Roof repairs that fix the cause, not the stain

What our repair service covers

• Slipped, cracked and missing tiles and slates replaced to match
• Ridge and hip tiles re-bedded in mortar or converted to a dry fixed system
• Lead flashings, aprons and valleys renewed, repointed and dressed tight
• Chimney stacks repointed, flaunching rebuilt and pots made safe
• Rotten rafters, joists and battens cut out and replaced
• Torn or perished felt replaced with breathable membrane
• Flat roof splits, blisters and failed upstands repaired
• Leaking and blocked gutters, joints and downpipes put right

Roof repairs start with finding where the water gets in

A damp patch on a bedroom ceiling is where the water lands, not where it gets in. Water runs along felt, battens and rafters before it drips, so a stain by the window can start at a cracked tile a metre up the slope or at a lead flashing on the chimney. Patch the wrong spot and you pay twice.

So every job starts the same way. We carry out a full assessment of the roof, follow the water back to the entry point and show you what we have found, with photographs where it helps. You see the fault before you agree to anything, and the quote names the repair, the materials and the timetable in writing.

The faults we fix most often

Most leaks come from a short list of failures. These are the ones we see week in, week out across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and North London.

Slipped, cracked and missing tiles

Nails rust, nibs snap and frost splits old concrete tiles. One gap is enough to let rain onto the felt. We slide in a matching tile or slate, fix it properly and check the courses either side, because one loose tile usually means its neighbours are on the move too.

Loose ridge and hip tiles

Mortar bedding dries out and cracks, and then the wind lifts the ridge. We re-bed the ridge or, where it suits the roof, fit a dry fixed system that is screwed down and needs no mortar at all. It is the part of the roof that takes the hardest weather, so it gets proper fixings.

Failed lead and flashings

Where the roof meets a wall or a chimney, lead keeps the water out. Old lead splits, the pointing that holds it falls out, or someone has used mastic instead. We renew aprons, stepped flashings and valleys in proper lead and repoint them into the brickwork.

Chimney stacks

Cracked flaunching, open joints and leaning pots all let water down inside the stack. We repoint, rebuild the flaunching, rebed or replace pots and renew the lead around the base, so the chimney stops feeding damp into the loft.

Rotten timbers and perished felt

When a roof has leaked for a while, battens and the ends of rafters go soft. We cut out and replace the rotten timber rather than covering it over. Where the old felt has perished, we lay breathable membrane in the area we open up, so the repair lasts as long as the rest of the roof.

Split and blistered flat roofs

Felt on extensions, garages and dormers cracks at the edges, blisters in the sun and lets water in around upstands and roof lights. Where the deck underneath is sound, we cut out the failed area and patch it properly. Where the deck has gone soft, we tell you, because a patch on a wet deck will not last.

Gutters and downpipes

A blocked or leaking gutter soaks the fascia and the top of the wall, and over time it rots the rafter ends behind it. We clear, rejoin or replace the run and make sure the water goes where it should.

Repair or replace? A straight answer

Most roofs need a repair, not a new roof, and that is what we quote when a repair will hold. If the tiles are breaking up across the whole slope, the felt has gone to dust or the same roof has been patched every winter, a repair is money spent on borrowed time. In that case we show you why, price both options, and lets you decide with the evidence in front of you.

There is no pressure either way. The quote is free, it carries no obligation, and we will beat any written quote for the same work. If you already have a price from another roofer, send it over and we will look at it like for like.

Emergency roof repairs when water is coming in

Storm damage does not wait for a convenient day. If tiles are on the drive or water is coming through the ceiling, ring 01582 807949 and tell us what you can see. We make the roof safe and watertight first, then price the permanent repair properly once we can see the full extent of the damage.

For bigger jobs that need access, we arrange scaffolding fast. One TrustATrader customer wrote that we attended within 24 hours and had emergency scaffolding up within a further 48. See our emergency roof repairs page for what happens on a call-out.

Every repair comes with a 20 year written guarantee

All work is backed with a 20 year written guarantee, and that includes repairs, not just new roofs. You get the guarantee in writing when the job is signed off. If anything we did lets you down inside those 20 years, you ring the same number and we come back and put it right.

We are fully insured, we carry out a risk assessment before every job, and we have over 25 years' experience behind us. Doyle Homes is a family business, so the person who quotes your repair is the person responsible for it afterwards. Read what customers say on our reviews page, or see the details of our 20 year guarantee.

Roof repairs near you

We are based at 59 Union Street in Dunstable and carry out roof repairs across the whole area, including roof repairs in Luton, St Albans, Watford, Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead and North London. Not sure if we reach your street? Put your postcode into the form and we will tell you straight away.

Signs your roof needs a repair

• A damp patch or brown stain on a ceiling after heavy rain
• Daylight showing through the roof from inside the loft
• Pieces of tile, slate or mortar in the garden or on the drive
• A ridge line that has gaps, wobbles or missing mortar
• Lead around the chimney that has lifted, split or come away from the brickwork
• Gutters overflowing in one spot, or water running down the outside wall