Roofers and roof repairs in Dorking, RH4 and RH5Dorking and theVillages Under the Downs.
Dorking is the oldest town on our patch and it shows on the roofs: Georgian and Victorian in the centre, Edwardian and inter war up the hills, and the villages around it under handmade clay. Fifteen minutes from Leatherhead.
Over 25 years on local roofs
Free survey and written quote
24 hour emergency call out
CORC member 8125
Dorking’s roofs
Old Town, Hillsidesand the Villages.
High Street and West Street
Dorking is an old market town and its centre shows it. Along the High Street, West Street and South Street there are timber framed buildings, Georgian fronts and Victorian shops, many of them listed, under handmade clay, slate and in places Horsham stone. Parapet gutters and valleys hidden behind the fronts need someone who has worked on them before.
Rose Hill and the Slopes
The Victorian and Edwardian houses on the slopes around the centre, Rose Hill among them, are clay plain tile and slate at steep pitches, with gables, dormers and the lead that goes with them. On the higher ground they take the weather off the Downs, and ridges and verges show it first.
Horsham Stone and Handmade Clay
Some of Dorking's oldest roofs are covered in Horsham stone slabs, heavy and laid in diminishing courses, and many cottages have handmade clay tiles that vary in colour and shape. Neither can be matched off the shelf. Repairs use reclaimed material, and the timbers under a heavy stone roof are checked first.
Pixham, North Holmwood and the Estates
Around the edge of the town, Pixham, North Holmwood and the estates off the Reigate Road are mostly inter war and post war: semis and bungalows under clay and concrete tiles. Straightforward roofs, now on their first real round of repairs, with felt perishing under sound tiles.
Westcott, Brockham and Mickleham
The villages around Dorking, Westcott, Brockham, Mickleham and Westhumble among them, are cottages and larger period houses where keeping the old tile matters more than anywhere. Tile hanging on upper walls is common, and slipped hanging tiles let water into the timber frame behind.
Working in Mole Valley
Dorking is six miles down the A24 from Leatherhead. It is in Mole Valley, and the town centre and several villages are conservation areas with many listed buildings, where roof work is like for like and sometimes needs consent. The narrow streets in the centre need scaffold planned around deliveries and parking.
Flats Over the High Street
Many of the shops on Dorking's High Street, West Street and South Street have flats above and small flat roofed extensions behind. The front roofs are old and often listed; the back ones are later and usually felt. Leaks in the flats can come from either, and getting access over the back of a terrace takes planning.
What we are called to in Dorking
- Slate and lead on listed buildings in the centre
- Parapet gutters behind old shop fronts
- Horsham stone roofs needing re-fixing
- Handmade clay tiles cracked on village cottages
- Slipped tile hanging on upper walls
- Exposed ridges and verges on the hillsides
What we do in Dorking
Roofing and Roof Repairs,Across Dorking.
Roof Repairs in Dorking
Some of the oldest roofs on our patch are in Dorking. We repair what has failed, in matching materials, and leave the rest of a sound old roof untouched.
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Tiled Roofing in Dorking
Handmade clay on the cottages, machine made plain tiles on the Edwardian streets, concrete on the estates. We match each one and re-tile where battens have failed.
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Leadwork in Dorking
Parapet gutters, valleys, dormer cheeks and chimney flashings all rely on lead on Dorking's period roofs. It is shaped on site in the correct code and dressed to the old shapes.
Read moreAlso in DorkingRoofing Slate Roofing Flat Roofing New Roofs Chimney Repairs Fascias, Soffits & Guttering
Roof repairs in Dorking
What DorkingRoofs Ask of Us.
Six calls we get from Dorking and its villages over and over. Pick the closest to what you are seeing.
Likely cause
Behind the parapet of an old Dorking front there is often a lead lined channel nobody can see from the street. Silt and leaves fill it, the lead splits, and the top floor gets wet. Clearing it and putting in new lead fixes most of them.
Usually the job is
Leadwork in Dorking
Likely cause
Old handmade tiles hang on oak pegs or small nibs, and when the pegs rot the tiles slide. We refix them and fill gaps with reclaimed handmade tiles of the right colour, so the repair blends into the old roof.
Usually the job is
Tiled Roofing in Dorking
Likely cause
A dip in an old roof usually means a rafter, purlin or batten has given way under the weight, especially under Horsham stone. We look at the timbers from the loft first, then plan the repair before any covering is touched.
Usually the job is
Roof Repairs in Dorking
Likely cause
Tile hanging protects the wall behind it. When the nails or battens fail, tiles drop and rain reaches the timber or brick. We refix with new battens and matched tiles before the frame behind gets wet.
Usually the job is
Roof Repairs in Dorking
Likely cause
Higher houses take the full wind off the Downs, and the mortar under ridges and verges goes first. We re-bed or mechanically fix the ridge so it stays put, and check the verge tiles along the gable edge.
Usually the job is
Tiled Roofing in Dorking
Likely cause
Old stacks in Dorking were built with soft lime mortar and lead flashings that are now many decades old. We repoint in a mortar that suits the brick, renew the lead, and rebuild the top where needed.
Usually the job is
Chimney Repairs in Dorking
How it works
Down the A24to Your Roof.
Tell Us About the Building
Call 01372 540 258 or send a photo. Let us know if the building is listed or in the old centre, as that shapes how we plan it.
Look Before Anything Is Touched
We inspect the roof and the timbers under it, photograph the old details, and note anything that will need consent.
Priced in Writing
One written price, broken down. On listed buildings we set out what is like for like repair so you can check it with the council.
Careful Work, Like for Like
Scaffold planned around the street, old materials kept and reused where sound, and photographs of each stage.
“The team from Marley roofing specialist repaired guttering around property were excellent professional and extremely helpful would highly recommend”
Recent work
Roofs We HaveWorked On.
Clay tiled re roof
Period house
Hipped clay roof
Half round hips
Chimney flashing
Clay tiled roof
Tile hung dormer
Plain tiled roof
Dorking questions
QuestionsFrom Dorking.
Got a question about an old Dorking roof that is not answered here? Call 01372 540 258.
Do you work on listed buildings in Dorking?
Yes. Like for like repairs in matching slate, clay, stone and lead, which is what listed building consent usually asks for. If consent is needed, we say so before work starts.
Can you repair a Horsham stone roof?
Yes. Horsham stone is heavy and laid in courses that get smaller towards the ridge. We refix slipped stones, replace broken ones from reclaimed stock and check the timbers can still carry the weight.
Do you cover the villages around Dorking?
Yes: Westcott, Brockham, Mickleham, Westhumble, North Holmwood, Betchworth, Capel and out towards the Abinger side.
Can you match old handmade clay tiles?
Usually, from reclaimed stock. It takes longer than fitting a modern tile, but it is the only way the repair does not show on an old roof.
My tile hanging is coming off. Is that a roofing job?
Yes. Tile hanging is fixed the same way as a roof, on battens with nails. We refix it, replace broken tiles and make sure the wall behind is dry.
Is Dorking within your area?
About six miles down the A24 from our base by Leatherhead, so Dorking is firmly in our patch.
Do you work on flats above the shops in the centre?
Yes. We plan access with the owner or agent, look at both the front roof and the rear flat roofs, and repair whichever has failed in a material that suits the building.
Can you help after storm damage?
Yes. We make the roof safe, then repair it properly, and photograph the damage and the finished work. Those photographs go with the invoice and are useful for an insurance claim.
Can old roof timbers be repaired rather than replaced?
Often. Where a rafter or purlin has sagged or rotted at one end, it can be strengthened, which keeps the shape of an old roof. We look from the loft before deciding, and show you the photographs.
Nearby
Around Dorking,We Also Cover.
Dorking and its villages sit under the Downs, south of Leatherhead and west of Reigate. The diagram shows each town's postcodes.
A diagram of where we work, not a map. Positions are approximate.
Roofers in
Dorking
- Postcodes
- RH4, RH5
- Borough
- Mole Valley
- From our base
- 6 miles
Most asked for in Dorking
NearestRoofers in Leatherhead Roofers in Reigate Westcott · Brockham · Mickleham · Betchworth
Out in the villages and not listed? Call 01372 540 258 and we will tell you.
Free survey and quote
A Roof in Dorking?Talk to Us.
Tell us about the building and send a photo if you can. Listed shop front or village cottage, the survey and written quote are free.
- London
- 0203 507 1501
- Leatherhead
- 01372 540 258
- Reigate
- 01737 749202
- Mobile, 24 hours
- 07513 397 799