Repairs here have to be specified for that. A fix that would last twenty years in the Blackmore Vale can be undone in two winters on the seafront if the fixings and the detailing are not right.
The failures we see most
- Slate sliding on corroded nails on Georgian and Victorian seafront terraces
- Ridge and verge mortar cracked out on south-facing slopes
- Lead flashing lifted and fatigued at parapets and abutments
- Parapet and box gutters behind the seafront frontages, blocked or split
- Wind-driven rain forced back up the lap on shallow-pitched slopes
- Rusted valley linings and eaves felt perished by salt
Parapets and box gutters on the Esplanade
The tall terraces facing the bay hide their gutters behind parapet walls. When one blocks or the lining splits, the water has nowhere to overflow to except inwards, and it typically shows up as damp high in a top-floor room rather than as a drip.
These are proper leadwork jobs, not sealant jobs. We renew linings to the right code, form the outlets and upstands correctly, and make sure the gutter can actually be cleared in future.
Portland stone and traditional coverings
Around Portland, Wyke Regis and the older parts of town there is stone slate and heavy natural slate laid in diminishing courses. It cannot be repaired with whatever tile is nearest in size — headlap and course sizing matter, and a modern substitute both looks wrong and performs worse.
We salvage sound material from the roof where we can and source reclaimed slate where we cannot.
Holiday lets and turnaround pressure
A leak in a let property is a booking problem as well as a building problem. We can discuss access around changeover dates, make the roof safer and limit water entry where conditions allow, then plan any permanent repair.
