Chimney repairs in Bedford
Leaking chimneys, tired pointing, loose pots and failed lead flashing put right across Bedford, and stacks taken down where you no longer need them.
Chimney Repairs in Bedford
Why chimneys leak
A chimney is where the roof meets a tall brick box, and every joint around it is a place for water to get in. When a bedroom wall goes damp next to the chimney breast, the stack is the first thing we check. It is also the part of a roof people can least see for themselves.
The usual culprits
- Lead flashing that has split, lifted or come out of the mortar joint
- Pointing that has washed out, so rain soaks into the brick
- The flaunching, the mortar collar around the pots, cracked by frost
- Felt and battens around the stack that have rotted after years of small leaks
What we find and what we do
On one chimney breast leak, we found out-of-date lead, rotten felt and soft battens, and carried out a patch repair over a large area around the stack. On a bungalow, we fixed a chimney leak from a tower scaffold without needing a full scaffold at all. And on a 1980s Bedford house, new lead and about a metre of felt was all it took.
The repair fits the problem. You get photos of the stack from up close, so you can see the cracks, gaps and lead for yourself before agreeing to anything.
Chimney work we carry out
- Repointing the stack in a mortar that suits the brick
- New lead flashing, step flashing and back gutters
- Rebedding pots and renewing the flaunching
- Partial rebuilds where the top courses have loosened
- Removing a stack you no longer use and roofing over it
Shared stacks on Bedford terraces
On the terraces around Castle Road and Queens Park, many stacks are shared between two houses. A leak on your side can be caused by the half next door. We look at the whole stack and tell you if the fix needs a word with your neighbour.
Your written quote
It names the work, the lead code, the access (tower or full scaffold) and anything we spotted that can wait. Nothing is added once we are up there without talking to you first. If we find something on the day that changes the job, we stop, send you photos and agree it with you before carrying on.
Also from Ultimate Roofcare
Other work in Bedford
Recent work
Recent jobs
Our own photographs, from jobs across the area.
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.
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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.
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Itemised, line by line
Scaffold, skip, materials, even the portable toilet on a big job. You see exactly what you are paying for.
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Quick when it is leaking
Customers who called in the early evening with water coming in had us there the next day.
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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
Where we work
Chimney repairs nearby
Before you ring
Questions we get asked
Is damp on my chimney breast always a roof problem?
No. An unused flue with no ventilation can cause damp too. We check the stack and the loft and tell you honestly which it is.
Can you take down a chimney I do not use?
Yes, we remove chimney stacks and tile or slate over the gap. On a shared or terraced stack we will talk you through what that involves first.
Will a chimney repair need a full scaffold?
Not always. Some chimney work can be done from a tower scaffold. Taller stacks or major rebuilds need more, and the quote says which.
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.