Location: Fulham, South West London (SW6)
Project Overview
First Rate Roofing Ltd was commissioned to undertake a complete slate roof replacement on a period Victorian property in Fulham. The property featured a complex, multi-pitched roof design with a front decorative gables, a central valley junction, high parapet walls, and multiple chimney stacks.
The Problem
The original slate roof had reached the end of its functional life and exhibited severe structural decay:
- Severe Nail Sickness & Slipping Slates: Decades of exposure caused the original fixing nails to corrode, leading to loose, misaligned, and sliding slates across the main pitch and rear slopes.
- Perished Underlay & Water Ingress: The original bitumen felt underlay had deteriorated, allowing rainwater to penetrate through to the roof timbers and interior ceiling spaces.
- Weathered Leadwork & Parapets: The lead flashings around the chimney stacks and valley junctions were thin, cracked, and causing persistent leaks along shared party walls.
Work Carried Out
- Scaffolding & Site Setup: Full perimeter scaffolding and high-level working platforms were erected around the property to ensure safe access for our six-man trade crew.
- Complete Strip-Down & Timber Inspection: The old slates, rotten battens, and degraded felt were completely stripped back to the bare rafter framework. All structural timbers were inspected for rot, with compromised rafters sistered and reinforced.
- High-Performance Breathable Membrane & Battening: A tear-resistant, vapour-permeable breathable membrane was installed across all roof slopes, topped with factory-graded, counter-battened BS5534 treated timber battens.
- Precision Natural Slate Laying: Premium Grade-A natural slates were precision-cut and laid to exact gauge lines using copper fixings across the main pitches, front gable feature, and rear extension slopes.
- Custom Leadwork & Chimney Flashing: New Code 5 milled lead was hand-bossed on-site to create watertight lead valleys, back gutters, and step flashings around both brick chimney stacks.
- Skylight & Ridge Integration: The existing roof window was neatly integrated with fresh lead flashing kits, and red terracotta ridge tiles were secured along the gable and hip lines to preserve the character of the streetscape.
Materials Used
- Natural Slate: Premium Grade-A natural roofing slates.
- Underlayment: Heavy-duty, vapour-permeable breathable membrane.
- Battens: BS5534 factory-treated 25x50mm roofing battens.
- Leadwork: Code 4 & Code 5 milled lead sheet for valleys, step flashings, and chimney aprons.
- Ridge Detailing: Terracotta clay ridge tiles and mechanical dry/mortar-bedded fixings.
- Fixings: Copper slate nails and stainless steel timber anchors.
Final Result
The completed project restored full structural integrity and weatherproofing to this Fulham home. The combination of fresh natural slate, precision leadwork, and period-matched terracotta ridge details provided a clean finish that enhances the property’s kerb appeal while ensuring 75+ years of operational durability.
