[benpritch]

So I did a little search on the site and this has come up a few times but no one who was mentioned is available.

Essentially i have lost a couple of slates and was hoping to find someone who would do a minor repair without trying to sell me a new roof  (even though I probably need one).

any recommendations?

[tomtom]

If it's accessible (ie not requiring some major ladderage) then DIY. it's pretty easy.

If not then as a ballpark figure the old fella in Hull who does mine charges £10 a slate...

[Nigel]

Ben, I've just had the exact same thing! Woke up yesterday to a drip coming through the roof, had a hole in the slates, about 6 tiles had slipped in wind over weekend. Took a punt on a guy I found on internet, called him at midday, he came round at half 6 and it was fixed by 7. Cost seemed fair and he actually went out of his way not to sell me a new roof when he realised his ladders were cracking slates! Nice guy, I'll pm you his number.

[benpritch]

thanks Nige. or text it to me?

[a dense loner]

Ben you've been a few slates short for years why try to change now 

[benpritch]

Thanks Dense.

Anyway it transpires there are some serious problems with my roof and i do need a new one. Anybody got any advice? Any recommendations for people who might do a nice job etc?

[tomtom]

Again non Sheffield but...

3 years ago for my house. (3 bed terrace)

New Slates £6-7k
Tiles instead of slates £2.5k

Tiles are heavier - so can cause beams/rafters (whatever they're called) to bow..

In the end I negotiated with one local person who had a yard full of reclaimed slates, and got mine done with 60% my existing slates and the rest reclaimed for £3.5k. That included new woodwork, felt and flashing (lead).  MrsTT got hers done in Manc in a similar deal for £3k (but they did a worse - but OK - job)

Worth making sure they do the valleys with lead - and do a decent job with the pointing. If you have an attic room its also a great opportunity to get them to put some kingspan in the gap between slates and plasterboard. made a huge difference in MrsTTs house..

[benpritch]

Any reason not to get those flat grey things (imitation slates?) roofer told me the name of them but i forgot to take any notice. Said I'd get up to 700 for my old slates too.

Thanks Tomtom.

[tomtom]

I don't know Ben - the market (and material costs) may have shifted in the last few years...

Worth finding a good roofer though - I went with the middle quote and the cheapest fella did one of my neigbours and 2 other houses in the road with an awful job - on one house they're not straight... never heard of a spirit level I guess..

My roofer took ages, had two lazy sons who drank loads of tea, ate loads of biscuits but did a really good job... even asked if he could add his trade mark (three rows of fish tails - slates with the corners knocked off) so other roofers would know who did it!

Apparently once a slate has got beyond c.20 years its good for much much longer...

Thats all my roof knowledge!

Though maybe ask the roofer to show you ones he's done locally, and have a look at how they've done the valleys, flashing and pointing... (MrsTT's they just bent up the old flashing, put it down again and stuffed some mastic stuff around some bits - for mine they got a grinder up there and took out the old cement - but new flashing in and cemented up...).

[Jim]

Can't recomend anyone Ben, but I'll just add that if most of your slates are OK then they can be reused, just get new or reclaimed as budget dictates to replace broken ones.
Personally if a house has a slate roof, it should remain to be a slate roof, previous owners have put marley roof tiles on our house and next doors (1903 victorian semi) and they look terrible. If I had the money I'd get them replaced back to slate

[Dolly]

Richard Gunn Holmes on 07738263490 is worth a call Ben
[/size]Wont rip you off and in my experience knows his stuff

[Gritter]

Slate looks better, Marley's or equivalent do just as good a job just a cheaper option. Getting them to Kingspan at the same time is a good idea. Current slate prices in Manchester for a 24x12 range from £1.40 to £1.80 dependant on the grade. Brazil slate are the cheapest and bloody thick then Spanish which have two different grades then Welsh being the most expensive which I haven't seen for a while.

[SamT]

re slates vs tiles - depends on your attitude to aesthetics - but in a terrace of victorian houses - all with slates, then a I think tiles look a bollocks. (the new 'red' ones on the roofs of the re-developed art college on Psalter lane look flippin dreadful.)

The 'fake' slates are a lot cheaper, but look better than tiles imho.

Try shaun at Barrow Roofing.  Works around Nether Edge a lot.  Done bits and bobs for us and is really good with lead.  Not a rip off and will work of ladders need be (though prob not for a re-roof).

[benpritch]

Thanks everyone.

[a dense loner]

Ok so the roofer was supposed to start the 3rd wk in feb however he made up his mind to start last wk, on the little annexe bit at the back, he then had 4 days off due to rain and now there's 4 or 5 sizeable cracks in the ceiling in this area. Not having looked at it in person yet he's either let the rain get in or decided to stand anywhere he wants on the inside so what are my options? Let him finish job then claim on his insurance for ceiling works? Don't know whether the rock wools just waterlogged and needs changing and patch ceiling or needs full ceiling doing. He's supposed to do guttering as well. Don't really want to have to tell him to pack his stuff up and go since could be a simple oversight on his part. Just wondered if anyone had any useful advice? Off top of my head he's a sole trader or ltd, I'll be speaking to him Friday morning. Ta

[Jim]

Show him the damage to the ceiling and get him to Fix it.i wouldn't claim on the insurance for it as you'll have to pay the excess and then increased premiums

[tomtom]

From my experience Its not uncommon for some cracks to appear. This happened in my ceiling in Hull, and at MrsTT's house there were a few coin sized lumps of plaster came off where they whack in the nails for the lats.

10 min with polyfilla and some white emulsion sorted it out. I also pointed it out to the roofer and he took a little more care there-after...

[tomtom]

PS - Dense - I doubt its water damage - probably just hammering and moving around on the joists.. if it is water damage look for some staining on the ceiling etc.. even if its got a bit damp it'll dry out..

[a dense loner]

Yep no probs. Like I said I won't actually see it til tomos then him on Friday. I was just trying to find a peaceful way before I fuck him with a shiv