A guide to roof restoration

A damaged roof can soon become a bigger problem, causing roof leaks or allowing the wind to lift broken tiles or slates. Therefore, it is always best to restore the roof promptly to save yourself a bigger and more expensive repair job. This guide to roofing repairs will show you how to replace both a broken tile and a broken slate.

Replacing a broken tile

First, slide up the tiles that overlap the broken tile, tilt the broken tile sideways to separate it from the ones interlocked with it and lift it out. Alternatively, use wedges to raise the tile to the left of the broken one and the one to its right in the course above. This should release the broken tile so that you can lift it out without disturbing the neighbours.

Release the tile from the clip

If the tile is fixed in place, lever it upwards to release it from any clip that holds it to the batten. If the clip stays in place, the new tile may slip into it. If the clip is dislodged, there is no need to replace it - a few unclipped tiles won't matter. Sometimes, alternate courses are nailed in place. Use a slate ripper to cut the nails before you remove the tile.

Fit the new tile

To fit the replacement tile, slide it up into place. Fit it into the clip that was left behind, if there was one, but don't attempt to nail it down. Pull back into place any tile that you pushed out of place, and remove any wedges.

Replacing broken slates

Cut through the nails holding the slate, using a slate ripper. Jiggle the slate from side to side to ease it out. Take care to collect all the broken pieces in a bucket - they could seriously injure someone on the ground if they were to fall off the roof.

Nail the 'tingle'

Take a flexible metal strip - called a tingle - 25mm wide and long enough to reach the hole in the slate to its bottom, plus 100mm. Lead or zinc work well. Drill a nail hole 25mm from the end. Nail the tingle to the batten visible in the gap that the slate had been covering.

Slip in the new slate

Slip the new slate, with its bevelled edges upwards, under the course above. Wiggle it from left to right, while easing it upwards until it lines up with the slates on each side. Its top edge should fit tightly over the batten to which the course above is nailed.

Hold the slate in place

Fold the end of the metal strip over the lower edge of the slate, then back on itself and press it down flat. This will stop the slate from falling out of place since you cannot nail in a replacement.