Slate Roofing in Birmingham
We repair and re-slate natural slate roofs on Birmingham's Victorian and Edwardian houses.
- Quotes in writing
- 17 areas covered
Birmingham Roof Pros repairs and replaces slate roofs on homes across Birmingham. We re-fix slipped slates, swap broken ones, and strip and re-slate roofs where too many have failed. We save the sound old slates wherever we can.
Why slate roofs are worth keeping
Historic England says slates can last longer than any other roof covering before they need repair. It says that once railways and canals spread in the 19th century, Welsh and Cumbrian slate could be sent all over the country.
Birmingham City Council's Bournville design guide says problems with slate are usually down to rotten fixing nails or wooden battens, and that the slate itself can usually be used again.
Nail sickness and slipped slates
Historic England says nail sickness is where the nail heads begin to decay. Weather makes the nail holes bigger, and the slates start to slip. It says this does not mean you need a whole new roof.
For a few slipped slates, we re-fix them with tingles. A tingle is a small strip of lead, copper or zinc, and Historic England says these are useful for holding the odd slate back in place. We hook the slate onto the tingle and fold the end up so it can't slide down.
When to re-slate the whole roof
Historic England says that once a number of slates start to fail, it makes sense to strip the whole roof. It says that with care, a high share of the old slates can often be used again, with new slates making up the rest.
When we re-slate, we take each slate off by hand, sort out the good ones and stack them. We then fit new felt and battens and nail the slates back with new nails. We put the old slates on the front slope where they show most, and fill in at the back with new or reclaimed slate that matches.
Slate roofs in Moseley and Bournville
Parts of the Moseley Conservation Area are covered by an Article 4(2) Direction. The council's advice guide says this is an extra rule that means you need planning permission for changes that can be seen from the street or another public place. On those houses, it says any change to the roof needs planning permission, including changing the slates or tiles.
The Moseley guide says only natural slate or plain clay tiles should be used to repair or replace these roofs. It asks for as many old slates as possible to be used again, with any missing ones replaced by matching reclaimed slate.
In Bournville, the design guide says man-made slates are not acceptable on front slopes, or on any slope you can see from the street or public open space. If you live in either area, tell us at the start, and we'll price for natural slate so the job fits the rules.
Questions about slate roofing in Birmingham
Can I replace my slate roof with tiles?
You can, but it needs checking first. The Planning Portal says changing a roof from slate to tiles is likely to need building regulations approval.
What if my house is listed?
Historic England says you will need consent to change the type of roof covering on a listed house. Like-for-like repairs with matching slate are what we'd normally quote for. We'd ask you to check with the council before any change of material.
Can you mix new slates with my old ones?
Yes, we can. We match new or reclaimed slate to the size, thickness and colour of your old ones, then put the old slates where they show most.
Do you work on slate-hung walls?
Yes, we can repair slate hung on walls as well as roofs. We fix it the same way, on battens, with matching slate.
Can you fix slates on a bay window or dormer?
Yes, we can. We re-fix slipped slates on bays and dormers with tingles, and replace broken ones with matching slate.
Do you work on other roof coverings?
Yes, we also work on tiled roofs and flat roofs. If your slate roof needs replacing in full, see our roof replacement page for how a full re-roof works.
Get a quote for slate roofing
Send the quote form with your postcode and a line about the roof, such as slipped slates over the bay. We'll come and look, then give you a written quote. To see the other roofing work we do, go to the Birmingham Roof Pros home page.
Ready to talk about your roofing job?
Send the quote form with your postcode and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.