How old is your roof?!

[Beach1983]

We have just moved into a 1930’s property and we knew from the survey that that the roof needed attention “close to the end of its life” according to survey. However it’s not leaking and have been advised to repair broken and slipped tiles and should be ok for a while yet. I’m so paranoid every time it rains (always lived in new builds!) but there is no money for roof replacement at the moment, how old is your roof and is it still going strong? Hoping we have another few years left so we can save to replace it!

Our house was 80 years old when we bought it and we were told the same. We had it replaced last summer - 13 years later - whilst having a loft coversion. Old one was holding up fine and I'm sure would have done a few more years but made sense (and most cost effective) to have done same time as loft.

We replaced the whole roof so 5 years. We matched the clay tiles and it looks brilliant and in keeping with the street.

I think to go up and do work for tile slips and leaks will end up costing a lot just to get the scaffold up each time.

@arghtriffid Roofer has been and told he can use a roof ladder to repair and doesn’t need a scaffold 👍🏻

@HowCanIPayItForward Wow! That’s our plan with the loft too so another reason tell wait as no point doing roof only to do the loft in a few years! 13 years is great!

We moved into a 1908 house 2 years ago and they’d just had roof replaced (£30k). Semi detached and neighbour’s is still original roof. There are tiles slipping on his now….

They can use ladders but it isn't that ethical to let someone go at height to work these days.

Ours is 1920s op and we're replacing it now. We moved in in the summer and the roof was flagged up on the survery. The batons and roof beams would get wet in the rain and we noticed patches of black mould after heavy rain so we took that as a sign it needed doing. What we have been able to do is re use our current slates, you might be able to also, they're taking them all off then putting us a roof felt liner on, new wooden Battons then the slates are going back on.

I've just had our slate roof replaced. We think it was 1950s.

I was told the roof was 'close to end of life' 10 years ago, and it was fine, with the occasional repair, until last summer when it started to shed slates regularly. That gave me time to save up.

Our house is detached, a simple rectangle in shape, and 20' x 35'. The roof is pitched, with two chimney stacks and decorative ridge tiles.

We had the house scaffolded, the roof stripped back to the rafters, a new roof liner installed, and new battens. A team of one skilled roofer plus one or sometimes two apprentices stripped all the old slates off and sorted the old slates that were in good condition. Then reslated with new slates on the back of the house, the colder east-facing side, and the old slates on the front which is visible from the road.

Reflashed the chimneys with lead, and replaced five damaged ridge tiles. Then took away all the old slates and cleared up.

It took about two weeks and cost £20,000. We're in the home counties. The roofer was recommended by a builder friend. I got the quote in October 2021 and they started in April 22.

The end result is beautiful, and the new roof liner makes the whole upper floor warmer. Reroofing disturbs 70 years of dust, so when you have a new roof, expect extra hoovering for a few weeks afterwards.

Our house was built late 60’s and it still has the original roof as does most of the houses on our estate apart from ones that have been extended. Replaced a slipped tile after a storm a few years ago but that’s it

My last house had the original roof on ( 1900). It’s was a bit worse for wear. We replaced all the flashing, rebuilt chimney, and replaced any tiles that were crumbling with ones off next doors roof when they where having it retiled, we lived there 20years with no problems, it’s still got the same roof on now and looks fine ….. thats 122 years and counting.

I don’t think many roofers/builders are going to change a few tiles and be bothered about ethics 🙄.

Ours is also a 1930s house that had the roof ‘bearing the end of its life’ on the survey but we’ve been there 6 years and it’s never leaked. We’re aware it will have to be be done at some point but it isn’t top of the priorities list! None of the other houses in our row have had theirs done yet.

We bought a 1930s semi 14 years ago with an original roof that needed replacing. We got it done this summer!

In my experience surveyors always say ‘near the end of its life’ for any roof over 50 years old. We redid ours after 180 years (stone) the others were fine with care and maintenance for 75 and 150 years (slate).

I believe mine was still the original roof from the 1880s, it was in such a shit state... but might have been 1940s. Anyway, I finally got it properly redone in 2016. I would save hard to get the roof redone when you can, I think it is saving me in energy costs. Having said that, it probably could have limped on with some basic repairs for some time.

Slate roof on semi from around 1900, original roof, had 1 very small leak in 20 years, no plans to replace

My first house was 1930's with a slate roof and no underfelt. At the time it was about 50-years old and did need attention (although it didn't actually leak). Sold in 1990 without spending anything on it.
Next house was 1970's with concrete tiles and felt. Sold last year and apart from having a few ridge tiles relaid and the felt along the facia replaced it was fault free.
M&D bought their house new in 1955 and I remember them having it re-roofed in about 1990. New felt, battens and some new tiles (90% of the old ones could be reused). Sold earlier this year but some ridge tiles were going to need looking at again.
My sister bought her house new in 1985 and they are about to have it re-roofed (new felt, battens & tiles).

Going by all that I would say that 30-40 years is an average lifespan.
We have recently bought a newbuild (with what I believe is called a dry-ridge?) so hopefully the roof will see us out. 😁

About a third of our roof is 160 years old, the rest was replaced in the 1940s after the German Airforce took exception to it. That said we have replaced a few tiles lost to high winds and the barge/facia boards have been restored and repaired where necessary but the roof itself is sound.

Ours (1930s) was replaced in 2000 as we could see daylight through the tiles and the felt had perished. We believe it was the original roof because the roofer said the previous owner only had it patched.
We extended in 2004 and asked the builder to reuse the tiles.

1912 house. Original rosemary tile roof. Told it was near end of life 20 years ago and it’s ok. Had some ridge tiles replaced and recemented in a couple of years ago when having other work done and the roofer just worked off ladder extensions from the scaffolding. Had more trouble with damp on chimneys to be honest - removed one and re rendered two.

House was built in 1950s and only two tiles have been replaced. Its still doing its job and there are no leaks so no plans to replace.

1930s house. We were told it needed replacing on survey. Uncle who is a roofer told us it didn’t at all as nothing wrong with it. Been in 5 years and not touched it apart from gutters cleaning.

Surveyors have to find something to say, so they pick on something fairly old (like the roof or the wiring) and tell you that it is reaching the end of its life and needs replacing.

This house was about 25 years old when we bought it, and the surveyor said it needed rewiring. As if.

This depends on what your surveyor saw. My neighbours 20's house has many spalled tiles, some hanging by 1 or 2cm that he cannot see. Periodically bits break off and land in my garden. His ridge tiles are loose too but held in place by the metal curly thing at the end. I do wonder what a strong winter wind might do? If you want to do a loft, I'd keep getting the patch repairs done & keep your fingers crossed a hole doesn't open up in a storm. Doing it at the same time as a loft job sounds sensible. Everything's so £££ these days..