Five roof problems to check for before winter, from slipped tiles to loft staining, as Cole Roofing takes on more repair work in Witney and West Oxfordshire.

A small leak in a ceiling is rarely just a small leak, according to the roofer who is now taking on more work in Witney and West Oxfordshire.

Charlie Taylor runs Cole Roofing, an independent roofing business that has built its trade across Worcestershire, around Evesham, Pershore and Worcester. The firm is now expanding its repair and maintenance work into this district, and with the weather about to turn, Charlie has set out what homeowners here should check on their own roofs before winter.

Five things to check before winter

“Going into autumn and winter, I would recommend homeowners check for slipped or broken tiles, loose ridge tiles, deteriorating chimney mortar, blocked or leaking guttering and any signs of damp or staining inside the loft or ceilings,” Charlie said. “Catching these problems early can often prevent considerably more damage later.”

As a list to take outside, and up into the loft:

  • Slipped or broken tiles.
  • Loose ridge tiles along the top of the roof.
  • Chimney mortar that is deteriorating.
  • Guttering that is blocked or leaking.
  • Damp or staining inside the loft or on ceilings.
Broken and displaced tiles along the edge of a roof above a white fascia board, with a ladder against the brick wall below
Roof condition identified before repair work by Cole Roofing: broken and displaced tiles along the edge of a roof. Photo: Charlie Taylor / Cole Roofing

Finding the cause, not patching the symptom

Charlie says the part of the job he concentrates on is working out why a roof is letting water in before anything is repaired.

“One thing I try to concentrate on is identifying the actual cause of a roof problem rather than simply carrying out a temporary repair,” he said. “A small leak can often be caused by failed leadwork, damaged felt or membrane, broken tiles, deteriorated mortar or problems around a chimney or valley.”

Chimneys come up often in that list. The photographs Charlie sent from recent Cole Roofing jobs include two stacks, as found on inspection before repair: one with crumbling brick and worn mortar just below its concrete cap, and another thick with lichen, with a TV aerial strapped to its side.

Crumbling brick and worn mortar just below the concrete cap of a chimney stack
Deteriorated chimney brickwork and mortar identified during inspection before repair. Photo: Charlie Taylor / Cole Roofing
A brick chimney stack covered in yellow and green lichen, with a TV aerial pole strapped to its side
Chimney condition before remedial work by Cole Roofing: a lichen-covered stack with a TV aerial strapped to it. Photo: Charlie Taylor / Cole Roofing

The work Cole Roofing does

The firm says it undertakes all types of roofing work, but that most of its jobs fall into a familiar set:

  • finding and repairing leaking roofs
  • replacing damaged tiles
  • EPDM rubber flat roofing
  • chimney repairs and repointing
  • leadwork
  • dry ridge and dry verge systems
  • fascias, soffits and guttering

It also takes on larger projects, including complete flat roof replacements and more extensive roof repairs.

Three of the photographs show ridge work: old ridge tiles furred with lichen, an earlier ridge repair by someone else that Cole Roofing found and took off, and the new ridge line Cole Roofing then fitted along the length of a roof, each tile clipped down.

Old ridge tiles covered in yellow lichen along the top of a concrete tiled roof, with houses across the road behind
Existing ridge tiles before replacement. Photo: Charlie Taylor / Cole Roofing
Three ridge tiles from an earlier repair beside an old lichen-covered ridge tile, with a cut sliver of tile between them and spare tiles stacked on the roof
Previous ridge installation found before remedial work. Cole Roofing removed the incorrectly installed ridge work and then installed a new ridge line throughout. Photo: Charlie Taylor / Cole Roofing

Quotes and contact

Cole Roofing gives free quotations and says it is happy to look at anything from a small roof repair to a larger roofing project. It covers Witney and West Oxfordshire as well as Evesham, Pershore, Worcester and the surrounding areas.

For other home costs in the district, see our pages on Witney council tax bands and bin collection days.

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