Slate roofing · Exeter & East Devon
Slate roof repairs in Exeter
Welsh slate outlasts the nails that hold it. On a century-old Exeter terrace the slate is usually still sound — it is the fixings that have gone, and that changes what the right repair is.
Welsh slate is the dominant roofing material across Exeter's Victorian and Edwardian housing — the terraces of St James, Mount Pleasant, Heavitree, Polsloe and the streets around the university are almost all slate. Much of it is original, which means it has been on the building for a hundred years or more and is now at the point where the question is no longer whether it needs attention but which kind.
Slate, or the fixings?
This is the distinction that decides the money. Natural slate has an extremely long service life — far longer than the nails used to fix it. When slates start slipping on an Exeter terrace, the usual cause is corroded fixings rather than failed slate. That means:
- A few slipped slates on an otherwise sound slope is a repair, and a cheap one
- Slates slipping repeatedly in different places on the same slope means nail fatigue has spread
- Once it is widespread, spot repairs are a way of paying for the same job several times over
- At that point the economical answer is to strip, re-fix with new nails and new membrane, and re-lay the sound slate
What we look for
Nail fatigue across a slope
Multiple slipped slates in different positions, tingles from previous repairs, and slate that lifts freely when checked — the markers that individual repairs have stopped being worthwhile.
Delamination
Slate splitting into layers at the exposed edge, usually on the weather-facing pitch. Unlike nail fatigue this is the slate itself failing, and affected slates have to be replaced.
Valley and abutment detail
Lead valleys between slopes and the lead where slate meets a chimney or parapet. On terraces these fail before the field of the roof does.
What we do
- Individual slate replacement using reclaimed Welsh slate matched to the original
- Slope-by-slope assessment of nail fatigue, with an honest read on how long spot repairs will hold
- Lead valley and abutment renewal
- Re-bedding and re-pointing ridge and hip slates
- Strip, re-fix and re-lay using your own sound slate where a full slope has reached the end
- Dry verge and mortar verge repair on gable ends
What you get
- A straight answer on repair versus re-fix, including when we think repairs are throwing money away
- Reclaimed slate matched to the original rather than a modern substitute on a period building
- Photographs from the scaffold of what the slope actually looks like up close
- Written workmanship guarantee with the terms set out in the quote
Roof repairs · Full roof replacement · Listed building roofing · Conservation area roofing
Frequently asked
What is nail fatigue and why does it matter?
The iron or steel nails fixing original Welsh slate corrode over a century until they fail. The slate itself is often perfectly good. Once nail fatigue is widespread, slates start slipping in numbers across a whole slope, and replacing them individually becomes a losing battle — the next one goes as soon as you have fixed the last.
Can you match my existing slate?
In most cases yes. Reclaimed Welsh slate is available in the common sizes and weathers to match the original far better than new slate does. Matching is easier on a rear slope where a small colour difference does not show from the street.
What is a tingle and should I be worried about them?
A tingle is a metal clip used to hold a replacement slate where the nail hole cannot be reused. A few are normal and perfectly sound. A roof covered in them is telling you that slipping has been going on for years and that nail fatigue is widespread.
Is it worth re-using my old slate on a reroof?
Often, yes. Sound reclaimed slate off your own roof can be re-laid with new fixings and new membrane underneath, which saves material cost and keeps the building's appearance. We sort and assess it during the strip and tell you what percentage is re-usable.
How much do slate repairs cost in Exeter?
Individual slate replacement on a terrace typically runs £200–£450 per visit, depending on access and how many slates are involved. Scaffold, where it is needed, is the largest single variable.
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