New Roofs Chelsea

• Sloane Square & The Cadogan Estate (SW3): Monumental red-brick mansions and townhouses featuring steep slate mansard roofs. Re-roofing here requires uncompromising heritage compliance: genuine Welsh SVT slate, highly intricate Code 5 lead dormer cladding, and precise mortar-bedded ridge detailing.

• Chelsea Embankment & Cheyne Walk (SW3): Historic riverside properties demanding extreme weatherproofing. We specialize in structural rafter reinforcement, heavy-duty counter-battening to resist river wind shear, and complete lead parapet reconstructions.

• King’s Road Terraces & The Boltons Fringe (SW10): Densely packed Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Re-roofing focuses heavily on "butterfly" V-shaped central roof valleys, party-wall firewall rebuilds, and high-performance breathable membrane underlays.

• Chelsea Mews Properties (SW3, SW10): Historic converted stables requiring small-format clay tiles or natural slate, specialized bridging scaffolding, and meticulous logistics to manage tight access restrictions.

Mansard Roof & Dormer Window Restorations

The mansard roof—featuring a very steep lower slope and a shallower upper pitch—is the defining roof structure of Chelsea architecture. These roofs are highly complex, punctuated by multiple protruding dormer windows. A successful mansard replacement relies more on expert leadwork than slate laying. Our in-house lead craftsmen hand-boss Code 5 and Code 6 milled lead to clad the dormer cheeks, create watertight aprons, and seal the crucial pitch transition lines, ensuring zero water ingress even in driving horizontal rain.

Strict RBKC Heritage & Conservation Compliance

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea tightly controls aesthetic changes to its historic housing stock. Replacing original natural slates with modern synthetic alternatives will trigger aggressive enforcement action. We act as your heritage roofing partners. We source only authentic, locally approved materials—such as Welsh Penrhyn slate or Grade-A Spanish slate—and utilize traditional techniques, ensuring your new roof effortlessly passes local authority scrutiny while adding decades of value to your asset.

Rebuilding Victorian Butterfly Valleys

Many of the terraced homes off King’s Road utilize a "butterfly" roof design, where two inward-sloping roof sections drain into a massive, hidden central valley gutter. Over a century, the timber decking beneath the central lead trough often rots away due to unseen micro-leaks. During a full re-roof, we completely strip the valley, rebuild the structural timber decking, reconstruct the masonry firebreaks along the party walls, and lay continuous, heavy-duty lead liners to bulletproof the core of your home.

Executing a major roof replacement in the densely populated, heavily regulated streets of Chelsea requires flawless project management. We have abandoned standard roofing practices in favor of a specialized 5-stage protocol:

Stage 1: Logistics, Scaffolding & Licensing

Street parking and pavement space in SW3 are highly restricted. We handle all the bureaucracy. We liaise with RBKC to secure scaffolding permits, arrange necessary parking bay suspensions for skips, and erect highly secure, alarmed scaffolding to protect your property.

Stage 2: Systematic Deconstruction & Timber Mapping

We strip the roof in carefully controlled, weather-monitored sections. Old slates, toxic lead, and brittle bitumen felt are removed. We then map the structural integrity of the exposed rafters, wall plates, and valley beams, cutting out and sistering any timber affected by historic wet rot.

Stage 3: Thermal Upgrades & Weatherproofing (Part L)

To comply with current Building Regulations (Part L), we upgrade your roof’s thermal efficiency by installing high-density PIR insulation boards or deep quilt insulation. We then seal the structure using a high-performance, vapour-permeable breathable membrane and BS5534-graded treated battens.

Stage 4: Heritage Slate Installation & Master Leadcraft

Premium natural slates are individually graded and precision-laid using corrosion-proof copper fixings. Simultaneously, our lead specialists hand-dress custom flashings around your chimneys, parapet walls, and dormer windows, creating an impenetrable metal seal.

Stage 5: Site Demobilization & Guarantee Handover

Upon completion, the site is immaculately cleared of all debris. The scaffolding is dismantled rapidly to restore the aesthetic of your home, and your 25-year CORC insurance-backed guarantee certificate is formally issued.

Will you handle the scaffolding permits and parking suspensions with RBKC?

Yes. We understand that logistics in Chelsea can be a nightmare. Our management team handles all liaison with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea regarding pavement licenses, scaffold alarms, and skip parking suspensions.

Do I need planning permission for a new roof in a Chelsea Conservation Area?

If you are performing a like-for-like replacement using authentic materials, it generally falls under permitted maintenance. However, because Chelsea is heavily conserved, material approvals are often required. We provide all necessary material specifications (slate samples, lead grades) to satisfy heritage officers.

What happens if rain falls while my roof is exposed?

We operate a strict "watertight daily" policy. We only strip sections of the roof that we can fully seal with heavy-duty, waterproof breathable membrane by the end of the working day, ensuring your luxury interiors remain completely secure.

Are your on-site roof surveys in Chelsea completely free?

Yes. John Quilligan will visit your property in SW3 or SW10 in person, discreetly inspect the roof structure, loft timbers, and exterior masonry, and provide a clear, itemized written estimate with zero call-out charges.