Can you match my existing roof tiles?

Usually. Most common concrete and clay profiles are still manufactured, and reclaimed tiles are available for discontinued patterns. Colour on older tiles will have weathered, so new tiles can look brighter until they settle.

Why do my ridge tiles keep coming loose?

Because sand-and-cement bedding cracks with thermal movement and wind, and once cracked it lets water in and loses grip. A dry-fix ridge system mechanically fixes each tile and is ventilated.

Should I remove moss from my roof?

Heavy moss holds moisture against the tile and blocks gutters and valleys, so removal is worthwhile — but it should be done by hand or with low pressure, never with a pressure washer.

Can concrete tiles be laid on any roof?

Not always. Concrete tiles are heavier than slate, so the existing roof structure must be checked before switching covering types.

Roofing service

Tiled Roofing in Carlisle and Cumbria

Tiled roofing covers clay and concrete tiles — plain, pantile and interlocking profiles — laid over breathable membrane and treated battens. It is the most common covering on Cumbrian post-war housing and is repaired or renewed profile by profile.

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Roofer bedding a new ridge tile on a clay and concrete tiled pitched roof in Cumbria under a grey drizzly sky

Tiled Roofing in Carlisle and across Cumbria

Concrete and clay tiles cover most housing built in Cumbria from the 1930s onwards. They are durable, straightforward to repair and available in profiles that can usually be matched to an existing roof — but the tile is rarely the part that fails first.

What fails is the mortar at the ridge and verge, the clips at the perimeter where wind uplift is greatest, the underlay beneath, and the leadwork around chimneys and abutments. A well-specified tiled roof deals with all four.

When to call us

Cracked, spalling or porous tiles after years of frost
Ridge and hip tiles loose where mortar has failed
Verge mortar cracked and falling away at the gable
Tiles lifted or displaced by wind at the perimeter
Slipped tiles where nibs have broken
Underlay torn or perished, visible from the loft
Moss build-up holding water against the tile surface
Mismatched tiles from previous repairs

How we approach it

Straightforward matching

Most common profiles remain available, so repairs can be made without the roof looking patched.

Cost-effective full renewal

Concrete tile is an economical covering for a full reroof on estate housing while still giving decades of service.

Wind resistance where it matters

Perimeter clipping and dry-fix verge and ridge address the exact places wind lifts a tiled roof.

Low maintenance

With mechanically fixed details and clear gutters, a modern tiled roof needs very little routine attention.

What happens, step by step

1. Identify the tile
Profile, manufacturer and size are identified so repairs match and any replacement tiles are correctly specified.
2. Inspect the details
Ridge, hip, verge, valley, abutments and the underlay are assessed, as these fail long before the tile itself.
3. Quotation and options
You are given the choice between targeted repair, renewal of the failed details, or a full retile, with the reasoning for each.
4. Carry out the work
Repairs or full retile completed with correct batten gauge, fixing pattern and perimeter clipping for the exposure.
5. Finish and check
Ridge and verge finished with dry-fix systems where appropriate, gutters cleared, and the finished work photographed.

Properties we work on

1930s–1970s semi-detached and terraced housing
Modern estate housing across Carlisle and the market towns
Bungalows and dormer bungalows
Garages, porches and extensions
Rural properties with pantile roofs
Small commercial and light industrial buildings

Materials and systems we use

Concrete interlocking tiles: Fast to lay and economical, with profiles matching most post-war Cumbrian housing.
Clay plain tiles: Small-format tiles that weather attractively and suit period and rural properties, laid double lap.
Clay pantiles: Traditional single-lap profile common on rural buildings and popular for its shadow line.
Dry-fix ridge, hip and verge: Mechanically fixed systems replacing mortar bedding at the most wind-exposed parts of the roof.
Tile clips and nails: Perimeter and general fixing specified to resist wind uplift at your site rather than to a minimum.

Mistakes and shortcuts to avoid

Repointing a failed ridge again

Rebedding in mortar repeats the failure. Converting to dry-fix ridge and verge is usually the better long-term decision.

Pressure washing tiles

High-pressure washing strips the surface of concrete tiles and shortens their life considerably. Moss should be removed carefully by hand.

Unclipped perimeter tiles

Eaves, verge and ridge courses take the greatest uplift and must be mechanically fixed, not just laid.

Ignoring torn underlay

Underlay is the roof's second line of defence. Once it has perished, wind-driven rain and snow reach the ceiling.

Tiled Roofing: common questions

Where we carry out this work

We are based in Carlisle and cover the city, the wider county and across the border into South West Scotland.

Roof Problems & Warning SignsWhat a failing roof actually looks like from the ground, from the loft and from above — and what each sign can and cannot tell you.