Hedge End · Hampshire
Roof structure repairs in Hedge End
Roof structure repairs in Hedge End are often done entirely from inside the loft, with the tiles left in place. Doubling rafters, adding struts and fitting ties rarely needs the coverings off unless decay at the eaves is severe.
Guide price from£335per rafter inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SO30
- Population
- about 18,000
- Area
- Hampshire
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Hedge End?
With roughly 18,000 people, Hedge End spans postcode districts SO30 in Hampshire. Nearby places we cover include Eastleigh (4 miles), Southampton (5 miles) and Hythe (6 miles).
Much of Hampshire sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Hampshire: Victorian terraces in Portsmouth and Southampton, 1930s semis, and large post-war and new-build estates.
Signs you may need roof structure repairs
- Top of an outside wall leaning out at eaves level
- Daylight through the tiles, or timber that is damp, stained or crumbling
- Roof slope looking hollow or wavy between the ridge and the gutter
How much will roof structure repairs cost in Hedge End?
Guide prices below are for homes in Hedge End, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Repairing or doubling a rafter | £335 – £670 | per rafter |
| Purlin and strut strengthening | £1,350 – £3,350 | per roof |
| Tying in roof spread (straps and ties)est. | £895 – £2,800 | per roof |
Which repair method suits a home in Hedge End?
Repairing or doubling rafters
Cracked, sagging or rotten rafters are strengthened by fixing a new timber alongside, often called doubling, and rotten rafter feet are cut back and spliced. The work is usually done from inside the loft with the tiles left in place, unless the covering is coming off anyway.
Best for: Individual rafters that have cracked, sagged or rotted at the feet
Wall plate replacement
Rotten or crushed wall plates are replaced in short lengths while the rafters above are propped, and bedded on the wall in mortar. The plate is then strapped down to the masonry. It is often combined with rafter foot splices along the same run.
Best for: Rot along the eaves where rafters bear on the wall
What happens when we carry out roof structure repairs in Hedge End?
Send photos
Photograph the roof from across the street, both slopes if you can, and the loft timbers with a torch. Include the eaves and any cracks just below them. From these we can usually tell sag from spread and whether an engineer is needed.
Engineer’s design where needed
Where purlins, struts or ties must be redesigned, or the roof carries a heavier covering, an independent chartered structural engineer is appointed to specify the work. We can arrange this, and their design sets the sizes and fixings.
Prop, strengthen and tie
The roof is propped where members are being changed, then rafters, purlins, struts and ties are repaired or added as specified. Coverings disturbed by the work are relaid, and building control inspects where the work needs it.
Rules for roof structure repairs in England
In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Roof structure repairs in Hedge End: questions and answers
What is the price of roof structure repairs in Hedge End?
Guide prices for roof structure repairs in Hedge End start from about £335 per rafter, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out roof structure repairs in Hedge End?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Hedge End, including SO30, and from nearby places such as Eastleigh and Southampton. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Hedge End cause cracking?
Central Hampshire is chalk, while the south around Portsmouth, Southampton and the New Forest fringe and the north-east around Farnborough sit on London Clay, Reading Beds and other clays and sands. The clay areas see seasonal movement near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
What is roof spread?
Roof spread is when the feet of the rafters move outward because nothing is tying them together firmly enough. As they spread, the ridge drops and the tops of the walls are pushed out, often with a horizontal crack below the eaves. It is fixed by adding ties, collars or straps, sometimes with rebuilding.
Why are there cracks just below the eaves?
A horizontal crack just below the eaves, along the front or back wall, is a common sign of roof spread. The rafters push the top of the wall outward and the masonry cracks where it hinges. Corroded wall ties can cause similar cracks, so the cause needs checking.
More repairs we carry out in Hedge End
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Crack stitching
- Floor joist repairs
Roof structure repairs near Hedge End
Seen the ridge dip at your Hedge End home? Photograph it from across the road, add a few loft shots, and we will tell you what it likely needs.