Chimney Repairs
Repointing, rebuilding, new lead flashing, and stacks taken down where they are no longer needed.
About chimney repairs
Chimney leaks, put right at the cause
A damp chimney breast, a stain beside the stack or a drip in the loft by the chimney. Chimneys are one of the most common places for a roof to leak, and the cause is usually the lead, the pointing or the felt around the stack. We find which one it is and fix that, often from a tower scaffold without a full scaffold round the house.
What's included
Lead flashing
New step flashing, aprons and back gutters in Code 4 lead, dressed tight to the brickwork and the tiles. We do not smear sealant over old lead.
Repointing
Weathered mortar raked out and repointed, so rain stops soaking into the brickwork.
Rebuilding
Stacks that are cracked, leaning or crumbling are taken down to sound brick and rebuilt.
Chimney removal
If a chimney no longer serves a fire, removing the stack and roofing over it takes away a common source of leaks. We have done this as part of full re-roofs.
Felt and timbers around the stack
Leaks by a chimney often rot the felt and battens next to it. We renew them as part of the repair.
Pots, cowls and flue checks
While we are up there we look over the pots and the top of the flue, and tell you if anything needs attention.
Why chimneys leak
A chimney is where the brickwork, the lead and the roof covering all have to work together. Lead splits or pulls out of its joint, mortar weathers back and lets rain soak into the brick, and the felt beside the stack rots once water has got in. Each of these shows up as damp in a slightly different place, so we look from the roof and the loft before deciding what to do. That way you pay for the fix your chimney needs, not a guess.
How the job runs
- We inspect from the roof and the loft, and photograph the stack, the lead and the pointing.
- We tell you the cause, and whether a patch repair will do.
- Written quote, including the access we need.
- The repair: lead, pointing, rebuild or removal.
- Photos of the finished work, and a clean site.
Also from Ultimate Roofcare
More of what we do
Recent work
Recent jobs
Peterborough A bungalow re-roof in Peterborough
A red tile re-roof in Sandtoft Olympus, Tuscan
A natural slate re-roof with hips and valleys
A Marley Modern re-roof, after some very bad spray foam
A big re-roof on TLX Gold, in a granulated grey tile
Letchworth A plain tile re-roof in Letchworth
A hipped roof in man-made slate
Milton Keynes A natural slate re-roof in Milton Keynes
How we work
Honest roofers: what the roof needs, not what pays best
Read our Google reviews and the same things come up: honest advice, the most detailed quote they received, and a team who arrive smart and leave the site tidy.
-
01
A repair when a repair will do
A Bedford customer with a chimney leak got new lead and a metre of felt, not a new roof. "There was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work," in her words.
-
02
Itemised, line by line
Scaffold, skip, materials, even the portable toilet on a big job. You see exactly what you are paying for.
-
03
Quick when it is leaking
Customers who called in the early evening with water coming in had us there the next day.
-
04
Done the proper way
Dry ridge and verge systems, eaves support trays, welded lead, breathable membranes, and moss scraped off by hand. We never jet-wash a roof.
A 120-year-old roof, matched to the original
“The finished roof looks great, and is an excellent match to the original which is important in Letchworth.”
We noticed the felt in our loft was deteriorating quite badly, so decided it was time to get the roof replaced. We had three different companies out to quote, with Jude from Ultimate Roof Care being the last. Jude came across really well, very polite and well spoken, and took the time to explain everything properly. His quotation was by far the most detailed, with everything clearly itemised so we knew exactly what we were paying for. The team did exactly what was promised and we're really pleased with our new roof. We'd seen their vans working around Bedfordshire before, which was reassuring too. More than happy with the whole experience and would definitely recommend Ultimate Roof Care.
We had a bad leak coming into the roof and couldn't work out where it was coming from. We called Jude and he came out, had a proper look and identified the problem around the chimney. Our house was built in the 1980s and he showed us where the old felt had started collapsing around that area. One of his guys then came out and replaced the lead around the chimney as well as roughly a metre of felt around it. Jude explained that there was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work and that a localised repair should sort the problem, which we really appreciated. The exact area where the water was coming in before has stayed completely dry. Really happy with the repair and thought the price was very fair. The guys were polite, turned up looking smart and were very professional. We're based in Bedford and would definitely recommend them.
We'd been having problems with a leak on our bungalow roof, despite previously having another roofing company out, so we decided it was time to have the whole roof replaced. Jude was brilliant from the start, and the detail in their quotation was on another level compared to the others we received. Everything was explained step by step, from the scaffolding and materials being delivered to the skip, even a portable toilet for the workers. Their price was very competitive too, but it was really the attention to detail and how professional they were that made us choose them. What a great company. We couldn't recommend Ultimate Roof Care enough!
I had spray foam insulation in my loft which was causing issues with selling my property. Jude explained the full process, gave me a clear written quote and even arranged for an electrician to safely disconnect and reconnect my solar panels. Once the foam was removed, they bagged and cleared every bit of waste and left the loft spotless. The surveyor who came afterwards commented on the quality of the job. True professionals, I'd highly recommend them.
I booked a roof MOT with Ultimate Roofcare because I wanted to be sure everything was in good condition before the winter. They showed me photos of a couple of cracked tiles and some minor pointing that needed attention, but reassured me the rest of the roof was in good shape. They fixed everything there and then at a very fair price. No pushy sales, just genuine advice and quality workmanship.
After the really heavy rain the other day we had quite a bad leak come through and called Jude at around 5 or 6 in the evening. He came out the very next day. Owen then came out shortly afterwards and got the repair sorted for us. They opened up roughly a metre along the bottom of the roof, renewed the felt in that area and fitted a new eaves support tray system. We've had more rain since and everything has stayed completely dry.
Jude and his efficient team of workers have done a complete roof replacement with slates on our 200 year old house. They have done an excellent job and the roof is now entirely watertight and looks very smart. Quality materials and experienced skills have resulted in a great job and peace of mind for us. Thankyou to all. Richard and Lorna
I found Ultimate Roofcare in the local Bedford Bulletin. Joe came along to check out the loft. Jude came along later in one of his branded vehicles (big reassurance) and explained that he could do the job in 4 days with 8-10 men. By Wednesday evening the roof tiles had been removed and replaced, a new roof lining installed, 3 layers of insulation placed between the joists, ventilated soffits and new gutters fitted and a good tidy-up completed. If you need any roofing or loft work done, you would struggle to find a better company.Read every review The full set, in their own words
Before you ring
Questions we get asked
Why is my chimney breast damp?
Usually the lead flashing has split or lifted, the pointing has worn, or the felt around the stack has rotted. Each needs a different fix, so we inspect from the roof and the loft before we quote.
Do I need scaffolding for a chimney repair?
Not always. Many chimney repairs can be done from our own tower scaffold. If your stack needs a full scaffold, that is listed on your written quote.
Should I remove a chimney I no longer use?
It is worth thinking about, especially if the stack needs rebuilding. Removing it and roofing over the gap takes away a common source of leaks. We will give you both options in writing.
Can you fix a chimney leak without replacing the whole roof?
Usually, yes. On one Bedford house a chimney leak was cured with new lead and about a metre of fresh felt. We only suggest more when the roof needs it.
Get in touch
Tell us about the roof
- We call you back To hear what the roof is doing.
- We come and look And take photos of what we find, so you can see it too.
- You get a written, itemised quote What the roof needs and what it costs. No pressure.