Roof Repairs and Roofing Services in Winchester
Boss Roofing & Repairs covers all aspects of roofing in Winchester: emergency roof repairs and leaks, new roofs, flat roofing, chimneys and lead work, dry ridge and verge systems, fascias and guttering, moss removal and bird proofing.
Emergency roof repairs in Winchester
Roofs tend to fail at the worst moment: in the middle of a storm, overnight in heavy rain, or just as the weather turns. When water is coming into the house, the priority is to stop it getting any further and to keep the damage to the inside of the house as small as possible.
When you need an emergency roofer, phone us and describe what you can see. We will talk it through, arrange to come out and look at the roof, and deal first with what is letting the water in. Once the roof is weathertight again, you get a clear explanation of the proper repair and a free quotation for it.
Call us about
- Water coming through a ceiling
- Tiles or slates blown off
- A hole or damaged area in the roof
- Lead or flashing lifted by wind
Until we arrive
- Stay clear of falling debris
- Catch drips in buckets or bowls
- Move furniture and valuables
- Keep lights off near wet ceilings
Roof repairs and leak repairs
Most roofs that let water in are not worn out. A few cracked or slipped tiles, a loose ridge, perished felt in one corner or a gap around a roof window can be enough to start a leak, and putting that part right costs far less than waiting until the timbers underneath have rotted.
The first job is tracing where the water really enters, often well away from the damp patch indoors, and then we repair that part of the roof with the right materials: new membrane and battens where the old felt has failed, and tiles matched to the rest of the roof.
Repairs we take on
- Slipped, cracked or missing tiles
- Leaks around roof windows
- Torn or perished roof felt
- Rotten battens
How we work
- We look at the roof ourselves
- We explain what we find
- Free quotation before any work
- No job too big or small
New roofs and re-roofing
There comes a point where repairing a roof costs more than it saves. Once the tiles on whole slopes have had it, the battens are soft or the old felt has crumbled away, a re-roof gives you a sound roof again rather than another season of leaks.
Our photos show how we go about it: the old covering stripped, breathable membrane laid and new battens fixed, ready for the tiles. On larger roofs the scaffold goes up first. We quote for the whole job up front, so you know where you stand before any work starts.
A re-roof includes
- Stripping the old tiles and felt
- New breathable membrane
- New treated battens
- Re-tiling and new ridges
We re-roof
- Houses and bungalows
- Dormers and extensions
- Garages and outbuildings
- Single slopes or whole roofs
Flat roofing and EPDM rubber roofs
Rain lingers on a flat roof in a way it never does on a sloping one, so the covering takes a beating. Splits, blisters and lifting edges are the usual warning signs, and on a garage or extension the first you know of it may be a damp patch on the ceiling inside.
Where a flat roof can be repaired, we repair it. Where the covering has had its day, it comes off and a new one goes down. We also offer EPDM rubber roofing: a single rubber sheet across the roof, with very few joints for water to find.
Signs of a failing flat roof
- Splits and blisters
- Lifting edges and seams
- Standing water after rain
- Damp patches inside
Flat roofs on
- Garages
- Kitchen and rear extensions
- Dormers
- Porches and bays
Chimney repairs, repointing and lead work
A chimney stands in the wind and rain on every side, so its pointing wears out sooner than the walls below it. Crumbling mortar lets water into the brickwork, and the lead flashing where the chimney meets the roof is one of the most common places for a leak to start.
We repoint chimneys, rebuild damaged sections and, where a chimney is no longer used, take it down. Lead work is part of the job too: new flashings around chimneys and walls, and lead lined valleys where two roof slopes meet.
Chimney work
- Chimney repointing
- Chimney repairs
- Chimney removal
- New flashings at the base
Lead work
- Chimney and wall flashings
- Lead lined valleys
- Soakers and abutments
- Replacing split or lifted lead
Dry verge, ridge and valley systems
Ridge tiles along the top of a roof and the verges along its gable ends have traditionally been bedded in mortar. Over the years that mortar cracks and washes out, ridge tiles work loose, and pieces of verge can end up in the garden after a gale.
Dry fix systems hold ridges, verges and valleys in place with clips, caps and fixings instead of relying on mortar alone, so there is far less to wear away. We fit dry verge, dry ridge and dry valley systems, and we also repoint ridges in mortar where that suits the roof better.
Warning signs
- Cracked or missing ridge mortar
- Ridge tiles that rock or have slipped
- Verge mortar falling out
- Debris in the gutters
What we fit
- Dry ridge systems
- Dry verge systems
- Dry valley systems
- Repointing ridges in mortar
Fascias, soffits and guttering
The fascia boards along the eaves carry the guttering, and the soffits underneath seal the underside of the eaves. When old timber boards rot, gutters sag, joints leak and rainwater runs down the walls instead of into the drains.
We replace fascias and soffits and fit new guttering and downpipes, whether that is one tired section or every side of the house. A recent job was exactly that: new fascias, soffits and gutters all the way round a house, on all four sides.
Time to replace them if
- Boards are rotten or flaking
- Gutters sag or overflow
- Joints drip in the rain
- Birds are getting into the eaves
We fit
- New fascia boards
- New soffits
- Guttering and downpipes
- Whole houses or single runs
Roof moss removal
A little moss does no harm, but a thick layer acts like a sponge. It keeps the tiles wet for days after rain, can lift the edges of tiles as it grows, and washes down into the gutters, where it blocks the outlets and makes them overflow.
We clear moss from the roof by hand, working carefully so the tiles underneath are not damaged, and clear what falls into the gutters too. While we are up there, we will tell you about any slipped tiles or other problems we spot.
Why it matters
- Moss holds water on the tiles
- It can lift tile edges
- It blocks gutters and outlets
- It hides other damage
What we do
- Clear the moss by hand
- Take care of the tiles
- Clear the gutters after
- Point out any other faults
Bird proofing for solar panels
The sheltered gap between solar panels and the roof makes a perfect nesting spot for pigeons. Nests, droppings and the noise that comes with them build up quickly, and the mess can block gutters and foul the panels themselves.
We fit mesh guards around the edges of the panel array, sealing the gap so birds cannot get underneath. The panels keep working as before, without the mess.
Signs of nesting birds
- Pigeons landing on the panels
- Nesting material at the edges
- Droppings on the roof and panels
- Scratching noises in the morning
What the work involves
- Clearing out old nesting
- Mesh fitted around the array
- The gap under the panels closed
- Gutters checked below
Unsure what the roof needs?
Describe what you have spotted, from a damp patch to a slipped tile. We will inspect the roof and give you a free, no-obligation quotation.