We offer the following services:
Your Local Kent Peg Tile & Period Property Roofing Specialists
In addition, we are skilled in the installation of difficult technical features such as lace and swept valley details and other rare occurrences on old buildings.
All of our materials are sourced locally to suit the contractual needs. We have a well-stocked yard of quality, second-hand Kent peg tiles, Welsh natural slate and much more to assist you in your project, where required.
Used locally for hundreds of years, Kent Peg and Clay Tile are two of the most recognisable roof coverings in the local area.
We are experts in all areas of this discipline, with over 30 years of historic and heritage roofing conservation experience.
The way we work is sympathetic to old buildings and we are proud of every period property project we work with. We really do take care of our roofing projects, which makes us the specialist of choice in Kent Peg and all forms of historic roofing conservation.
Why Choose Tenterden Roofing for Your Kent Peg Tile Roof?
We’ve specialised in Kent Peg tiling for decades, restoring and conserving historic rooflines at heritage properties, churches and cottages. Our work maintains the rich history of this tiling specialism, handed down through the ages while ensuring that modern building practices and regulations are met.
What is Kent Peg Tile Roofing?
Kent peg tiling is a practice that dates back to Roman England. This roofing style has remained a staple of Kent’s architectural landscape but today, Kent peg tiling is a rare craft that’s been handed down through the generations. While modern materials and practices might change the way buildings are constructed, the same old methods and kiln-fired tiles are used in every Kent peg tiling project that we undertake.
Because of their ancient origins, Kent peg tiles are extremely simple, but their rudimentary design has stood the test of time. The tiles are a flat rectangle with two holes at the top, where it’s secured in place with two tapered square pegs. This allows them to be applied to steeper roof pitches and more complex roof shapes. They’re usually arranged in a double lap, maintaining a reliable barrier against rain.
Peg tiles are among the most beautiful roofing materials available, on account of their simplicity. While we stock a large amount of reclaimed Kent peg tiles, the small-batch manufacturing process used to make new tiles is the same as it’s always been – leaving every tile with a subtly different shape, tone and thickness. The charming character of each individual tile gives the buildings they adorn a timeless aesthetic that modern tiling simply can’t match. Kent peg tiling is a common sight around Kent, Surrey and Sussex – but it’s growing in popularity further afield, adding a rural and country home feel to signature new build properties.
Natural Slate Roof Tiles
Natural slate is a metamorphic rock with some unique properties that make it useful for many applications – from snooker tabletops to roof tiles.
Slate is formed when shale (a rock composed of mud and clay) undergoes compression and heating in the Earth’s crust. This changes the structure of the rock, arranging the clay into extremely fine, flat flakes. Natural slate is made up of repetitive layers of this fine-grained material, which tends to split evenly in long, flat sheets when struck along the plane.
This predictable flatness is just one of the properties of slate that makes it ideal for roofing tiles. When expertly cut, uniform tiles can be achieved that stack evenly and look well matched.
They’re the lowest energy roofing material in the world to produce – which makes them more environmentally-friendly than any other roof tile. Natural slate is also highly waterproof, making it resistant to frost damage and weathering.
Natural slate roof tiles are a beautiful and durable material that can last for hundreds of years, sometimes outliving the buildings they’re attached to. Subtle variation in each tile helps to maintain the natural, classic look of heritage buildings – and our expert slaters can match the shape and pattern of any natural slate roof.
Artificial Slate Roof Tiles
Besides their lower price point, artificial slate roof tiles have some excellent advantages over their natural counterparts. They’re available in a multitude of colours, shapes and textures – making them versatile and applicable to complex roof designs.
Artificial slate roof tiles are composed of fibre cement, a durable composite construction material. Fibre is used to add tensile reinforcement to a cement material, similar to the way steel rebar is used to strengthen concrete, to produce an extremely durable and strong roofing material.
Artificial slate roof tiles are manufactured and not natural, so while they mimic natural slate tiles well, they have a distinct uniformity to them. This has advantages where a tight and regimented appearance is required – and their consistency also means they’re very reliable under a multitude of conditions.
We’ll help you choose the right artificial slate roof tiles for your project, to achieve the look you want.
Vertical tiling is one of the best ways to weather walls. It is also a very attractive look, especially popular on period properties. It’s especially popular on period properties and a common sight in the Weald.
Choose Tenterden Roofing for Vertical Tiling
At Tenterden Roofing, we’re specialists in vertical tiling. We’re trusted restoration partners at historic buildings and at heritage properties across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. We’re able to source new and reclaimed clay tiles for vertical tiling – suitable for restoration, conservation or even new builds.
Clay Tile Cladding
This cladding method uses clay tiles hung vertically or near vertically (at a 75º pitch or greater) to protect external walls from the elements. It’s a key feature of heritage properties in our local counties, where the practice of vertical tiling dates back to the 17th century. In the early days of construction, wattle and daub was the preferred construction method – but in Kent, Sussex and Surrey, some builders sought a better way to add weather resistance to two storey buildings.
Clay tiles weren’t new at this time, but as their production improved, costs came down – and vertical tiling became prevalent as a cladding material.
Then came the brick tax imposed in 1784, which affected architecture around England and Scotland quite considerably. It drove a boom in creative construction methods; at first, builders and brickmakers attempted to overcome the tax with oversize bricks – but this led to the standardisation of brick sizes, and double the tax to pay on oversize bricks. To overcome the tax altogether, builders reverted to timber structures, using vertical tiling for weather resistance.
While the brick tax had a significant and lasting effect on the brickmaking industry, it’s one of the main reasons we have so many beautiful heritage buildings in our local area that use vertical tiling.
Roof windows are a beautiful way to bring natural light into a loft conversion or cathedral ceiling. At Tenterden Roofing, we carry out expert roof window installation on heritage properties and period buildings in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
When we undertake a roof window installation project, we make sure we get everything right: from roof window sizing and style, right through to fit and finish.
Roof window installations in heritage properties can be complex and delicate projects. Sometimes, installing a roof window requires the removal of a rafter, which can impact the structure of the roof. With over 30 years of expertise in roofing and our unique focus on heritage properties, we’re able to give you solutions that maintain your roof’s structural integrity and all the advice you need to make your decision.
We use traditional methods when we work on heritage roofing projects, using age-old knowledge passed down from roofer to roofer – but our roof window installation methods are cutting-edge. Double or triple-glazed roof windows available in a variety of styles, for a perfect aesthetic match as well as excellent sound and thermal insulation properties. We carefully cut and shape roof tiles to surround your new roof windows, using the most appropriate flashing material to suit your property’s appearance.
Tenterden Roofing has been trusted to work on some of the most impressive and beautiful heritage buildings and homes in the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. Each building we work on is unique, and our traditional approach to roofing respects the timeless look and feel of period properties. That’s why you can trust us with your roof window installation – we’ll help you preserve a timeless building while adding more light and beauty to the interior.
Our mathematical tiling experts have decades of experience working with this rare but beautiful brickwork alternative – and we’re well equipped to take care of your tiling project. We’re able to source new and reclaimed tiles that match the era perfectly, for period-faithful mathematical tiling restoration and conservation projects.
The brick tax of 1784-1850 made for some creative cladding techniques – including mathematical tiling. Mathematical tiling is especially popular on period properties in Sussex and Kent, the English counties with the highest number of mathematically tiled buildings.
Mathematical tiling began as a way to avoid paying the brick tax, but evolved into an artform in itself. It held numerous advantages at the time – it was cheaper, neater and easier than brickwork. Mathematical tiles also offered enhanced weathering defence at seaside locations, where salty sea spray and battering winds made bricks more susceptible to wear.
While the majority of buildings sporting mathematical tiling are designed to mimic the patterns of traditional brickwork, more elaborate and decorative variations exist. Many colour combinations and variations can be seen in mathematical tiling, especially in Brighton – one of the towns most associated with the practice, where a distinctive black variety of mathematical tiling has become a hallmark of the area’s early architecture.
Because they’re hung directly from timber frames, from a wooden lath or from the base construction material itself, mathematical tiles can form complex decorative patterns without regard to structural integrity – closely hugging tight contours, curves and sharp angles in some of the period’s more extreme architectural examples.
In mathematical tiling made to directly mimic brickwork, terracotta mathematical tiles were overlapped from bottom to top, before being mortared. This method produced the most convincing brickwork alternative; but those with a keen eye will still be able to see the subtle cues, like elongated, squatly shaped bricks and exaggerated (or sometimes greatly reduced) mortar thicknesses.
Mainly prevalent in North America, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Shingles are sawn from straight, knot free sections of wood. Shakes are split from a bolt and are more rustic in appearance. Ideal for buildings requiring a light roof load, hence why they are more common in countries with heavy snowfall. Bundles of character, but do require slightly more maintenance than other coverings.
The most modern roofing material. Cost-effective, durable; there are a wide range of products on the market to suit nearly all roofing applications. Speak to our team today to discuss the best roofing solution for your property.
Our roofing specialists understand that every property is different – and while we take great pride and care with the heritage roofing restorations we carry out, we’re also seasoned experts in modern roofing techniques. Our team is available to discuss the best modern roofing solution for your property. Drawing on our decades of roofing knowledge and craft, we’re able to build and repair concrete plain tiling and interlocking tiling. Concrete plain tiling and interlocking tiling solutions are cost-effective and durable and can be applied to nearly any roofing application.
Concrete plain tiling is extremely simple – following the traditional shape and fitting technique of clay tiles; a flat rectangle with two holes at the top for securing to the roof battens. The only difference is the material used. Concrete plain tiling can be applied to steep pitches and complex roof shapes, and its low cost and high durability make it an ideal
roofing material. A double headlap for plain tiles maintains a reliable barrier against rain and gives a beautiful finish.
Interlocking tiling is a relatively new concept which offers faster fitting, uniform construction and excellent performance. As the name suggests, interlocking tiles use a connecting mechanism that joins each tile on the roof. They can be made to look like traditional tiles and can even be made of traditional materials, like clay – but it’s common to find concrete
interlocking tiles in most applications.
Single lap interlocking tiles are one of the most cost-effective roofing systems available for new properties. Once the roof is battened, interlocking tiles simply hook into place and overlap. This makes them fast to fit – and the uniformity makes for an attractive finish for modern properties. But they can be applied to almost any roof, and are a viable option for
new roofing on older properties, too.
Tenterden Roofing specialises in traditional roof trim for period and heritage properties. Our artisan roofing methods have helped to maintain, repair and rebuild countless historic buildings – with skills handed down from generation to generation.
We’re equally comfortable with modern roof trim and building methods, and each member of the team has trained to meet the latest building regulations.
In roofing, the fascia is a board at the base of a roof that supports the first course of tiles. The fascia is the part of the roof where gutters are normally attached, but as well as having structural importance, they’re also decorative. The fascia can transform the appearance of a building, and some heritage properties in Kent, Surrey and Sussex still wear the traditional style of timber fascia from their era – although UPVC is now the most common material in use.
Soffits are attached to the fascia, creating the underside that boxes in the overhang of a roof. Soffits are normally ventilated, which prevents condensation forming and increases airflow to the roof void. While soffits aren’t typically as decorative as the fascia or the bargeboard, they can be an important part of the look and feel of a building – and we believe that even unseen work should be carried out beautifully.
Finally, bargeboards are found on a gable end. Like the traditional style of fascia, bargeboards are usually made of timber on heritage properties. They provide strength to the overall structure of the roof and conceal the exposed ends, offering additional weather protection. Some styles of bargeboards, including those found on classic properties around Kent, Surrey and Sussex, are known to be elaborately ornate and decorative.
Our traditional roofing specialists are ready to help – get a quote today.
The best roofing material available. If fitted correctly, lead sheet will outlast the building it is protecting.
We are able to undertake all leadwork including, chimney flashings, valley gutters and flat roofs to a LSA standards.
