Slate Re-Roof in Aylesbury | Case Study

The brief

Northgate Construction was called to a 1960s semi-detached house in Aylesbury where the original tiled roof had started to leak over the main bedroom and the upstairs hallway. The homeowners had lived with damp patches for two winters and had decided to act after a storm lifted several tiles and water began to run down the inside of the chimney breast. They wanted the roof stripped back to the rafters and re-covered with natural slate to match a neighbour's recent re-roof, and they needed the work finished before the February half-term because the family was going away. The February weather made the deadline tighter: any rain getting in during the strip would have damaged the ceilings and decoration they had already repaired once.

We priced the roofing schedule from the roofer's measurements, covering the breathable underlay, battens, fixings and dry ridge components that sit beneath and around the slate covering. The natural slate itself was sourced directly by Northgate's roofing supplier because the clients wanted a specific Welsh slate that was not part of our standard stock range. Our role was to make sure that everything the slaters needed apart from the slate tiles was on the scaffold at the right moment and in the right quantity. That included making small adjustments to the order if the roofer found extra rotten battens or needed a different gauge once the old covering was off.

The roof area was roughly 95 square metres, with two valleys, a chimney stack and a party-wall abutment that needed careful detailing. Northgate wanted a supplier who understood that a re-roof is a race against the weather and who could react if the scaffold schedule or slate delivery shifted. They had used merchants before who delivered to the kerb and left the roofers to carry materials up by hand, wasting valuable hours on a weather-sensitive job.

• Client: Northgate Construction
• Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire (HP19, HP20)
• Project: Slate re-roof
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Star Hawk material cost: £370

The challenge

Re-roofs are among the most time-sensitive jobs in residential construction. Once the old covering is stripped away, the house is exposed, and any delay in the follow-on materials can leave the property vulnerable to rain. Four issues shaped this Aylesbury job, and each one influenced the delivery plan.

1. Scaffold timing. The scaffold was booked for a Monday morning and the old roof had to come off the same day. We coordinated our first drop of felt, battens and fixings to arrive at 7am, before the scaffold was fully signed off, so the roofers could start stripping immediately once the access was safe. The driver waited while the scaffold tag was checked so the materials could be lifted straight onto the boards.
2. Matching the slate gauge. The new slate was a different size and thickness to the old concrete tiles, so the batten spacing had to be recalculated on site. We supplied extra battens and additional nails so the roofers could adjust the gauge without a second merchant run. Having the spare material on the scaffold meant the slaters could keep working even when the gauge changed halfway up the roof.
3. School-run access. The road outside the house is busy between 8am and 9am and again at 3pm when parents collect children from the nearby primary school. All our drops were scheduled between 9.30am and 2.30pm to avoid blocking the street. The driver also avoided reversing across the pavement during drop-off and collection times.
4. Chimney and valley detailing. The two valleys carried a lot of water from the large front and rear roof slopes, and the chimney stack needed new lead flashings. The torch-on felt we supplied was used to line the valleys and dress the upstands, while the lead work was carried out by a specialist lead contractor. The detailing here was critical because the previous leaks had started at the chimney abutment and at the base of one valley, so the new work had to be faultless.

The homeowners were living in the house throughout, so noise, dust and security were all concerns. Northgate asked us to keep deliveries compact and to remove any packaging so the front garden did not become a storage yard. We also made sure that the driver did not block the driveway, so the family could still come and go during the working day. This small courtesy made a big difference to the homeowners' patience during a disruptive project.

Materials we supplied

Northgate's roofer specified the breathable underlay, treated battens and fixings, and we supplied exactly what was needed for the 95-square-metre roof. We also included a small contingency for the gauge adjustment and for any timber repairs discovered once the old tiles were off. The quantities below were confirmed on site before the order was placed:

• Underlay and membrane: 3 rolls of Torch on Roofing Felt for the valleys, upstands and chimney abutments, plus 1 roll of Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) for temporary protection of the exposed rafters and for detailing at the eaves.
• Fixings: 4 boxes of Galvanized Nails for the battens and 2 boxes of High Performance Wood Screws for the dry ridge system and any timber repairs.

The natural slate tiles, the lead flashings around the chimney, the dry ridge kit and the scaffold itself were supplied by separate specialists. We coordinated our drops around their programmes so that no trade was held up by another supplier. We stayed in our lane on the Aylesbury re-roof and made sure the items we did supply were on the scaffold at the right moment. Every roll of felt and every box of nails was logged on the delivery note so Northgate had a clear paper trail for the client and for any future warranty claim.

Delivery and logistics

Roofing materials have to be where the roofers are when they are ready, not where the driver finds it convenient to tip. We structured the Aylesbury drops around three practical rules that kept the job moving and the site safe.

• Lift to scaffold. The driver offloaded at the kerb and the roofers' labourer used the scaffold hoist to lift battens and rolls of felt up to eaves level. We kept the vehicle on site only as long as necessary, and the driver swept the pavement before leaving. Where possible the driver placed materials close to the hoist to reduce carrying distance.
• Reserve pack. We held a reserve of nails, screws and an extra roll of felt at the Aylesbury yard. Once a roof is stripped, you cannot afford to stop because a box of fixings has run out or a roll of felt is damaged during lifting. The reserve was called on once when a roll of felt was punctured by a nail left in the old battens.
• Batch tracking. The felt batch numbers and any treatment certificates for the battens were logged on the delivery note. Northgate's site manager needed this documentation for the client handover pack and for any future insurance or warranty claim.

All drops on the Aylesbury re-roof were confirmed the evening before and timed around the school run. When the Welsh slate delivery was delayed by a day because of snow on the quarry route, we immediately moved our reserve felt and fixing drop so the roofers could keep working on the valleys while they waited for the slates. That flexibility meant no paid downtime for the slating team and kept the four-week programme intact.

The build

The build ran for four weeks, with each week focused on a distinct phase of the re-roof.

• Week 1: Scaffold and strip. The scaffold went up on the Monday and the old tiles and battens were stripped the same day. The rafters were inspected, any rotten sarking boards were replaced, and the roof was covered with a temporary tarp each evening. The DPM roll was used to protect exposed rafters where the old felt had disintegrated. Northgate found more rot than expected in two rafter feet, which delayed the battens by half a day but did not affect the overall programme.
• Week 2: Underlay and battens. On the Aylesbury roof, breathable membrane was draped over the rafters and counter-battens were fixed. New treated battens were spaced to the slate gauge and nailed down with galvanized nails. The valleys were lined with torch-on felt and the upstands were dressed ready for the lead contractor. The extra battens we had supplied proved useful when the roofer decided to tighten the gauge on the steeper rear slope.
• Week 3: Slating. The Welsh slate was laid from eaves to ridge, with careful cuts around the two valleys and the chimney. The roof began to take on its finished appearance. Waste was cleared from the scaffold daily so the gutters did not block if it rained. The slaters worked from one side to the other so the house was never fully exposed.
• Week 4: Ridge, flashings and cleanup. The dry ridge kit was fitted with wood screws, ridge tiles were bedded and the lead flashings were dressed around the chimney. The scaffold was struck, the site was swept and the roof was handed over watertight. Northgate walked the roof with the homeowner and explained the dry ridge system and the expected lifespan of the slate.

The roof was watertight before the family left for half-term, which was the critical success criterion. Northgate reported that the job would have taken an extra two days if they had had to send someone to a merchant for additional battens or fixings. The homeowners returned from their break to a dry house and a clean front garden.

The result

The finished roof is a clean, dark-grey natural slate covering with new breathable membrane, treated battens and a dry ridge system that will not need repointing for many years. The loft space below is now dry, the bedroom ceiling stains have not returned, and the homeowners have a roof that should last more than three decades. They also reported that the house feels warmer thanks to the new breathable membrane and the improved detailing at the eaves and around the chimney stack.

For a Star Hawk material spend of £370, the value was in the timing and availability. Coordinating the underlay, battens and fixings with the scaffold and slate deliveries meant the roof was never left open longer than necessary, and the reserve pack meant the roofers did not have to leave site for small items. The homeowner's total project cost was far higher once slate, lead, scaffold and labour were included, but the £370 we supplied was the link that kept the programme together.

What we don't supply on a reroof

On a slate re-roof like this one in Aylesbury, the following items sit outside our range:

• Scaffolding and access towers on the Aylesbury re-roof — hired directly by the roofing contractor.
• Natural slate, clay tiles or concrete tiles if they are a specialist profile on the Aylesbury roof — usually supplied by the roofing merchant.
• Lead work, flashings and bespoke valley details on the Aylesbury roof — supplied and installed by a lead worker.
• Roof windows, Velux and skylights on the Aylesbury roof — supplied and installed by a glazing specialist.
• Guttering, fascias and soffits if they are being replaced on the Aylesbury house — supplied by a roofline specialist.
• Internal ceiling repairs or loft insulation upgrades on the Aylesbury job — carried out by separate trades.
• Skip hire, waste disposal and final cleaning on the Aylesbury re-roof — arranged by the main contractor.

Everything else — underlay, battens, fixings and dry ridge components — stays on the single Star Hawk account for this Aylesbury re-roof. This clear split helps the roofer manage their material budget, keeps the warranty paperwork in one place and makes final accounting simpler.

Cost transparency

The materials Star Hawk supplied came to £370 and broke down as follows:

Category	Materials supplied	Cost
Fixings & hardware	4 boxes galvanized nails, 2 boxes wood screws	£210
Roofing	3 rolls torch-on roofing felt	£120
Membranes	1 roll DPM	£40

The remaining cost of the Aylesbury re-roof — the slate, lead, scaffold, labour and waste disposal — was supplied by other partners on the same site. That is normal for a slate re-roof, where specialist trades and materials sit outside a general builder's merchant range.

Why Aylesbury homeowners choose Star Hawk

We are 16 minutes from the HP19 postcode district and our round covers Aylesbury, including Fairford Leys, Berryfields, Watermead, Bedgrove and the town centre. From Aylesbury we also deliver to High Wycombe, Marlow, Beaconsfield and Princes Risborough on the same day for re-roof projects. Being local means we can often get a missed item to site within a couple of hours.

Most of our Aylesbury roofing customers are local builders and homeowners who need the underlay, battens and fixings on the scaffold when the roofers are ready. They are often working to a weather window and cannot afford to wait for a merchant run. They want a supplier who understands that a re-roof is a race against the weather and who keeps a reserve pack at the yard for the items that always run short. That is exactly the service we provide to roofers across Aylesbury. If that is you, send your roofer's schedule through the quote builder and we will come back the same business day with a fixed price.