Slate roofs in Bedford
Slate repairs and complete slate re-roofs for Bedford terraces and period houses, in natural Spanish slate or man-made slate, with proper lead valleys and gutters.
Slate Roofs in Bedford
Bedford's slate roofs
The Victorian streets around Castle Road, Queens Park and the town centre are full of slate. A good slate lasts a very long time, but what holds it on does not. The nails rust through, slates slide down out of line, and the battens behind them soften. Roofers call this nail fatigue, and it is the most common reason a slate roof starts to fail.
What to look for from the street
- Slates sitting lower than their neighbours, or gaps in the rows
- Bits of broken slate in the gutter or on the path
- Metal clips holding slates in place, a sign of earlier repairs
- Rust stains or a wavy look across the slope
Repair or re-slate?
A handful of slipped slates can be refixed. When slates are coming loose all over, the nails have usually gone across the whole roof, and fixing one patch at a time just moves the problem around. We will show you photos and give you an honest view of which camp your roof is in.
We have carried out complete slate re-roofs on houses around 200 years old. One of those customers told us the roof was now entirely watertight and looked very smart, which is what we aim for.
Natural or man-made slate
Natural Spanish slate
Real slate, split from stone. It has the depth and slight variation that suit a period house, and it is what we would usually fit on a terrace where the neighbours have natural slate.
Man-made slate
Uniform and lighter, and a good choice for extensions, side roofs and newer houses. We have fitted it on side roofs where it suits the house well.
The details that make a slate roof last
- A breathable membrane and new treated battens under the slate
- Lead valleys formed in Code 4 or Code 5 lead
- Box gutters relined in Code 5 lead where the house has them
- Slates holed and fixed to the right gauge so each course laps properly
Your written quote lists the slate, lead, membrane, battens, scaffold and skip separately, so you can see where the money goes. If the house is in a conservation area, we check what that means for your choice of slate before anything is ordered.
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
Roofs we work on
Slate roofs we have laid
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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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.
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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.
What people say
4.9
32 reviews on Google
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
Can you replace one broken slate on my terrace?
Yes. A single slate can be slid into place and secured without stripping the roof. If lots of slates are slipping, we will tell you the nails have likely gone right across the roof.
Is natural slate worth it over man-made?
On a period house or a terrace where the neighbours have natural slate, usually yes, because it looks right. On an extension or newer house, man-made slate is often the sensible choice.
What is nail fatigue?
It is when the nails holding slates rust through with age, so slates slip even though the slate itself is fine. It tends to affect the whole roof at once.
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.