Pitched Re-Roof with Tiles in Staines-upon-Thames | Case Study

The brief

Chalfont St Giles Build Co. was called to a semi-detached house in Staines-upon-Thames, close to the TW18 postcode district, where the roof was leaking around the valley and several concrete tiles had slipped after a period of high winds. The homeowners wanted the roof stripped and re-covered with modern concrete tiles before the autumn rains arrived, and they wanted the work done while they were away on their summer holiday so they could return to a dry, finished roof and a tidy garden.

The existing roof was the original covering from the 1960s, with degraded felt, corroded nails and battens that had started to rot at the eaves. The concrete tiles were sound in places but the fixing nails had failed in others, which is a common problem on roofs of this age in the Staines area. There were also signs of condensation in the loft space because the old bituminous felt was not breathable, trapping moisture against the rafters. The homeowners had noticed water stains on the upstairs ceiling after heavy rain and were concerned that the leak might spread before the holiday. Chalfont St needed the underlay, battens, fixings and dry ridge components on site in a coordinated drop so the roofers could work continuously once the scaffold was up. The concrete tiles were supplied directly by the roofing merchant the client preferred, but everything else that sits beneath the tiles came through Star Hawk.

The roof area was roughly 95 square metres with one valley and a hip end. The builder provided a measured schedule showing the felt required for the valleys, the breathable membrane for the main roof, the battens, the dry ridge kit and the fixings. We priced the pack within a day and held the stock at the yard until the scaffold sign-off was confirmed. Because the homeowners were leaving for holiday, the builder also wanted every material on site before the first tile was lifted so that no deliveries were needed while the house was empty and the neighbours were not disturbed.

• Client: Chalfont St Giles Build Co.
• Location: Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey (TW18, TW19) — slate re-roof
• Project: Pitched re-roof with tiles
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Star Hawk material cost: £720

The challenge

Three things shaped this re-roof in Staines-upon-Thames.

1. Summer holiday deadline. The homeowners were going away for two weeks in August and wanted the roof finished before they left. We scheduled the first drop for the morning the scaffold was due to be signed off, which meant the roofers could start stripping as soon as the scaffold was complete. Any delay in our delivery would have pushed the whole programme back and cancelled the holiday plan. The builder made it clear that the programme had no float, so our deliveries had to be precise.
2. Valley leak. The leak was concentrated in the valley between the main roof and the rear extension. The valley needed new felt, new battens and careful re-tiling because the water had been running under the tiles and into the loft space for some time. We supplied extra felt and nails so the roofers could strip the valley back to the rafters and rebuild it properly. The rafters at the valley were also checked for rot before the new felt went down.
3. Road access. The house was on a road with limited parking near Heathrow, and the commuter rush started early. Deliveries were booked for mid-morning to avoid the airport commuter traffic, and the skip permit was arranged by Chalfont St so the old tiles could be removed without blocking the street. The scaffold lorry had already caused one complaint from a neighbour, so the builder was keen to keep subsequent deliveries as short as possible.

The roof area was roughly 95 sq m with one valley and a hip end. The builder also wanted a dry ridge system rather than the original mortar bedding, which is more secure in high winds and easier to repair in the future. That meant we needed to supply the dry ridge components as well as the battens and fixings. The proximity to Heathrow also meant the roof was exposed to aircraft noise and vibration, so a mechanically fixed ridge was a sensible upgrade over mortar bedding that can crack under vibration over time.

Materials we supplied

Chalfont St's roofer specified the breathable underlay, torch-on felt for the valleys and the fixings. We supplied the following items exactly as originally ordered:

• Underlay and membrane: 7 rolls of Torch on Roofing Felt for the valleys and upstands, plus 1 roll of Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) for temporary protection of the exposed rafters while the old covering was removed.
• Fixings: 3 boxes of Galvanized Nails for the battens and 2 boxes of High Performance Wood Screws for the dry ridge system.

The concrete roof tiles, leadwork and scaffold were supplied by separate specialists. We stayed focused on the items we could control and made sure they arrived in the right order: the DPM first to protect the rafters, the torch-on felt when the valley was being rebuilt, and the nails and screws in reserve so the roofers never had to stop for fixings.

The battens were pressure-treated and graded, cut to the lengths specified by the roofer so they could be lifted straight onto the scaffold and fixed without cutting on site. That saved time and reduced waste on a job where storage space on the scaffold was limited. We also supplied the battens in two lengths so the hip cuts could be made without unnecessary off-cuts, which kept the scaffold boards clearer and safer for the roofing team.

Delivery and logistics

Re-roofs rely on timing. We structured the Staines-upon-Thames drops around three practical rules.

• Lift to scaffold. The driver offloaded at the kerb and the roofers used the scaffold hoist to lift rolls and battens to eaves level. We kept the vehicle on site only as long as necessary so the road was not blocked while the neighbours were leaving for work. The driver stayed in the cab with the hazard lights on while the roofers signed for the delivery.
• Reserve pack. We held a reserve of nails, screws and an extra roll of felt at the Staines-upon-Thames yard. Once a roof is stripped, you cannot afford to stop for a box of fixings, especially when rain is forecast. The reserve was delivered on the second day once the roofer confirmed what was needed. This reserve also meant the roofer could replace any battens that cracked during fixing without waiting.
• Batch tracking. The felt batch numbers were logged on the delivery note so Chalfont St had a paper trail for the client. On a re-roof, being able to show that the materials came from the same production run matters if any warranty claim arises later. The batch numbers were also useful because the roofer wanted to make sure the valley and main roof felts were compatible.

All drops were confirmed the evening before and timed around commuter traffic. The site manager received a text when the driver left the yard and another when the delivery was complete, which meant he could keep the homeowners informed even while they were preparing for their holiday. The final drop, a small pack of spare fixings, was left with the builder so that he could make any small adjustments after the scaffold came down.

The build

The build ran for 3 weeks on a weather-dependent programme.

• Week 1: Scaffold and strip. The scaffold went up and the old tiles and battens were stripped. The rafters on the Staines-upon-Thames roof were inspected and any rotten sarking was replaced. The roof was sheeted each evening with tarpaulins so that the exposed rafters were protected if rain came overnight. The skip was filled with the old tiles and a second skip was ordered mid-week for the timber and felt waste. The roofer photographed the stripped rafters for the client so they could see the condition of the old felt and battens.
• Week 2: Underlay and battens. On the Staines-upon-Thames roof, breathable membrane was draped over the rafters and counter-battens were fixed. New treated battens were spaced to the tile gauge and nailed down. The valley was lined with torch-on felt and the upstands were dressed properly to stop water tracking back underneath. The dry ridge batten was fixed along the hips and ridge ready for the mechanical system.
• Week 3: Tiling, ridge and cleanup. The concrete tiles were laid from eaves to ridge, the dry ridge kit was fitted along the hips and ridge, and the valley was re-tiled with careful cutting. The scaffold was struck and the site was swept. The roofer left a small pack of spare tiles in the loft for future repairs. The gutters were re-fixed and the downpipes were flushed to make sure the new roof drained properly.

The roof was watertight before the homeowners returned from holiday. The dry ridge system was tested in a storm two weeks later and held firm, whereas several neighbouring roofs lost mortar ridge tiles in the same wind. The breathable membrane also cleared the condensation problem in the loft within a month, which the clients noticed because the upstairs landing no longer smelled damp after rain. The builder issued a ten-year workmanship guarantee and the roofer noted that the Star Hawk materials were delivered in good condition and on gauge, which made the fixing straightforward.

The result

The finished roof is a clean, grey concrete tile covering with new breathable membrane, treated battens and a dry ridge system. The valley no longer leaks and the loft space below is dry. The homeowners noticed the difference immediately: the upstairs bedrooms felt warmer because the breathable membrane and proper battens had stopped the draughts that used to blow through the old roof. The roof also looks neater from the street because the dry ridge gives a consistent line along the hips, and the new tiles match the existing covering on the adjoining semi-detached property.

For a material spend of £720, the value was in the timing. Having the underlay, felt and fixings on the scaffold when the roofers started meant the job was finished in three weeks rather than dragging into the rainy season. The builder was also able to invoice the client with a clear separation between the Star Hawk materials and the tiles supplied by the roofing merchant. The homeowner later told the builder that the re-roof was the least stressful part of the whole year because the work was complete before they returned from holiday, the house was dry, and the site was left clean.

What we don't supply on a reroof

On a pitched re-roof with tiles like this one in Staines-upon-Thames, the following items sit outside our range:

• Scaffolding and access towers on the Staines-upon-Thames re-roof — hired directly by the roofing contractor.
• Concrete roof tiles, clay tiles or slate if they are a specialist profile — usually supplied by the roofing merchant.
• Lead work, flashings and bespoke valley details on the Staines-upon-Thames roof — supplied and installed by a lead worker.
• Roof windows, Velux and skylights on the Staines-upon-Thames roof — supplied and installed by a glazing specialist.
• Guttering, fascias and soffits if they are being replaced.
• Internal ceiling repairs or loft insulation upgrades.
• Skip hire, waste disposal and final cleaning.

Everything else — underlay, battens, fixings and dry ridge components — stays on a single Star Hawk account, which keeps the material trail simple and the builder's paperwork under control.

Cost transparency

The materials Star Hawk supplied came to £720 and broke down as follows:

Category	Materials supplied	Cost
Roofing	7 rolls torch-on roofing felt	£420
Fixings & hardware	3 boxes galvanized nails, 2 boxes wood screws	£210
Membranes	1 roll DPM	£90

The remaining cost of the re-roof — the tiles, lead, scaffold, labour and waste disposal — was supplied by other partners on the same site. The total re-roof cost was kept within the builder's original estimate, and the Star Hawk portion was the smallest line item but arguably the most critical for keeping the programme on track.

Why Staines-upon-Thames homeowners choose Star Hawk

We are 15 minutes from the TW18 postcode district and our round covers Staines-upon-Thames, including Ashford, Stanwell, Stanwell Moor and Egham Hythe. We also deliver to Guildford, Camberley, Farnham and Woking on the same day, which means roofing contractors working across west Surrey and north Hampshire can rely on us for next-day roofing materials.

Most of our Staines-upon-Thames roofing customers are homeowners who need the underlay, battens and fixings on the scaffold when the roofers are ready. They want a supplier who understands that a re-roof is weather-dependent and can react when the forecast changes. We also work with builders in the area who manage multiple sites and need a reliable back-up supplier when the main merchant cannot deliver next day. Our yard keeps a regular stock of torch-on felt, DPM, galvanized nails and wood screws because these are the items that run out fastest once a roof is stripped. If that is you, send your roofer's schedule through the quote builder and we will come back the same business day with a firm price.