Pitched Roofs

How the classic sloping roof works — and why it works so well.

The pitched roof is the default British roof for a simple reason: slope sheds water. Give rain an angle to run down and a covering of overlapping units — tiles or slates — and gravity does most of the waterproofing for you. Everything else about a pitched roof is refinement of that idea.

The system has layers, each with a job. The timber structure (rafters or modern trussed frames) carries the loads. The underlay — felt on older roofs, breathable membrane on newer — is the safety net that catches wind-driven rain and directs it to the gutter. Battens carry the covering; the covering sheds the weather; and the details — ridges, verges, valleys and flashings — handle the places where simple overlap isn't enough.

Understood this way, most roof problems make sense: the covering and structure last a very long time, and failures cluster at the details and in the hidden layers — which is where a good roofer looks first.

Benefits

Why choose Pitched Roofs

Sheds water by geometry — inherently reliable
Repairable in small units, one tile at a time
Coverings from 40 to 100+ years of life
Loft space and ventilation come with the shape
Every component individually replaceable

Features

What's included

Cut-rafter and trussed roof structures
Tile, slate and interlocking coverings
Felt and breathable membrane underlays
Ventilated ridge, eaves and verge details
Lead-flashed junctions and abutments

Typical lifespan

40–100+ years

The covering sets the headline — concrete tile 40–50 years, clay 60+, slate beyond 80 — but the underlay and fixings usually retire first: bitumen felt manages 40–60 years and old nails about the same. A "worn out" pitched roof most often means worn-out hidden layers under a covering with life left in it.

Repair options

Repair or replace

Local faults get local fixes: tile replacement, flashing repairs, valley relining. Systemic faults — perished felt, mass nail failure, a covering shedding its surface everywhere — point to re-roofing. The skill is telling one from the other, which is what our inspections are for.

Common questions

Frequently asked

What pitch does a roof need? +

It depends on the covering: small plain tiles need around 35° or steeper, many interlocking tiles work down to 15–22°, and good slate spans a wide range when sized correctly. Problems arise when coverings are used below their minimum — a common fault on old extensions, and a reason some low roofs are better in a membrane system.

How often should a pitched roof be looked at? +

A look from the ground with binoculars once a year costs nothing — check for slipped tiles, crooked ridge lines and mortar debris in gutters. A proper close inspection every five years or so, and always after a major storm or before buying the house.

Why do pitched roofs have such different lifespans? +

Material, exposure and workmanship. The same concrete tile lasts differently on a sheltered suburban semi and a hilltop gable taking every south-westerly. Fixing specification — whether the tiles were nailed and clipped as the exposure demands — is the invisible difference between neighbouring roofs ageing decades apart.