Slate Re-Roof in Ulverston

The Problem

This three-storey Georgian townhouse on one of Ulverston's principal streets had been experiencing escalating roof problems for over a decade. The original Westmorland slate covering — likely dating from the 1820s — had reached the end of its serviceable life. Decades of exposure to Cumbria's harsh weather had caused widespread delamination, with numerous slates splitting along their natural cleavage planes and shedding fragments into the gutters. The iron nails holding the slates had corroded almost completely, meaning that a single storm could dislodge dozens of slates simultaneously. The roof had been patch-repaired so many times over the years that it was a patchwork of different slate types, colours, and sizes, many held in place with lead tingles rather than nails. Internally, the hessian-reinforced bituminous felt underlay had become brittle and torn, allowing wind-driven rain to penetrate into the loft space. The timber battens were saturated and showing early signs of fungal decay across approximately 40% of the roof area. The building surveyor's report recommended a complete strip and reroof as the only viable long-term solution.

Our Solution

We erected a full independent scaffold with a temporary roof system over the entire building to allow uninterrupted work regardless of weather — essential on a three-storey townhouse where the roof strip would leave the building completely exposed. The old slates, battens, and felt were stripped entirely, with all reusable original Westmorland slates carefully salvaged for the homeowner to sell or donate to conservation projects. The rafter structure was in good condition overall, but we replaced 6 battens' worth of rafters where fungal decay had compromised the timber. New Tyvek breathable roofing membrane was installed across the entire roof area, providing a secondary waterproof layer while allowing moisture vapour to escape from the roof space below. Pressure-treated tanalised battens were fixed at the correct gauge for the new slates. The new covering was specified as Burlington blue-grey roofing slate — quarried just 20 miles away at Kirkby-in-Furness — in a random diminishing course pattern to match the traditional Lakeland style. Every slate was fixed with two copper disc-riveted nails for permanent corrosion resistance. New Code 5 lead flashings were installed at the party wall abutments and chimney, and the ridge tiles were bedded in NHL 3.5 lime mortar.

The Result

The completed reroof has given this Georgian townhouse a stunning new Burlington slate covering that sits beautifully on the traditional roofline. The random diminishing courses — where slates graduate from larger sizes at the eaves to smaller at the ridge — create the characterful, organic appearance that defines Lakeland architecture. The breathable membrane has eliminated the condensation problems that plagued the old felt underlay, and the roof space is now dry and well-ventilated. Burlington blue-grey slate has a proven lifespan exceeding 200 years, meaning this roof will serve the building for generations to come. We provided a 25-year workmanship guarantee on the complete roof replacement.

Burlington Blue-Grey Roofing Slate

Burlington slate is quarried at Kirkby-in-Furness, just 20 miles from Ulverston, making it the quintessential local roofing material for South Cumbria. This dense, fine-grained volcanic stone has been used on Lakeland buildings for centuries and has a proven service life exceeding 200 years. The blue-grey colour develops a subtle silver patina over time as the surface weathers, becoming more beautiful with age. Burlington slate is available in random sizes ideal for the traditional diminishing course pattern that characterises authentic Lakeland roofing.

Copper Disc-Riveted Nails

Every slate on this reroof was fixed with copper nails — the traditional and most durable option for slate roofing. Copper is completely corrosion-proof in all atmospheric conditions, meaning the nails will outlast the slates themselves. The disc-rivet head provides a large bearing area that prevents the nail from pulling through the slate, while the copper shaft will never expand or corrode in the nail hole as iron nails do.

Tyvek Breathable Roofing Membrane

DuPont Tyvek is the industry benchmark for breathable roofing underlays. It provides a completely waterproof barrier against wind-driven rain while allowing water vapour to pass through from below, preventing the condensation that destroyed the old bituminous felt. This dual function is critical in Cumbria's damp climate where roof spaces are at high risk of condensation damage.

Code 5 Milled Lead Flashings

All abutment and chimney flashings were formed from Code 5 milled lead, dressed into raked mortar joints and secured with lead wedges. This traditional detailing method provides maintenance-free waterproofing at these critical junctions for 80-100+ years.