My chimney stack is shared with next door, can you still repair it?

Yes, this is common on Erdington terraces. We can repair or rebuild a shared stack, and we will explain clearly what work falls on each side so there are no surprises.

Water is coming in through the valley between my house and the neighbour's, what causes that?

Usually the old lead valley has split or the joints have failed. We strip out the old valley and reline it so both roofs drain properly again.

Do you replace single slipped slates or only do full roofs?

We are happy to replace one or two slipped slates. We will also tell you honestly if the nails are failing across the whole roof so you can plan ahead.

Roof Repairs Erdington | J Dowd & Sons

Roof Repairs in Erdington

Erdington is row after row of Victorian and Edwardian bay-fronted terraces, and that style of roof brings its own set of problems. Slipped slates, shared chimney stacks built into the party wall, and old lead valleys between neighbouring roofs are jobs we deal with most weeks. J Dowd & Sons have repaired roofs across the B23 and B24 area since 1970.

The terraced roof problem in Erdington

On a Victorian terrace your roof does not stop at your boundary. The valleys, the gutters and very often the chimney stacks are shared with the house next door. When a stack starts to crumble or a valley begins to leak it is rarely one property affected, and the repair needs to be planned so both sides are sound. We have done a lot of party-wall stack work around the High Street and the streets behind Erdington Abbey.

Chimney and stack repairs

The brick stacks on these terraces take the full force of the weather and the mortar eventually washes out. Left alone the stack leans, the flaunching cracks and water tracks down inside the chimney breast. We repoint, renew the flaunching, fit new pots or cap off disused flues, and redress the lead apron and soakers around the base.

Repointing and rebuilding leaning or open-jointed stacks
New lead flashing, soakers and back gutters where the originals have failed
Slate valley repairs between adjoining terraces
Slipped and broken slate replacement using matching slate

Access on a terrace

Getting safely onto a terraced roof in Erdington is half the job, especially on the streets where there is no rear access and everything has to come through the house or over the front. We use the right access for the work, whether that is a tower for a quick slate replacement or a proper scaffold for stack and valley work, and we keep the front garden and the pavement clear while we are there. For one or two slipped slates we can often sort it the same visit.

Honest work, properly guaranteed

We are NFRC, TrustMark and Guild of Master Craftsmen accredited, and every repair carries our lifetime workmanship guarantee. On a terrace it pays to use a roofer who understands how the shared details work, because a cheap fix to a valley or a stack tends to come back as a leak in your bedroom ceiling. We will tell you straight what needs doing and what can wait, and we will not talk you into a full re-roof when a sound repair will see you right for years.

What's included with our roof repairs

Emergency call-out across Birmingham, Erdington, Great Barr and Sutton Coldfield

Free roof inspection, photo report and fixed-price quote, no call-out fee

Source of the leak traced properly, not just the visible stain treated

Matching new and reclaimed tiles and slates for invisible repairs

Leadwork, ridge re-bedding and valley clearance or replacement

Same-day temporary cover to stop active leaks before the full repair

Insurance photos, reports and costings supplied and insurer liaison handled

Written workmanship guarantee on every repair, large or small

NFRC, TrustMark and Guild of Master Craftsmen accredited

Looking for the full picture? See our Roof Repairs service page or everything we cover across Erdington.