Ridge Tile Repair & Dry Ridge

Re-bedding, refixing and modern dry ridge systems for the top line of your roof.

Ridge tiles cap the apex of the roof — the most wind-exposed line on the whole building. Traditionally they're bedded on mortar, and that's the problem: mortar is rigid, roofs move, and freeze-thaw winters work every hairline crack until the bedding lets go. A loose ridge tile is a genuine hazard; a missing one is an open door for rain along the roof's spine.

There are two honest fixes. Re-bedding in fresh mortar restores the traditional detail and is right for small runs and heritage roofs — but it is, by nature, a repair with a lifespan. A dry ridge system replaces the mortar entirely with screws, clamps and a ventilated union under the ridge line: every tile mechanically fixed, nothing to crack, and added roof-space ventilation as a side benefit. It's why dry fix has been the standard on new roofs since 2015.

Benefits

Why choose Ridge Tile Repair & Dry Ridge

Loose and rattling ridge tiles secured before they fall
Dry ridge conversion — mechanically fixed, maintenance-free
Traditional re-bedding where character matters
Hip tiles and third-round hips included
Ventilated dry ridge improves loft airflow

Features

What's included

Full and partial ridge re-bedding
Dry ridge and dry hip system installation
Cracked and frost-damaged ridge tile replacement
Ridge-line leak investigation
Matching angle, half-round and decorative ridge profiles

Repair options

Repair or replace

One or two loose ridges on otherwise sound bedding: spot re-bed, job done. Bedding failing along the run — visible cracks, previous patch-repairs, tiles that move by hand — means re-bedding the lot or converting to dry ridge, and over ten years the dry system is usually the cheaper of the two because you only pay for it once. If the ridge problem is part of general mortar failure (verges going too), see our dry verge page — doing both while access is up saves a second scaffold.

Common questions

Frequently asked

What does a failing ridge look like from the ground? +

Cracked or missing mortar lines under the ridge tiles, a tile sitting proud or crooked against the line of the others, or mortar debris in the gutter and on the ground. In wind, loose ridges sometimes chatter audibly. Binoculars from the street tell you a lot.

Is dry ridge suitable for older houses? +

Structurally yes — it fits standard ridge tiles and most profiles, and from the street a dry ridge is barely distinguishable from a mortared one. On listed buildings or in conservation areas the mortar detail may be required, in which case traditional re-bedding is the right call.

Why did my re-bedded ridge fail again after a few years? +

Usually thin or weak mortar, bedding over dust and old mortar rather than a clean base, or simple exposure — some ridge lines take brutal weather and mortar there has a short life no matter how well it's done. That's precisely the situation dry ridge was invented for.