RoofersinChristchurch
Our team is based in Bournemouth and travels to Christchurch regularly. A town wrapped around two rivers and a harbour, which makes exposure the thing that decides most roofs here.
- Both owners on site, so the people quoting are the people doing the work
- We will tell you if the job does not need doing
- British Standard materials, fitted to manufacturer spec
Get a quote
Tell us what the roof is doing and we will come and look at it.
- 1–2 wksA full re-roof, start to finish
- 15–20 yrGuarantee on roofs we install
- 5.0 ★From 21 Google reviews
- BothOwners on every job
What exposure does to a Christchurch roof
Christchurch sits where the Avon and the Stour come together before they reach the harbour and the sea. That is why the town is where it is, and it is also why roofs here get a harder time than the ones a few miles inland. Open water on more than one side means wind arrives with very little to slow it down, and it arrives carrying salt. Neither of those destroys a roof quickly. What they do is find the weak points sooner. Nails corrode, clips let go, mortar at the ridge is stripped out of its joints, and lead that was laid in runs slightly too long tears itself apart faster than it would elsewhere. The practical result is that Christchurch roofs tend to need attention at the details before they need attention at the covering. Slipped tiles, a lifted ridge, flashing that has worked loose. Those are repairs, and we quote a lot of them here. The town also has a genuine historic core. The Priory is Grade I listed, Norman on a Saxon site and finished in 1234, and there is listed property around it including Priory House of 1763. We do ordinary domestic roofing and we do not take on listed or heritage work, so if that is your property we will tell you on the first visit rather than after.
- Wind off open water on more than one side, carrying salt
- Details fail before coverings do, so repairs are common here
- A listed historic core, which is work we do not take on
ChristchurchWhat we do in Christchurch
The same services everywhere we work, but on an exposed river and coastal town the emphasis shifts. Pick the one closest to your problem.
Roof Repairs
Storm Damage RepairsThe service this town needs most. Open water on two sides means wind arrives with nothing to slow it.
Ridge & Hip Re-PointingWind strips mortar out of ridge joints here faster than anywhere else we work. Dry ridge is worth the extra.
Roof Leak RepairsLeaks that only appear in driving rain are the classic here. That is wind pushing water uphill, not a hole.
Roof Replacement
Tiled RoofsOn exposed elevations the fixing specification matters more than the tile. We set it to the aspect.
Slate RoofsSalt shortens the life of slate nails, so slipping starts earlier than the slate itself would suggest.
Extension RoofsWind-driven rain finds a weak abutment quickly here, so the join gets the time it needs.
New Build RoofsPriced from the drawings, with the fixing spec set for the exposure rather than the standard detail.
Flat Roofing
EPDM Rubber RoofingBonded across its whole face, which matters on a roof that gets lifted at the edges by wind.
GRP Fibreglass RoofingBalconies with a view over the water, where the roof gets walked on as well as weathered.
Felt & Torch-On RoofingLarger roofs, laid to a manufacturer backed spec with the edge detailing done properly.
Also availableRoof Surveys & Inspections
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The Priory finished, and still standing
2
Rivers meeting before the harbour
15–20 yr
Guarantee on roofs we install
Both
Owners on every job
How a Christchurch job runs
The same five stages everywhere. What we look hardest at here is the aspect.
We come and look at the roof
The first thing we check on a Christchurch roof is which way it faces. An elevation open to the water and one sheltered behind the house can be in completely different condition on the same building.
Scaffold goes up and materials arrive
Wind governs the programme here. Scaffold gets tied and sheeted for the exposure, and we plan the strip around the forecast rather than around the diary.
The old roof comes off
We open smaller sections on the exposed side, because a roof that is fine open on a still day is a serious problem when the wind gets up in the afternoon.
New felt, battens and covering go on
Proctor Air breathable felt and new battens. The fixing specification is set for the exposure, which on the open elevations means more fixings rather than the standard pattern.
We clear up and hand it over
Site cleared, waste away, guarantee issued. Loose material is not left on site overnight here, because in this wind it does not stay where you put it.
The kind of roofs we replace around Christchurch
Our own work. No stock photography.
Captions name what was done.
What Christchurch customers say
We are a new company and we are building this up honestly. These are the jobs people have been kind enough to comment on.
Sam Young
Southern Counties Roofing completed a full re roof for me. I was very pleased with outcome and there professionalism. Would deffo recommend.
Kris Pass
Great job, thanks guys. Would highly recommend.
Clive Curley
Nice guys to deal with and a good price a1
What Christchurch customers ask us
Mostly about wind, and about the historic parts of the town.
It only leaks when it is blowing. Is that a real leak?
Yes, and it is the most useful clue you can give us. Wind pushes water uphill under a tile or behind a flashing in a way ordinary rain never does, so a roof that is fine in a downpour and drips in a gale is telling us to look at the details.
My ridge tiles come loose every couple of years
Common here. Mortar bedding cracks with age everywhere, and this wind then works at the crack. Converting to a dry ridge system fixes each tile mechanically and takes mortar out of the equation for good.
My property is listed
Then we are not the right firm and we will say so on the first visit. We do ordinary domestic roofing and we do not take on listed or heritage work. Better you hear that immediately than after a wasted fortnight.
Roofing questions from Christchurch
Do you cover Christchurch?
Yes. We are based in Bournemouth and travel to Christchurch regularly, so it is a normal part of our week rather than an occasional trip.
Why does my roof only leak in strong wind?
Because wind drives water uphill, under the lap of a tile or behind a flashing, where vertical rain would simply run off. It almost always points at a detail rather than a failed covering, and details are repairs.
Does being near the water shorten a roof life?
It shortens the life of the metal in it. Nails, clips and fixings corrode faster in salt-laden air, so slipped tiles and loose ridges appear earlier here. The tiles or slates themselves usually have plenty left.
Can you work on a listed building?
No. We do not take on listed building or heritage roofing at all. Christchurch has a genuine historic core, including a Grade I listed Priory and listed property around it, so it comes up here. We will tell you straight away and point you at a specialist.
My bargeboards have gone but the roof looks fine
That is a normal pattern on an exposed gable. Bargeboards take more weather than anything else on the roofline, so they often need replacing while the covering still has years left. It is a roofline job, not a re-roof.
Do you come out at night or at weekends?
No. We do leak repairs and make-safe work during the working day, and we would rather tell you that plainly than have you waiting.
Other towns we cover
Christchurch is at the eastern end of where we work. These are the rest.
Get a straight answer about your Christchurch roof
If it only leaks when the wind gets up, tell us that. It usually means a repair rather than a new roof.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Southern Counties Roofworks Ltd on 07895 305286