Mechanically fixed verge and ridge units give Mablethorpe bungalows and chalet-style homes a tidy roof edge that does not depend on mortar surviving the salty North Sea wind.
Stand on the front at Mablethorpe on a blustery day and you can taste the salt in the air. That wind and moisture is hard on anything bedded in mortar, which is why more owners here ask about dry verge systems. Instead of a mortar bed along the gable edge, a dry system uses purpose-made units that are screwed or clipped to the roof structure.
F H Roofing is based in Beckingham and covers Mablethorpe and the stretch of coast around it. We fit dry verge system installation and dry ridge system installation on new roofs and re-roofs, and we will tell you plainly whether it suits your building or whether a traditional finish makes more sense.
A traditional verge is a line of mortar run along the gable end to seal the tile edge and hold it down. It looks smart when new, but mortar can crack, shrink and wash out over time, especially when the weather keeps hitting it from the same direction. A dry verge replaces that bed with interlocking units, usually in plastic or similar material, fixed back mechanically and finished with a cap. The edge is held by fixings rather than by the bond of the mortar. That means less patching and repointing later, although the roof still needs a look every so often to check the units are sitting tight.
The neatest time to go dry is when the roof is being renewed anyway. On a re-roof we strip back, check the battens and felt, then lay the tiles and fit the verge units as the edge is built up, so everything is fixed to sound timber. Ridge is handled the same way, with a ventilated dry ridge run along the top and fixed through to the rafters. Chalets and small bungalows often have simple gable roofs, which makes the work straightforward. On an existing roof we can sometimes remove old mortar and convert the edge, depending on the tile and its condition.
For a roof that takes a regular battering, it can be. Less exposed mortar means fewer places for wind-driven rain to find a way in, and fewer repairs to chase. The things that affect the job are the tile type, the pitch, how many gables and hips there are, and the state of the timbers beneath. A holiday let that stands empty for weeks benefits from something that does not need constant attention. If the existing verge is sound and the roof is old, though, it may be better to repair than convert, and we will say so.
Mablethorpe is a North Sea coastal town, and salt-laden wind is simply part of owning a roof here. A good share of the buildings are bungalows, holiday properties and chalet-style homes, which are low and often catch the wind across open ground. We cover the town itself and the nearby areas including Alford, Skegness and Louth. When we visit, we look at the verges, ridge and fixings together, because on a coastal roof a small gap at the gable can let water into the whole run. Ask for a free quotation and we will explain what we find in plain terms.
We also take on dry verge systems work in nearby Alford, Skegness, Louth.
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“We had storm damage to several tiles and F H Roofing came out the same day to make it watertight.”
“Brilliant local company. Friendly team, competitive prices, and excellent workmanship. They replaced the felt and battens on our roof and it’s been perfect ever since. I’ve already recommended them to family and friends.”
“Brand new roof fitted and I couldn’t be happier. Excellent service, fast and efficient Very polite hard working men. Would highly recommend these”
They are designed to be fixed mechanically to the roof rather than relying on the bond of mortar, which suits exposed spots. They still need correct fixing and a sound roof underneath, and an occasional visual check, so we assess each building before recommending one.
Sometimes. If the tiles and timbers at the edge are in decent order, old mortar can be removed and a dry system fitted. If the edge tiles are loose or broken, repairs usually need doing first, and we will explain which applies.
Many dry ridge systems allow some airflow along the ridge line, which can help a roof space breathe. How much that matters depends on the loft and the felt used, so we look at the whole roof rather than the ridge alone.
F H Roofing Lincolnshire, 3 Popular Meadows, Sleaford Road, Beckingham, Lincoln, LN5 0RB
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