Areas we cover · Based in Tenterden
Slate Roofing in Kent
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian houses needs a different eye to clay or concrete tile.
Slate Roofing in Kent
Slate roofs went onto a lot of Kent's Victorian and Edwardian housing, and most of them are still going today, decades after the nails holding the slates in place should have failed. That's the usual problem: the slate itself is often sound, but the nails have rusted through, so slates slip or slide out one by one.
We repair slate roofs slate by slate where that's enough, and re-slate fully when nail sickness is widespread. We work with reclaimed slate where matching old stock matters, or good quality new Welsh slate where that's the better option, always paired with correctly laid lead valleys and flashings.
Slate appears heavily on Victorian terraces and villas in towns like Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells and parts of Ashford, as well as on individual period houses scattered through the Weald. Valleys, hips and chimney junctions on slate roofs are usually finished in lead, which ages differently to the slate around it.
Local knowledge
Common slate roof issues
01
Nail sickness
Rusted fixing nails let slates slip even though the slate itself is fine. Patching buys time, but widespread nail sickness points to re-slating.
02
Cracked or slipped slates
Impact damage or slipped slates are usually a straightforward repair if caught before water gets behind them.
03
Lead valleys on slate roofs
Valleys carry a lot of water on a slate roof. We check and renew lead here as part of most slate repairs.
Services
What we do in Kent.
From the trade
Common questions
Why do slates keep slipping even though they look fine?
It's usually the fixing nails that have failed, not the slate itself. That's a sign the roof may need re-slating rather than repeated patch repairs.
Can you source reclaimed slate to match an old roof?
Yes, reclaimed slate is often the right choice where matching the existing roof matters, particularly in conservation areas.
Do you replace the lead valleys when re-slating?
Normally, yes. It makes sense to renew lead valleys and flashings at the same time rather than reuse worn ones.
Nearby areas
- Roofers Tenterden
- Roofers Small Hythe
- Roofers Rolvenden
- Roofers High Halden
- Roofers Smarden
- Roofers Rolvenden Layne
- Roofers in Kent
- Chimney repairs in Kent
- Flat roof repairs in Kent
- Roof repairs in Kent
- Leadwork in Kent
- Chimney rebuilding in Kent
- Emergency Roofers in Kent
- Local Roofers in Kent
- Roofing in Kent
- Roofing Contractors in Kent
- Re-Roofing in Kent
- Fascias, Soffits & Guttering in Kent
- Peg Tile Roofing in Kent
- Garage Roofs in Kent
- Re-Roofing in Tenterden
- Re-Roofing in Ashford
- Re-Roofing in Cranbrook
- Re-Roofing in Tunbridge Wells
Free, no-obligation quotation
Need a roofer in Kent?
Whether it's a leaking roof, an ageing flat roof, a damaged chimney, failing leadwork or a brick wall that needs rebuilding, speak directly to an experienced local contractor.
Just straightforward advice from people who know the trade.