Our certified lead welder (Master Roofers Academy) formed new lead to the chimney, the valleys and the abutments — dressed, welted and clipped so it stays put. Lead is where cheap re-roofs cut corners. We don’t.

Dry ridge. Instead of bedding the ridge tiles back on mortar that blows out in a few years, we fitted a mechanical dry ridge. It’s bolted down, ventilated, and it doesn’t crack, wash out or come loose. The ridge is the most exposed line on the roof. It should be the strongest, not the weakest.

Before and after, from the air

We flew the drone again the day we finished. Same angles, same height as the survey.

The before footage shows a patchwork of split slates, blown ridge and lifting lead. The after shows a clean, even roof — every course straight, the ridge sitting tight, fresh lead bright around the chimney.

We send every client the before-and-after footage. It’s on every job we do. You see exactly what we found and exactly what we left.

The result

The back bedroom ceiling is dry. The bucket’s gone. David and Angela have a roof that should outlast their time in the house, and they don’t have a roofer’s number saved for the next storm.

It’s backed by our 20-year guarantee in writing.

We’re the most-reviewed roofer in Middlewich, and every review is five stars. 99 of them on Google. Re-roofs like this one are why.

Thinking about a re-roof?

If your roof is being patched year after year and still letting water in, a re-roof may cost less over ten years than the patches will.

We’ll put a drone up, show you the footage, and tell you straight whether you need a re-roof or a repair. No pressure, no guesswork.

Call 01606 537305 or email middlewichroofing@gmail.com. We cover Cheshire and South Manchester, and we’ll come and look at your roof.