Ridge tiles are the most exposed of all the tiles on your roof and are more susceptible to damage from the elements.
Mortar naturally weakens over time, so combining this with any bad weather – such as strong winds – may cause ridge tiles to loosen. Small cracks gradually enlarge as rainwater enters the cracks, freezes and breaks the mortar apart which adds up to the gradual destruction of your ridge tiles.
When this happens, the tiles will need new cement to fix them back in place. If some ridge tiles have become broken over time, you will need to replace them with similar colour and profile tiles – for older houses, this may be a challenge and replacing the entire ridge may be the way to go.
In this article, we’ll be exploring how much it costs to cement roof ridge tiles, what affects the cost of cementing roof ridge tiles, how to save money on cementing roof ridge tiles, what’s involved in cementing roof ridge tiles and how to find and hire a roofer to complete the job for you.
If your roof ridge tiles have seen better days and need some TLC, keep reading to find out the best way of getting the job done in the most cost-effective way possible.
How Much Does It Cost to Cement Roof Ridge Tiles?
Depending on the type of job, the size of your home’s roof and the overall condition of your ridge tiles, the time and cost of your job will differ.
| JOB TYPE | COST | TIME REQUIRED |
|---|---|---|
| Replace loose ridge tiles | £150 to £300 | 3 to 5 hours |
| Replacing mortar on ridge tiles (semi-detached property) | £125 to £250 | 2 to 3 hours |
| 10 metres of roof ridge tile bedding | £250 to £600 | One day |
Small Roof Ridge Repairs Job
On some roofs, all that is needed is to replace a couple of ridge tiles that have come loose in bad weather.
This sort of job should cost between £150 and £300 depending on where you live in the UK, the size of the company who are carrying out the work (generally one-man businesses offer lower prices because they have fewer overheads), and the access equipment needed to access your roof.
The price is for bungalows with easier access.
Repointing Cracked Mortar on Ridge Tiles
Few professional roofers will recommend this type of ridge repair work for the simple reason that it is a temporary measure.
For a typical semi-detached property, the cost for ridge pointing is between £125 and £250. Most large roofing firms do not provide this type of service for the reason that it is not a long term solution.
10 Metres of Roof Ridge Tile Bedding
Ridge tiles re-bedding is a staple job for most roofers and should not take more than a day.
The pricing assumes easy access to the roof with no requirement for scaffolding. An access platform will be used to ensure safe working access and the roofer will replace broken tiles as part of the job.
Prices for this type of ridge tiles job falls within the £250 to £600 taking regional variations and company size into account.
What Affects the Cost of Cementing Roof Ridge Tiles?
The factors that will affect the quoted price for the work include:
- The type of roof your house has
- The extent of the ridge damage which needs attention
- Ease of access to the roof and the need for scaffolding
- Whether you need new ridge tiles, or you are reusing the old tiles
- The VAT status of the contractor may add 20% to the final bill if they are VAT registered
- Applications and approvals for diversions where your property overhangs a public footpath
Regional differences will also come into play and affect the price of your project, with jobs in the city centre being more expensive than those in more rural locations.
How Can I Save Money on Cementing for Roof Ridge Tiles?
To save your job’s cost from creeping up higher and higher unnecessarily, here are some tips to keep costs down over your roof’s lifetime with some simple maintenance tips.
Good Housekeeping
Professionals recommend a periodic roof inspection so that you can detect roofing problems sooner, and some home insurance companies make this a condition for cover.
By regularly checking your roof ridge tiles and the surrounding cement for any early problems, you’ll be able to detect trouble before it becomes a bigger problem, which will save you money on having to pay out for an entire replacement.
Reusing vs Brand New
In some cases, it’s possible to reuse the existing ridge tiles to complete the repair job, if they’re in good enough condition.
In other cases, it’ll mean you have to buy brand new ridge tiles to get the job done, which will cost more than if you were using the reclaimed items.
This is yet another case for good housekeeping, as by checking up on the status of your roof regularly, you will be able to have smaller repair jobs and likely still use the existing ridge tiles.
What’s Involved in Cementing Roof Ridge Tiles?
The three most common jobs when it comes to ridge tile cementing are:
- Smaller repairs
- Repointing cracked mortar on ridge tiles
- Ridge tiles re-bedding including removal, cleaning and replacement of broken tiles
Small Roof Ridge Repairs Job
For this type of job, the tiles will involve lifting the affected tiles, cleaning off the old mortar underneath and around the tile edges.
The roofer will use a three parts sand to one part cement mix (commonly referred to as the 3-1 mix) to re-bed the ridge tiles. Roofers achieve a neat finish by pointing, and the job should take no more than 2 hours.
Repointing Cracked Mortar on Ridge Tiles
This refers to removing any loose mortar and replacing it. This is a job that can be requested when the mortal is loose but no tiles have been compromised.
Ridge Tiles Re-Bedding
This job involves the removal and inspection of the ridge tiles. The tiles are cleaned to remove the old cement, and the roofers will prepare and use a 3-1 mix to bed the tiles.
How Do I Find and Hire a Roofer?
The best way to go in the first instance is to seek recommendations from family, friends, and neighbours to gather names and contact details of professionals they’ve used recently for similar jobs.
Here, it’s important to ensure that the professionals have been used within the last few months to make sure your friend’s reference for their work is accurate for their standards right now – it’s no good hearing that some firm was good five years ago, as the workers may have changed or their work ethic altered entirely.
Where this isn’t possible, you can always look online for reputable traders. Using the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is a good place to start as their database is only filled with professional, dependable individuals.
The NFRC make sure that all the tradespeople listed on their site are professional and work to a strict code to prevent any bad practise.
Where that’s not possible, HouseholdQuotes can perform a similar function by displaying all available professionals from one search, so you can compare prices, packages and traders on one website – and it can even help to save you up to 40% of your project fee!
Ensuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
When dealing with any professional trader, you must ask for a written quote of the proposed work. This is so both parties know exactly what’s involved in a fee, with an itemised breakdown of work to be done, as well as any materials or licenses to acquire.
It may seem like you can get away with a verbal agreement if someone seems particularly trustworthy and polite, but it’s always best to get it in writing else it’s just one person’s word against another’s.
When the trader isn’t coming from a word of mouth reference, it’s best to ask for a detailed history of their experience, including their completed work on similar projects to yours. This will help you to see their work in practice, as well as see if you like what they’ve done and if it’s suitable for your needs.
Similarly, you’ll want to ask for their references from previous clients to make sure their work ethic is up to scratch – it’s no good seeing some great visuals, but if the traders were hard to work with and late to the job (or late to complete the job), it might be best to keep looking for your perfect partner.
Viewing photos or videos of their finished work will help you to substantiate any written recommendations to see the proof of their work – if it’s a recommendation from a friend or neighbour, make sure you go and see their finished result as nothing beats an in-person inspection.
Finally, check your trader has the relevant insurance to cover themselves and you during the course of their work. If they buck at the question or refuse to show you proof, it’s best to walk away from them as they could cause you liability problems further down the line.
Final Checklist
If you’re concerned about the health of your roof, or just simply want something checked up for peace of mind, here’s what we suggest:
- Assess the situation – have you been aware of cement falling, or tiles becoming loose and unstable from bad weather or general ageing?
- If you’ve seen tiles regularly falling from your roof, you need a professional to visit you as soon as possible as you’re risking the health of your house and potentially those around you with falling debris
- Perform regular checkups on your roof to inspect areas to keep track of anything loose or looking unstable as they might be problems in the near future
- Get a professional booked in to come out and assess your roof, using HouseholdQuotes to help you find reputable traders as well as saving you up to 40% on your project’s fee
- See if your tiles are in good enough condition to be re-used as this will save you money on having to buy brand new ones for the repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Cement Roof Ridge Tiles Myself?
Repairs required may include replacing a couple of damaged ridge tiles by bedding them with new cement. If you have the necessary safety equipment (scaffolding for safe access) and sufficient roofing skill, then you can carry out minor repairs yourself.
Can Ridge Tiles Leak?
Problems with the ridge tiles of your home’s roof can lead to worse problems if you do not take prompt action. Problems may include water penetration or loss of roof tiles during high winds.
Do My Ridge Tiles Need Repointing?
If you have noticed a problem with the tiles on your roof, particularly the ridge tiles, there are two approaches you can take. The first is to investigate the extent of the damage yourself and carry out any necessary repairs.
The second option is to get a roofing specialist to investigate the extent of the problem and prepare a quotation based on all the repairs needed on the roof ridge. Roofers highly recommend the second option for the following reasons:
Roofers have the experience and skill to identify roofing problems better than most homeowners.
A few dislodged tiles may be a sign of compromised mortar along the entire ridge, re-fixing just a few tiles may only be a temporary measure.
Specialist roofers will carry out their work to a higher standard and ensure the repairs will last. The work can be completed faster because roofers have the tools and equipment required to carry out the work.
