Roof repairs and re-roofing in Hyde Heath

Housing in Hyde Heath

What the roofs here are like

Hyde Heath is a small village set around a large common in the hills west of Chesham, and it is almost entirely low-density. The oldest properties are cottages fronting the common - brick, flint and render under steep clay tile, several of them originally a pair knocked into one, with the roof line still showing where the join was. The bulk of the village is early to mid 20th-century detached housing and bungalows on wide plots, with plain tiled roofs and a scattering of tile-hung elevations. There has been consistent extension work here over the last few decades, so many properties now have a rear addition with a lower pitch or a flat roof tying awkwardly into the original slope.

What we get called out for

The problems that come up in Hyde Heath

The common and the surrounding woodland make this one of the mossiest spots we work in, particularly on north-facing slopes that see no sun at all between November and February. We do a lot of scraping, soft-washing and biocide treatment here, and a lot of gutter clearing to go with it. The other recurring job is the junction between original roof and later extension - where a rear addition meets the main slope, the abutment lead is often the weak point and it is the first place we look when someone reports a damp patch upstairs. Being up on the tops, Hyde Heath also catches the wind.

Working in Hyde Heath

Access, scaffold and what affects the timescale

The lanes into Hyde Heath are narrow and there is limited turning space near the common, so scaffold and skip deliveries need planning and occasionally a smaller lorry. Once on site, access is usually generous. Because it is a small village we try to group work here - if we are already scaffolded on one property it is often worth having us look at yours while we are in the lane, and we will price accordingly. Being surrounded by woodland, we do most of the moss and gutter work in this village between late autumn and early spring, when the growth is visible and the trees are bare.