Kent Peg Tiling

Spring has Sprung, and So Has Your Historic Roof Maintenance Cycle

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The first warm days of spring have been a lifeline. The light, the blue skies, and the flurry of wildlife. The birds are getting louder, the windows are open, and everything feels just a little bit better than it did over the gloomy winter. Perfect time for a bit of spring cleaning!

You’d usually think about spring cleaning the inside of your house, or maybe doing the garden. But there’s a rather important part of your property that deserves just some attention right now – your roof.

It’s been through a lot.

Winter is tough on buildings. With England’s variable climate, your roof faces a completely different set of challenges every few months. Understanding that cycle is the key to keeping it in good shape, avoiding nasty surprises, and spreading the cost of maintenance so you’re never landed with a massive roof repair bill.

A year in the life of your roof really does start now, in the pre-summer months. Let’s take a walk through the seasons together, and show you what to look for (and when).

Spring: Repairs after the effects of winter

Winter is not kind to roofing. Freezing temperatures, sideways rain, snow, ice, frost – and wind that howls through like it’s got a vendetta against roof tiles. By the time spring arrives, your roof has taken a real battering. This is the moment for a proper inspection.

Start by walking around your property and looking up. You don’t necessarily need to get on a ladder just yet – from ground level, look for anything that seems out of place. Are there any tiles that have slipped out of position? Can you see any that are cracked or missing?

Pay particular attention to valleys, and the areas around chimneys and dormers. These are the places where water flows most heavily, and they’re often where winter damage shows up first. Also, keep an eye out for debris that’s accumulated over the winter months. Twigs, leaves, and general muck. It can all trap moisture against your roof, speeding up decay. If you can get up there safely, clear it away gently, and make a note of anything that needs professional attention.

Older roofs, especially those that need Kent peg tile roof repairs, have their own quirks. Kent peg tiles are beautiful things, but they’re held in place by timber pegs that can dry out, shrink, or rot over time. Winter weather can wreak havoc on them, and spring is when you’ll spot the first signs. If you’ve got a Kent peg tile roof, don’t put off any repairs, because it can spread quickly and become a major issue sooner rather than later.

Summer: Hot hot heat

Once the warmer weather arrives, it’s easy to think your roof is safe. But summer brings its own set of problems, especially for older buildings.

When the sun beats down on your roof day after day, the materials expand. Then they cool down at night and contract. That constant movement puts stress on everything, from clay tiles to the joints made with lead flashing. Over time, tiny hairline cracks can appear in materials. You might not even notice them from the ground, but they’re there, and they’ll let water in the moment rainfall returns. And thunderstorms are pretty common during the summer – so you’ll find out quickly!

Another summer problem is plant growth. Moss, algae, and small seedlings can take root in the damp corners of your roof. Moss holds moisture against your tiles, which can lead to frost damage later in the year. It can also lift the edges of tiles, creating gaps for water to get in. And if a bird drops a seed into a tiny patch of moss, you could end up with a small plant growing out of your roof! Cute as it sounds, that’s really not something you want.

Speaking of birds – nesting can be an issue for older properties, too. Birds, bats, bugs, bees… They all love the hideaways they find in roofing. It’s especially common in heritage and period roofing, where airflow gaps are more pronounced, allowing wildlife to get inside.

For historic buildings, the summer heat can be particularly problematic. Traditional materials like stone, handmade clay tiles and natural slate aren’t as uniform as modern concrete. They respond to heat differently, and the mortar used in older buildings can become brittle in high temperatures.

If you’ve got a period property, a summer inspection is a good way to keep on top of heat, growth, and little intruders.

Autumn: Leaves and blockages

Ah, autumn. The colours, the crisp air, the cosiness. For your roof though, it’s the beginning of its busiest season. All those falling leaves have to go somewhere, and that somewhere is almost always your gutters and valleys!

Blocked gutters are a genuine menace. When water can’t flow freely off your roof, it backs up. It can seep under your tiles, find its way into your soffits and fascias, and overflow down your exterior walls, causing damp problems inside your home.

Autumn maintenance is really about one thing: keeping the water moving. Clear your gutters regularly, especially after a windy day. If you’ve got trees overhanging your roof, consider whether it’s time to trim them back. It’s much easier to remove branches in autumn, before the winter storms arrive, than it is to deal with a branch that’s come down onto your roof in January.

Don’t forget the downpipes, too. A gutter can be perfectly clear, but if the downpipe is blocked by a ball of wet leaves, it won’t drain. You can try running a hose into the gutter, and watching the water flow out at the bottom. If it’s slow or not showing up at all, you’ve got a blockage somewhere that needs clearing.

Keep on top of it for the duration of the autumn months, clearing leaf fall as it builds up again.

Winter: Prepare and protect

By the time winter arrives, it’s usually too late to start any major repairs. Winter maintenance is really about preparation and damage limitation. You want your roof to be in the best possible condition before the first frost, so that it can shrug off whatever the weather throws at it.

That means checking everything one last time in late autumn. 

Fix any loose tiles, gutters, and flashing before the temperature drops – and keep an eye on your loft space. After heavy rain, look for any signs of water ingress. Feel for damp, listen out for drips, and keep your nose primed for any musty smells. Catching a leak early is much cheaper than dealing with it after it’s soaked through your insulation and ruined your ceilings.

Although we haven’t had much of it in recent years, snow and ice are major winter threats. Snow is heavy, and when it accumulates on your roof, the weight can put serious stress on the structure.

Ice dams are another classic winter problem. When heat escapes from your house and melts snow on the roof, the water runs down to the colder eaves and freezes again. That ice builds up into a dam, preventing further meltwater from draining. The water then backs up under your tiles and leaks into your home. Good loft insulation and ventilation are your best defence – something to think about during the warmer months.

And don’t forget about the wind. Winter storms in England have been quite bad recently, with some of the worst storms in decades clustered into the last couple of years.

Secure your roof and make sure any loose tiles are dealt with – and if you do get hit by storm damage, read what to do about it in our Emergency Listed Building Roof Repairs Guide.

Your year-round roof maintenance checklist

Spring – inspect and repair

  • Walk around your property, look for winter damage
  • Note any issues – missing, cracked, loose tiles etc.
  • Book in any necessary repairs

Summer – monitor and prepare 

  • Keep an eye out for cracks caused by heat expansion
  • Clear moss and algae growth 
  • Trim back trees before the weather turns rimming
  • Check loft insulation and ventilation

Autumn – gutter maintenance

  • Check and clear gutters very regularly, especially if you live near trees
  • Check downpipes, testing flow with a hose
  • Check roof valleys. Make sure water can flow freely off your roof

Winter – observe and respond

  • Check loft for signs of leaks after heavy rainfall. Don’t ignore leaks
  • If you spot a problem, contain it if you can, and call a professional roofer 
  • After high winds, check for damage. Conduct emergency repairs as needed

Kent Peg Tile Roof Repairs

Has winter done a number on your period property’s roofing? Get kent peg tile roof repairs from Tenterden Roofing. Our experienced team builds, restores, and maintains heritage and period roofing across southern England. For a quote, contact us at [email protected].

Hot weather and historic buildings, a recipe for disaster?

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The heat is on. No matter how you slice it, the climate is progressively getting warmer. But like the proverbial frog in a pot, slowly coming up to boil, most people seem oblivious.

If anyone really needed convincing, you could show them an endless stream of graphs and historic records (or comics that explain it better), showing the clear correlation between the astronomical rise of GHGs (greenhouse gases) and the global average temperature

But you can also give them another, more tangible and physical experience to hammer home just how much has changed in so little time; our historic buildings.

You see, the structures built using old techniques and materials were made for the English climate of the day; a climate colder than we have now, with fewer extremes. Of course, we always had storms, big freezes and hot summers – but the extremes were far less frequent.

Our historic buildings, and indeed many comparatively new builds, are ill-equipped for the oppressive heat and humidity we’re getting. And we are definitely going to get more of it. Domestic and commercial air conditioning isn’t widespread in the UK, because historically, we’ve never really needed it – and our heritage and historic properties aren’t readily adaptable to AC anyway.

Period properties were designed for a colder climate. The old roof structures of English towns were never designed to bake in equatorial heat – and this can often lead to overheating during heatwaves. 

The consequences of overheating in period properties are heavy, and can cause damage that only becomes apparent when the weather turns.

What does extreme heat do to old buildings?

Prolonged high temperatures can cause structural materials to expand and weaken. Roofs are especially vulnerable because heat accelerates the ageing process of tiles, slates, metals and wooden support structures. Tiles can become loose or crack. Wooden structures can warp or dry out.

And eventually, when the rain returns, the roof leaks. High winds can send loosened and cracked tiles flying. This kind of heat damage can take its toll on the structure as a whole, too – and it just gets worse when freezing temperatures hit during the winter…

Climate change is harming historic structures

Climate change poses an increasing risk to the period properties that were never designed to experience it. The combination of freeze-thaw cycles, excessive heat, heavy rainfall and stronger winds all contribute to this prolonged and gradual degradation.

It’s not just extreme heatwaves. It’s increasing UK storm activity and severity, shifting jet streams and a wider collapse of the once steady systems that govern the flow of air and moisture on our planet.

Roofs, the first line of defence on all modern and historic buildings, are damaged by constantly fluctuating temperatures. Extreme heat leads to material fatigue, and so does the cycle of freezing and thawing over winter. In wetter months, mould can set in – made all the worse by heat and cold; stretching, drying out and making porous materials even more prone to withholding moisture.

Higher rainfall and increased humidity accelerates rot and mould growth. This is bad news for heritage properties, because so many rely on wooden structures.

Without proactive maintenance, historic roofs could deteriorate beyond repair – leaving buildings exposed. Is there anything we can do to stop this?

How to protect historic buildings from extreme heat

Historic buildings go hard on insulation – which actually can help with keeping heat out – but they also need ventilation and airflow to regulate internal temperatures (and to prevent mould and damp). Historic building owners need to make sure that insulation and ventilation are up to standard.

And the roof needs to be regularly monitored for deterioration due to heat, not just during the summer. Often, the issues raised by heat only become noticeable during cold, wet and windy weather. 

As a somewhat extreme solution, the materials themselves can be swapped out for modern ones, made to look and feel traditional. Composite tiles or coloured concrete tiles, for instance – or artificial slates. Depending on the building’s listed status, this might be a challenge. But some companies still have new old stock, and some still manufacture tiles and roof coverings the old fashioned way.

If you need any help or support with historic building conservation, get in touch.

Historic building conservation since 1984

We’ve been preserving, restoring and caring for the nation’s most beautiful buildings since 1984. Get the advice and help you need about protecting your period property from extreme heat – from our team of historic building conservation experts.

To get a quote, contact us at [email protected].

 

Can You Change the Roof on Listed Buildings? –

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When You Can and Cannot Change the Roof on a Listed Building

 

It’s a tricky question, but hopefully one we can answer here. Generally, if it’s a like-for-like replacement, then yes – but otherwise, it’s complicated…

Let’s start by briefly answering the question; what is a listed building?

In the simplest terms, a listed building is one that is protected by English Heritage.

This can be because the structure has historical or architectural significance, or because of the importance of the site it’s located on. Churches, town halls, libraries, mills, and other old or interesting buildings are often listed – but sometimes, so are some people’s homes.

To know what you can and can’t do to a listed building, you’ve first got to know about the grading system used for listed properties.

Grade I listed buildings are the most important, and have the most protection and limits imposed on them. They make up less than 8% of the listed buildings in the UK.

The other 92% are Grade II and II* – which are still significant, but there is some flexibility in regards to the changes you can make to them.

Regardless of which grade a building is, owners of listed buildings are bound by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as well as the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 

These two pieces of legislature prohibit “alterations to the character of the building”, which is where things get tricky. That’s because the character of a building could be considered subjective, and also because the character can be defined by why the property is listed.

For instance, if the building is architecturally significant, then adding an extension would alter the character, and be prohibited in most cases. If the site is significant, then outbuildings might not be allowed on the grounds.

In some listed buildings, everything – including internal fixtures – must be kept the same. In others, only external character alterations and structural changes are prohibited, with fewer limits on the interior.

And to carry out any works, you’ll need to seek listed building consent and permission.

Listed Building Consent

Listing building consent is a form of planning control that protects listed buildings.

 

It’s against the law to carry out work on a listed building without getting permission. You can only submit a full, comprehensive, detailed plan for consideration – not an outline application, as for other buildings.

 

Getting permission to make any changes can be complicated for listed buildings, but it’s not impossible. It might just mean having to make a compromise to get the project accepted by planning.

When is listed building consent NOT required for roofing?

Listed Building Consent is not required to repair any roofs on a Listed Building where the original design, structure, materials, and colour are to be maintained. For example, a roof hung with Kent peg tiles must be repaired or changed with like-for-like traditional Kent peg tiles – not concrete, slate, or an alternative clay tile shape – in order to avoid seeking consent.

What CAN’T you do to a G2 listed building?

You cannot remove original architectural features – like windows, doors, and stonework, unless they are damaged and need like-for-like replacement. In many cases, these features must be custom made by hand, or with traditional methods, and seamlessly merged into the aesthetic.

Always use a listed building specialist roofing contractor

Be sure to hire the best contractors for the job when you need to change the roof on a listed building – ideally, with experience in conservation. The Tenterden Roofing team has previously worked on multiple heritage buildings, using techniques handed down from generation to generation.

 

We are fully prepared to deal with the specific regulations that apply to listed buildings, and carry out repairs in full accordance with the rules of English Heritage.

Roofing specialists for listed buildings since 1984

Tenterden Roofing is a listed building specialist roofing contractor, based in Kent. See our latest work on Instagram – and contact us for a quote at [email protected].

Period Property Roofing: England’s Historic Roofing Types:

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Period Property Roofing in England

The English architectural landscape isn’t what it used to be. Newly built housing developments, as needed and welcome as they are, tend to have the same look and feel. They’re like a hodge-podge of styles amalgamated into a “greatest hits” of housing styles; lots of plastic, lots of concrete. They’re amazing materials for construction – so naturally, they’re what we’re building the future with.

But once upon a time in England, there were no cookie-cutter homes.

There were no concrete roofing tiles, or plastic fascias, or composite cladding materials – and in our neck of the woods, clay was king.

England’s historic roofing types are many, and preserving those which remain is an important part of our shared heritage. Period property roofing techniques have been passed down to generation after generation of period roofing specialist – like us here at Tenterden Roofing.

So let’s explore the different roofing types used on heritage properties in England, and how each local environment shaped the way we used to build.

The main types of historic property roofing in southern England

Long before the dawn of modern materials, homes, churches, and properties were built using the best materials available at the time – and that varied based on where you lived.

Kent peg roofing

Kent peg tiles date back to Roman times, but the practice was all but abandoned after the fall of the Roman empire. By the 14th century, ket peg roofing had returned in full force, as industrial uses for clay were ramped up around the country.

Locally, clay was an abundant material, used for bricks, tiles, and other wares. Brickworks in Kent were a common sight, and the abundance of Kent peg tiles in the area reflect the availability of the material.

Learn more about Kent peg tiling

Clay roof tiles were, and remain, ubiquitous in Kent – and the Kent peg method of hanging tiles remains a sought-after skill locally.

Natural slate roof tiles

Slate is a naturally occurring rock. It’s formed from clay that has been transformed several times due to compression and heating, deep within the Earth – so wherever there’s an abundance of clay, you’d expect to find slate in some quantity. But that’s not always the case; slate takes ages (quite literally) to form, and is only exposed by erosion or land upheaval.

Wales is considered the home of UK slate tiling, where deposits are common and exposed. The first recorded use of Welsh slate tiles dates back to the 1300s. By the 1700s, Welsh slate was exported globally at an industrial scale, with much of the material being used domestically and in neighbouring parts of England.

Slate tiles remain hugely popular all around England, because they often last longer than the rest of the building they cover!

Read more about slate roof tiles

Thatched and copper roofing

Although not an area we cover, it’s important to note the historical importance and aesthetic significance of thatch and copper roofing.

Thatching traditions vary significantly in different parts of the country, mostly based on what material was available when the roof was built; water reed, combed wheat reed or long straw. They all have similar results to the untrained eye – and all are susceptible to fire and animal infestations, making maintenance and care extremely important. Thatch is an important historical and heritage marker, and a practice that continues to this day for preserving period property roofing.

Copper roofing was historically reserved for buildings of great importance, owing to its high cost and the work required to fit it. Copper sheeting was commonly used, and grew in popularity around the world for roofing on churches and civic buildings during the 1920s and 1930s, when industrial manufacture was sped up. Copper roofing had many advantages, like a long life of 80 years or more – and the distinct green patina offers additional protection, as well as a unique heritage look.

Period property roofing specialists in Kent since 1984

Tenterden Roofing is a passionate team of period roofing specialists in Kent. See our latest work on Instagram – and contact us for a quote at [email protected].