Areas we cover

We're a local roofing service covering the Folkestone and Hythe stretch of the Kent coast. Being based nearby means a quick response, knowledge of the local roofs and weather, and no long-distance call-out charges. If your town or village isn't listed below, give us a call - if it's near, we'll cover it.

Main areas

The same county, three different sets of roof problems

Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate sit on the coast. Hawkinge and Capel-le-Ferne sit up on the downs above it. Lyminge, Densole and Newington sit inland behind them. They are all within a few miles of each other and they fail in noticeably different ways, which is most of the reason local knowledge is worth anything on a roof.

On the coast: Folkestone, Sandgate, Seabrook, Hythe

Salt is the problem here, and it goes for the fixings before it goes for the covering. Nails and screws corrode from the head down, so tiles start slipping off a roof that is otherwise sound. Driven rain is the other one: water arriving sideways gets under laps and behind flashings that would shed it perfectly well falling straight down. Folkestone itself is a real mix, from the Victorian terraces behind Sandgate Road to the big properties along the Leas and the post-war estates further out, so there is no single answer to what a Folkestone roof needs.

On the downs: Hawkinge, Capel-le-Ferne, Densole

Less salt up here, but considerably more wind. These are exposed, elevated positions with nothing upwind of them, and wind damage concentrates at the edges of a roof: ridge tiles, verges and the last course at the eaves. Capel-le-Ferne in particular sits right on the clifftop and takes weather most of the district never sees. A lot of Hawkinge is newer estate housing with modern interlocking tiles, which are quick to repair but unforgiving if the original fixing spec was marginal. Dry-fix ridge and verge systems hold up far better than the older sand-and-cement bedding, which cracks, lets water behind it, and then lets go in a gale.

Inland: Lyminge, Newington, Peene, Saltwood

Sheltered by comparison, so salt and wind matter less, but tree cover changes what goes wrong. Gutters block with leaves and needles, moss builds up on north-facing pitches and holds water against the tiles, and overhanging branches wear at ridges and lift flashings. These are also the older properties in the area, with more natural slate, clay peg tiles and the occasional flint elevation, so matching materials on a repair takes more care than it does on a modern estate roof.

What this means for a quote

It means we should look at the roof before quoting, and that a price given over the phone without seeing it is a guess. It also means the right repair is not always the cheapest one: stainless fixings on an exposed coastal roof cost a little more and last several times longer, and putting sand-and-cement back on a ridge in Hawkinge is asking to return in three winters. We will tell you which applies to your property and why, in writing, before you commit.

Postcodes

We regularly cover CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT21, plus nearby parts of Kent. Not sure if we reach you? Just ask.