Roofers covering Crawley
Roofers in Crawley.
Crawley was named a new town in 1947 and grew outwards in planned neighbourhoods such as Three Bridges, Langley Green, Tilgate and Broadfield. That means whole streets of roofs were built at once, from the same materials, and many are now reaching the end of their first covering together. Sitting just off the M23, it is also the part of Sussex we can reach most easily from London.
- Feltflat roofs for garages and extensions
- Off the M23our nearest Sussex town
- Mon–Satopen 8am until 6pm
New-town roofs, seventy years on
Most Crawley neighbourhoods went up between the late 1940s and the 1970s, using concrete interlocking tiles on fairly shallow pitches. The tiles often still look acceptable, but the bitumen felt beneath them has become brittle and the mortar on ridges and verges has cracked. Telling those two situations apart is what decides between a repair and a new roof.
- Brittle underfelt that tears at the eaves and lets in wind-blown rain
- Mortar ridges that work loose along whole terraces
- Discontinued tile profiles that make patching harder
- Battens worn thin by decades of nail fixings
Garages, porches and flat-roofed additions
Planners in the new towns grouped garages into blocks and gave many houses flat-roofed porches and side additions. Those small roofs usually fail first, through cracked felt, rotten edge boards or water lying in a dip. We lay new multi-layer felt systems, replacing the deck where it has gone soft, and we will tell you when a patch is still the sensible answer.
- Torch-on felt with new trims and drip edges
- Rotten chipboard or plank decks replaced
- Falls corrected so water runs off rather than ponding
- Upstands sealed where the roof meets the house wall
From old Ifield to Forge Wood
Crawley is not all post-war. Ifield and the older High Street have earlier buildings with clay tiles and steeper roofs, while Forge Wood, in the north-east, is among the newest neighbourhoods. A young roof usually needs little more than gutter care or a small fix, whereas an older cottage needs materials chosen to match.
- Clay tiles on older buildings matched or reused
- Newer homes often already have dry ridge and dry verge
- uPVC fascias and soffits on estate houses
- Chimney work on earlier properties with working fireplaces
How the job works
- 1Identify the house and its roofWe note the neighbourhood, tile type and pitch, because estate houses of the same era tend to fail in the same places.
- 2Test the flat roofs underfootGarage and porch decks are checked for soft spots and trapped water before we suggest a patch or a new covering.
- 3Give you a written choiceWhere both a repair and a replacement are reasonable, we price each so you can weigh them up in your own time.
- 4Finish, tidy and photographOld felt, tiles and boards are cleared away, and you get photos of the new work along with the edges and trims.
Why choose us in Crawley
- Free Crawley quotes with a clear written price and nothing to sign
- Photos of the deck, felt and trims on every flat roof we lay
- A frank view on repair against replacement for older estate roofs
Common questions
Are the interlocking tiles on my Crawley house still made?
Some older profiles are no longer produced. We look for the closest current match or a reclaimed tile first, and if neither is suitable, re-covering a whole slope can look better than a patchwork. We will show you photos so you can judge for yourself.
My Forge Wood home is fairly new and the roof leaks. Should I call you or the builder?
Look through the paperwork from your purchase and contact the developer first, as faults in a recent build are often theirs to put right. If that route is closed or you want an independent look, we can inspect the roof and give you photos and a written price.
Is it worth doing the porch roof at the same time as the main roof?
Often it is. Scaffolding and access are already in place, and the porch usually meets the house wall right under the main roof edge. If the porch felt still has life left, we will say so rather than adding it to the price.
Will you come to Crawley for a small repair?
Yes. Crawley is the closest Sussex town to us, so smaller jobs there are easier to fit in than further south. Call 07450 208032 or send a few photos and we will tell you when we can get there.
Ready for a free, no-obligation quote?
Speak to our team today. London, Essex, Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds.