GMG Roof Experts, the leading roofing company in London, offers top-tier roofing solutions tailored to your specific needs.
GMG Roof Experts carry out slate roof repair and replacement across the whole London Borough of Hillingdon. We refix and replace slipped and broken slates, renew cracked lead valleys and ridge and hip detail, and where the nails have gone or the slate is delaminating across the roof we strip it and re-slate on fresh underlay and battens. Natural slate, fibre-cement slate and matched tile, from a single slipped slate to a full re-slate on a Victorian terrace or a new slate roof on an extension, all from our Hayes UB3 base across Uxbridge, Hayes, Ruislip, Ickenham, Northwood and every postcode in between.
The background
Slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings there is, but the slate almost always outlives the nails that hold it. On the Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Uxbridge, Yiewsley and Cowley, and on the older houses in Harefield and Ickenham, most slate roofs are now well past the life of their original iron or copper nails. The nails corrode and lose their grip, slates slip out of course one by one, and a windy night takes several at once.
Below the slate, the sarking felt, if there is any, has usually torn or perished, so once a slate has gone the water is straight onto the timbers. Lead valleys and soakers crack along the fold lines, ridge and hip slates and their mortar bedding work loose, and old repairs done in mortar or with clips rather than proper re-nailing tend to fail again.
The judgement on any slate roof is whether it can be kept going with targeted repairs and the odd slate, or whether enough of the fixings have gone that a full strip and re-slate is the better value. We give you that assessment straight, with a written quote either way, and we salvage and re-use sound original slates wherever the job allows.
We are based in Hayes, we work on slate roofs across Hillingdon every week, and we have handled everything from a single slipped slate to a complete re-slate and a new slate roof on an extension.
What we do
From a single slipped slate to a full re-slate and new slate roofs on extensions, every job below is carried out by our own team, not subcontracted out, and every one starts with a close-up inspection and a written quote on request.
Slipped, cracked and missing slates, loose ridge and hip slates, and failed patch repairs. We trace the leak, not just the stain, and refix with proper nails and hooks, not mortar.
Matching individual slates to the existing roof by type, colour and gauge, and fixing them back into course so the repair reads as part of the roof, not a patch.
When enough of the fixings have gone, we strip the roof, renew the underlay and battens, and re-lay in salvaged or new slate with new ridge, hip and valley detail.
New natural or fibre-cement slate roofs on extensions, loft conversions and new builds, set out to a proper margin and gauge with the leadwork detailed to code.
Cracked lead valleys, worn soakers and loose ridge and hip slates. We strip the old lead and re-dress new lead to code, and re-bed or dry-fix the ridge and hips.
Slates lifted, cracked or thrown by wind, and water coming in through the gap. The first visit makes the roof safe and weathertight, with the permanent repair scheduled after.
A slate roof repair starts with getting up onto the roof and into the loft and finding where the water is actually getting in, not guessing from the damp patch on the ceiling. A slipped slate lets water track a long way before it shows inside, so we check the covering, the underlay, the valleys, the flashings and the ridge before agreeing a scope of work.
Once we can see the cause, we repair the way the roof was built. That means refixing slates with copper or stainless nails and slate hooks rather than a bead of mortar, matching replacement slates to the type, colour and gauge of the roof, and re-dressing lead to the correct code where the roof meets a wall or chimney. On a Victorian terrace near Uxbridge High Street we salvage and re-use every sound original slate we can.
How it works
The process is the same whether it is a single-slate repair or a full re-slate, and it starts with a conversation, not a sales pitch.
Call 07949 999411 or use the contact form. Tell us what you are seeing inside and out and roughly where the property is in Hillingdon.
We get onto the roof and into the loft, find the cause, and send a written quote covering slate, access, labour and timescale, with repair and re-slate options where both are realistic.
Most slate work needs scaffold or a tower rather than a ladder. We arrange the right access so the repair or re-slate is done safely and lasts.
We complete the agreed scope, salvage sound slates, clear up and take the waste away, and give you a written summary with photographs of the finished roof.
Materials
Not every roof that looks like slate needs natural slate to repair it, and not every slate roof can be economically kept in natural slate. The right covering depends on what is already there, the pitch, the setting and the budget. On a Victorian terrace or in a conservation area, natural slate matched by type, colour and gauge is usually the right answer and keeps consent straightforward. Fibre-cement slate is a lighter, lower-cost alternative that suits some re-slates and extensions. Where the original roof was already re-covered in tile, matching that tile is the honest and cost-effective repair.
We record the roof before we touch it and re-lay to the same margin, gauge and detail, salvaging and re-using every sound original slate we can and matching the shortfall in.
Welsh and Spanish natural slate matched to the roof by type, colour and gauge, with sound original slates salvaged and re-used.
A lighter, lower-cost slate-look covering that suits some re-slates, extensions and lower-pitch slopes where natural slate is not required.
Where the roof was already re-covered in tile, matching the existing tile by age, colour and profile rather than forcing a return to slate.
Stacking and cleaning off sound original slates during a strip so most of the roof goes back in its own slate, with new slate only for the shortfall.
When a slate roof has widespread nail sickness, or the slate itself is delaminating across the slopes, repairs stop being worthwhile. Every fix buys a few months before the next slate goes, and the underlay below has usually failed anyway. At that point a full strip and re-slate is the better value.
We scaffold the property, strip the slate carefully so the sound ones can be salvaged, inspect and repair the timbers, and re-lay on new breathable underlay and treated battens. Most of the roof goes back in its own salvaged slate, with new slate matched in for the shortfall, and new lead valleys and dry ridge and hip systems that do not depend on mortar staying sound.
Nail sickness is the single most common reason a slate roof reaches the end of its life. The slate is still good, but the iron or copper nails that fixed it have corroded to the point where they no longer hold, so slates slip out of course across the whole roof rather than in one spot.
A few slipped slates on an otherwise sound roof is a repair. Slates slipping on every slope, tide marks of old repairs, and a loft full of daylight point to nail sickness across the roof, and at that stage a re-slate is the honest answer. We tell you which it is after getting up close, not from the ground, and we quote both where both are realistic.
Completed work
Every image below is a real GMG Roof Experts photograph taken from the company's own site. Each one appears once, and the caption names the type of work where it could be confirmed from the source.
Slate roof repair and replacement is a defined part of what we do from our Hayes base, inside the borough, from a single slipped slate to a full re-slate. That means we turn up with the right access, matched slate and lead to the correct code, and we do the diagnosis in the loft and on the roof before quoting.
Our work runs from targeted slate repairs on a terrace to full re-slates and new slate roofs on extensions. We are CITB certified, fully insured, and work from scaffold or tower access as the job needs, we salvage and re-use sound slate, and every job ends with a written summary and photographs.
Areas we cover
We cover the whole borough and the areas that border it. Each town below has its own location page with more local detail. If your postcode starts with UB3, UB4, UB7, UB8, UB9, UB10, HA4, HA5, HA6, SL0, SL9 or SL2, we can help.
Victorian and Edwardian slate terraces with widespread nail sickness, slipped slates and cracked lead valleys.
Roofers in Uxbridge →Our home patch. Older slate front slopes and rear additions re-covered in tile, both needing matched work.
Roofers in Hayes →Period cottages and older houses in natural slate alongside 1930s tiled Metroland semis.
Roofers in Ruislip →Older detached and semi-detached homes with slate roofs carrying failed fixings and multi-slope valleys.
Roofers in Ickenham →Large detached properties, many in natural slate, with complex roofs, hidden valleys and dormers.
Roofers in Northwood →Iver, Gerrards Cross and Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, where matched natural slate repairs matter on period border homes.
Ask about your area →Slate roofers near me
We cover every part of the borough for this work, not just the main towns, and our team is based in Hayes, so the person who inspects your slate roof is the person who scopes and prices the job.
GMG Roof Experts carries out slate roof repairs, slipped and broken slate replacement, re-slating and full slate roof replacement, new natural and fibre-cement slate roofs and ridge, hip and valley leadwork across Uxbridge, Hayes, Ruislip, Eastcote, Ickenham, Hillingdon village, Northwood, Yiewsley, West Drayton and Harefield, plus the bordering areas of Iver, Gerrards Cross and Stoke Poges. For slipped slates letting water in we aim to attend a Hillingdon property the same or next working day.
Areas covered
Every area below is part of our regular coverage for this work. Where we have a dedicated location page, the pill links through to it.
Find us
GMG Roof Experts
30 Townfield Road, Hayes, UB3 2EP
Phone: +44 7949 999411
Email: info@gmgroofexperts.com
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency call-outs
Questions
The questions below come up most often from Hillingdon homeowners, landlords and businesses.
Slates that have slipped out of course or gone missing, slate fragments in the gutters and on the ground, damp patches on top-floor ceilings, and daylight or drips visible in the loft. Loose or lifting ridge and hip slates, and dark staining down a lead valley, are also common signs. If slates are slipping on more than one slope, it usually points to nail sickness across the whole roof.
Nail sickness is when the iron or copper nails that hold the slates have corroded to the point where they no longer grip, so slates slip out of course across the roof rather than in one spot. A roof with a few slipped slates and sound fixings elsewhere can be repaired. A roof where the nails have gone throughout usually needs a full re-slate, and the good news is that most of the original slate can normally be salvaged and re-laid.
Yes. We refix slipped slates and replace cracked or missing ones, fixed back into course with copper or stainless nails and slate hooks rather than mortar or clips. Replacement slates are matched to the roof by type, colour and gauge, and we re-use sound original slates wherever we can.
Both, depending on the roof. On period and conservation area homes we use natural slate matched by type, colour and gauge. Fibre-cement slate is a lighter, lower-cost alternative that suits some re-slates, extensions and lower-pitch slopes. Where the roof was already re-covered in tile, matching that tile is often the honest and cost-effective repair.
Re-slating is a full strip and recover. The slate is taken off carefully so the sound slates can be salvaged, the underlay and battens are renewed, the timbers are inspected and repaired, and the roof is re-laid, mostly in its own salvaged slate with new slate matched in for the shortfall, along with new lead valleys and ridge and hip systems.
A full re-slate needs a scaffold around the property for safe access and to load out slate. Smaller repairs can sometimes be done from a tower or with roof ladders. The access method and its cost are set out in your written quote before any work starts.
Yes. We identify the slate on your roof by type, colour and gauge and source matching new slate for the shortfall, and on a repair or re-slate we salvage and re-use every sound original slate we can so the roof still reads as one covering. On listed or conservation area properties we will flag where consent is likely to be needed before work starts.
Yes, 24 hours a day. Slates lifted, cracked or thrown by wind, and water coming into the property, are the most common call-outs. The first visit makes the roof safe and weathertight, with the permanent slate repair scheduled once it is secure.
We inspect the roof and the loft in person, then send a written quote covering slate, access, labour and timescale. Where both a repair and a re-slate are realistic, we quote both so the choice is yours. All pricing is on request after that visit, because access and scope are the biggest variables. We do not give figures without seeing the job.
We are based in Hayes and cover the whole London Borough of Hillingdon for slate roof repair and replacement, including Uxbridge, Hayes, Ruislip, Eastcote, Ickenham, Hillingdon village, Northwood, Yiewsley, West Drayton and Harefield, plus the bordering Buckinghamshire areas of Iver, Gerrards Cross and Stoke Poges. Call 07949 999411 to check your postcode.
Call now for a same-day response where the job allows it, or request a written quote following an inspection of the roof and the loft.
A written quote follows every inspection, our team works from proper scaffold or tower access, and we match slate by type, colour and gauge, whether it needs a repair or a full re-slate.
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GMG Roof Experts, 30 Townfield Road, Hayes, UB3 2EP. Email info@gmgroofexperts.com. Slate roof repair, replacement and installation across the London Borough of Hillingdon, including Uxbridge, Hayes, Ruislip, Eastcote, Ickenham, Hillingdon village, Northwood, Yiewsley, West Drayton and Harefield, plus bordering Iver, Gerrards Cross and Stoke Poges.