Roofers in Westbury-on-Trym

We are JD Home Improvements, a family run roofing company on West Town Road in Shirehampton. Joe, our director, has over 20 years in roofing, and he leads a team of more than a dozen roofers with his son Tommy. Below we explain what we know about Westbury-on-Trym roofs and how we can help with yours.

A village with history on its rooftops

Westbury-on-Trym has been a settlement for well over a thousand years, and the oldest buildings around Holy Trinity church and the college gatehouse show it. Most homes, though, date from the Victorian era onwards, when the village grew into a suburb of Bristol. Large villas went up on the slopes around the centre, and later decades added wide streets of 1930s semis towards Canford and Henleaze.

That mix gives us a real variety of roofs to work on. Victorian and Edwardian houses often have natural slate finished with clay ridge tiles, usually beneath tall chimneys. Inter-war semis tend to have hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles, many with a bay window roof at the front and a dormer or extension added later at the back.

What period roofs need

Natural slate can last a very long time, but the nails that hold it rarely last as long. When those nails corrode, slates slide out of place one at a time, a fault known as nail sickness. You might see a single slate sitting lower than its neighbours or find pieces on the path. Fixing a few is straightforward, but widespread nail sickness usually means the slope needs stripping and relaying.

Chimneys are another common concern. Tall Victorian stacks catch the weather, so their mortar weakens and the lead flashing where they meet the roof eventually fails. Damp on a chimney breast in a bedroom is often the first clue.

Common roof problems in Westbury-on-Trym

• Slipped slates from nail sickness on Victorian and Edwardian roofs.
• Loose hip and ridge tiles on inter-war semis, where the old mortar has failed.
• Leaking bay window roofs, often finished in lead or felt that has split.
• Worn chimney stacks with crumbling mortar and tired lead flashing.

Most of these are everyday roof repairs for our team. When slate has slipped across a whole slope, our pitched roofing service can strip and relay it, reusing sound slates and adding new ones to match. Older roofs that have reached the end of their life may need a new roof, and we will explain the options clearly.

Loft conversions and extensions

With good-sized roof spaces and growing families, many Westbury-on-Trym homes have converted their lofts. Roof windows bring daylight into those rooms without changing the look from the street, and we fit Velux windows into slate and tiled roofs, finishing the flashing so everything stays watertight.

Rear extensions are common too, usually with a flat roof. When an older felt roof starts to leak, we strip it back and check the deck before laying a new covering. If your home is in the Westbury-on-Trym conservation area, it is worth checking with the council before changing anything visible from the street.

The details that matter

Many Westbury-on-Trym homes have front bay windows with their own small roofs. These are easy to overlook, yet they take a lot of water from the main roof above. When the lead or felt on a bay roof splits, rain can soak into the window head and the wall below, and the damage often shows as peeling paint or damp plaster around the window.

Gutters matter just as much. Victorian homes may still have cast iron gutters and downpipes, which look handsome but rust at the joints. Inter-war houses often have timber fascias behind plastic guttering, and that timber eventually rots. We repair or replace both, and on period homes we can fit cast iron style guttering that keeps the traditional look.

Attention to these smaller details is what keeps a big old house dry. We check them on every visit and point out anything that is starting to wear, so you can deal with it before it becomes a larger job.

How we work

Call us and tell us what you have noticed. We will arrange a visit and look at the roof properly, then explain what we find in plain English. A free written quote follows, setting out the work and the price.

Once you are ready, we agree a start date and keep you informed. You only pay when the job is finished and you are completely satisfied with it.

Why Westbury-on-Trym homeowners choose us

• Close at hand. Our Shirehampton base is a short drive from the village centre.
• Pay when happy. We do not ask for payment until the work is complete to your satisfaction.
• Accredited roofers. We are registered with the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, and our team holds CSCS cards.
• Warranty backed. Our roofing carries a 15 year warranty.

Reaching you from Shirehampton

We usually come up Shirehampton Road through Stoke Bishop and drop down Westbury Hill into the village, or cut across via Henbury Road from the north. Canford Park and the streets around it are only a few minutes further.

During After

Our vans are also regular sights in neighbouring Henleaze and in the larger houses of Stoke Bishop.

Westbury-on-Trym roofing FAQs

Talk to a local roofer

If your Westbury-on-Trym roof needs care, we are nearby and happy to take a look. Ring 07717 610410 or ask for a free quote.