Penarth's roofs take a lot of weather off the Bristol Channel. We strip and re-roof houses across the town and nearby Cogan, Llandough and Dinas Powys, using covering that suits the building.
Most people in Penarth call us about a new roof for the same few reasons. Slates have slipped or snapped after years of wind off the water, a ceiling stain has appeared below the chimney, or a survey for a sale has flagged the roof as near the end of its life. Patching a tired roof can work for a while, but sometimes it only delays the bigger job.
We install complete new roofs, from stripping the old covering to fitting the last ridge tile. That includes new felt and battens, replacement tiles or slates, leadwork around chimneys and valleys, and fascias, soffits and guttering where they need renewing. We look at the whole roof first and tell you plainly whether you need a repair or a full replacement.
Get Your Free Quote →Much of Penarth was built in the Victorian and Edwardian years, when the town grew as a seaside resort and a place to live. That left plenty of tall villas, terraces and bay-fronted houses with steep, often complicated roofs. Hips, valleys, dormers, bay roofs and chimney stacks all mean extra leadwork, and every one of those joints is a place where water can get in once the lead or mortar tires.
The sea is the other big factor. Roofs in Penarth, and out towards Lavernock and Sully, are exposed to strong wind and salt-laden air, and lower-lying areas such as Lower Penarth catch driving rain off the Channel. Wind lifts and loosens tiles and slates, rattles old ridge bedding, and salt speeds up corrosion on old fixings, flashings and gutter brackets that were never meant for that exposure.
Many period houses here have also been extended over the decades, so a single roof can be a mix of ages, pitches and coverings. Old slate may sit next to newer concrete tile, with flashings joining the two. When we quote, we survey each part, not just the main slope, so the new roof ties together properly and there are no weak joins left behind.
Natural slate is the traditional covering on many older Penarth houses, and where the original roof was slate it is often the best answer. It looks right on a period front elevation and lasts well in a salty, windy setting when it is properly fixed. Good reclaimed or new slate costs more labour to lay, which we will explain at the survey, but it suits villas that have real character to protect.
Concrete or clay tiles are a sensible choice on later additions, rear roofs and plainer 20th-century houses. Fibre cement slate gives the slate look at a lighter weight, which can help where the roof structure is old or where a conservation-minded neighbourhood expects a slate appearance. We will tell you honestly which suits your house, and we check fixings and nailing carefully because of the wind exposure here.
New roof installations in Penarth and the neighbourhoods and villages close by.
Yes. Many villas here were slated originally, and we can re-roof in natural slate or in a close-looking alternative. We survey the structure first, because old timbers sometimes need strengthening or replacing before new slate goes on. We will explain the options and what each involves.
It affects how the roof is fixed more than which material you pick. Tiles and slates near the coast need proper nailing and clips, and ridges should be well bedded. We also use fixings and flashings that cope with salty air, and we explain the choices at the survey.
We can work on period homes of that kind, and we try to match the look of the existing roof. Some properties may need Building Regulations or planning checks, and we advise before work starts, so nothing is a surprise once the scaffold is up.
Yes. We take on new roof installations in Penarth itself and in nearby places including Cogan, Llandough, Dinas Powys, Sully and Lavernock, as well as Cardiff and Barry. Ring us with the address and we will arrange a time to survey the roof.
Yes, and it is often sensible to. Extensions usually have different pitches and coverings, and the joins between them are common leak points. We survey each section and can bring the whole roof to one covering, with the flashings and leadwork done properly where they meet.
New roof installations across South Wales, town by town.
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