The completed roof following reinstatement in reclaimed slate and renewal of the associated leadwork.
Rathbone House | 292 Tadcaster Road, York
Comprehensive restoration of the roof and upper building envelope to a Grade II listed residence
NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE
Re-Roofing Mount Vale
York
Replacement of a leaking rear roof elevation to a period property on The Mount in York, using reclaimed slate, renewed leadwork and improved weathering details around the ridge and rooflight.
THE MOUNT · YORK · RECLAIMED SLATE · LEADWORK · PERIOD PROPERTY
Explore the Project01 — THE PROJECT
Re-roofing a leaking rear roof elevation in York
The Mount is one of York’s established residential areas, characterised by substantial period properties and traditional roof construction.
At Mount Vale, Neal Roofing was instructed to replace a leaking rear roof elevation and improve a number of existing weathering details that had become vulnerable to water ingress.
PROJECT
Re-Roofing
PROGRAMME
Circa 4 Weeks
LOCATION
The Mount, York
PRIMARY MATERIAL
Reclaimed Slate
02 — EXISTING CONDITION
A roof beginning to fail at vulnerable junctions
The rear roof elevation had begun to allow water ingress, indicating that isolated repairs were unlikely to provide the most reliable long-term solution.
Particular concern centred on the ridge and rooflight junctions, both of which are common areas for failure where leadwork or interfaces have not been detailed correctly.
The decision was therefore taken to replace the affected roof covering and renew the associated weathering details as part of one coordinated scheme.
03 — THE APPROACH
Rebuild the vulnerable details rather than patch around them
The scope was designed around removing the existing roof covering and rebuilding the elevation with reclaimed slate, new battens and breathable underlay.
At the same time, defective leadwork was removed and replaced so that the roof could perform as a complete system rather than relying on localised patch repairs.
The ridge and rooflight were given particular attention because these interfaces had contributed to the previous leakage.
Reclaimed Slate
Traditional slate roofing reinstated with reclaimed material appropriate to the existing property.
Lead Ridge Detail
A new lead capping was introduced to improve the weathering of the roof apex.
Rooflight Weathering
Leadwork around the rooflight was renewed to improve the interface with the slate covering.
04 — SCOPE OF WORKS
A focused re-roofing project with improved weathering details.
The project combined traditional slate roofing with renewed leadwork and supporting roof preparation.
Roof Covering
- Removal of existing slate roof covering
- Inspection of supporting roof structure
- Installation of Proctor Roofshield
- New treated timber battens
- Re-roofing in reclaimed slate
Leadwork + Details
- Renewed leadwork around rooflight
- New lead ridge capping
- Code 3 and Code 5 lead
- Improved interface detailing
- Associated weathering repairs
05 — RECLAIMED SLATE
Retaining the traditional appearance of the property
Reclaimed slate was selected for the replacement roof covering.
Using reclaimed material allowed the replacement elevation to remain visually compatible with the period character of the property while avoiding the overly uniform appearance that can result from some new roofing materials.
The slate was installed over new treated battens and Proctor Roofshield breathable membrane to provide a modern supporting build-up beneath a traditional external finish.
06 — LEADWORK
Improving the vulnerable roof interfaces
The existing ridge arrangement represented a potential weakness within the roof covering.
A new lead capping detail was therefore introduced to provide a more reliable weathering junction at the apex.
The leadwork around the rooflight was also renewed to improve the interface between the opening and surrounding slate covering.
These details demonstrate why successful re-roofing involves more than simply replacing the principal covering: junctions, penetrations and interfaces frequently determine whether the finished roof performs reliably.
07 — MATERIALS
Materials selected for a traditional York roof
- Reclaimed natural slate
- Code 3 rolled lead sheet
- Code 5 rolled lead sheet
- Treated softwood roofing battens
- Proctor Roofshield breathable membrane
- Associated timber and fixings
08 — SKILLS
Traditional roofing skills
- Natural slate roofing
- Reclaimed slate selection and installation
- Roof-related joinery
- Lead dressing and bossing
- Lead flashing and capping details
- Rooflight weathering
- Roof interface detailing
09 — PROJECT RECORD
Before.
Re-Roofing.
Completed.
The Mount Vale project archive records the condition of the rear roof elevation before work and the completed replacement roof following renewal of the slate and lead details.
Further construction photographs can be added as they are located, particularly images showing removal of the old covering, preparation of the rooflight and formation of the new lead ridge detail.
10 — TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
Standards and guidance behind the work
Roofing Regulations + Standards →
BS 5534 Slating + Tiling →
BS 6915 Leadwork →
BS 8000 Workmanship →
11 — INDEPENDENT CONSULTANCY
Surveying and defect investigation
Where the cause of roof leakage is uncertain, an independent inspection can help distinguish between isolated defects and wider failures in the roof covering or supporting construction.
Strut Building Surveyors provides independent roof condition surveys, defect investigation, repair specifications and project consultancy.
The Lead Lads®
Specialist lead roofing, detailing, technical guidance and rolled lead sheet.
The Reclaimed Company®
Reclaimed slate, traditional roofing materials and architectural salvage.
Neal Roofing Knowledge Base
Technical guidance covering slating, leadwork, roof build-ups and workmanship.
12 — PROJECT OUTCOME
A leaking roof elevation rebuilt as one complete system
The Mount Vale project replaced a failing rear roof covering while addressing the lead details most vulnerable to future water ingress.
Reclaimed slate retained the traditional appearance of the property, while new membrane, battens and carefully formed leadwork provided a properly coordinated replacement roof.
The project is a good example of how relatively modest residential re-roofing work can still benefit from careful attention to detailing at ridges, rooflights and other interfaces.
NEAL ROOFING / PROJECT ARCHIVE
York roofs. Traditional materials. Specialist detailing in practice.
Mount Vale forms part of the Neal Roofing archive documenting residential, heritage, ecclesiastical and commercial roofing projects undertaken across York and Yorkshire.
The archive records real buildings, material choices and roofing details — preserving the practical experience accumulated through completed work.
EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE
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