FAQ

Is the Stormflex system better than slate roof replacement or re-slating?

The Stormflex system is an excellent alternative to slate roof replacement or re-slating. It can restore your roof to its original appearance and strength and at a fraction of the cost of a roof replacement. The Stormflex system looks as good as, if not better than, a roof replacement and retains the character of an older roof.

Many older roofs have acquired much ‘character’ over the years and we are proud of our record in conserving and enhancing such roofs. Applying the Stormflex system can only be carried out by skilled slaters, who will repair and smarten up your roof first. Even though all our work is done from the outside of the roof, the adhesion points are underneath the slates, thus making our treatment invisible.

If you opt for slate roof replacement or re-slating the finished result can be uniform and characterless, fundamentally changing the character of the building. The round-hipped building below was repaired by us and is one of the increasingly rare ‘random diminishing’ roofs left in Britain. This is typical of roofs throughout the country that are being stripped and re-slated with uniform slates or tiles.

How is Stormflex different to the spray foam system?

Firstly, we make no claim to insulate your roof. This can be done to extremely high standards using conventional insulation systems. Unlike spray foam, we claim to give you a roof where every slate is fully treated and guaranteed against slippage and leaks.

We do claim that the strength and comprehensiveness of the Stormflex Slate Conservation System cannot be matched by any other, including spray foam. This is because all our work is done from the outside; we can therefore treat every slate on the roof and guarantee that every single one will be bomb solid when we have finished. As far as we know, spray foam companies cannot make this claim. Why not? Because the foam spray is applied from the inside it cannot be applied to all the slates, e.g. over walls or the ridge.

All our work force are highly skilled in the business of working on and working with slates and therefore need to have the full range of slating skills together with associated trade skills (e.g. carpentry, lead work, plastering, chimney work, skylights etc.). Foam spray operatives do not necessarily possess these skills. The Stormflex system offers minimum interruption and intrusion, because all our work is done from the outside, even in the unlikely event of having to carry out timber repairs. Spray foam insulation on the other hand is applied to the underside of a roof and therefore has to be carried out from inside the building.

Use of the Stormflex system does not preclude further work on the roof or even eventual re-use of the slates. On the other hand spray foam insulation and spray-on roof coatings can make it very difficult for the slates to be re-used. We claim to make a huge difference to the appearance of the roof. For instance the following roof (photo to follow) was treated by a spray foam firm who evidently had little grasp of how to improve the appearance of a roof, leaving in all the lead tags and some poor detailing at the bottom corner of the chimney (spot the leak point).

Why is the Stormflex system better than conventional slate roof repair?

The shortcomings and crudity of most slate patching techniques invariably means that both the appearance of your roof and the value of your property are downgraded every time a repair is carried out. Stormflex tackles the problem before the problem hits you and your pocket.

How can I tell if my roof needs the Stormflex treatment?

Slipping slates invariably indicate the onset of nail fatigue. This in turn points to a future of escalating roofing problems: persistent slate slippage, water ingress and timber decay, all signs that the roof needs ‘Stormflexing’. Let the Stormflex system deal with the problem before complete re-slating of the roof becomes necessary.

How much does the Stormflex system cost?

This obviously varies from property to property but in the vast majority of cases it comes out at less than a third of the cost of re-slating and we usually save on the scaffolding costs too. Please contact us to discuss costs for your property. If you send us relevant measurements or digital photos according to our instructions we can give you an on-line phone estimate.

What kinds of slate roof can you deal with?

Be it Welsh slate, Chinese slate or Spanish slate, the Stormflex system can conserve the existing character of any slate roof, matching it as closely as possible. Inevitably, the vast majority of roofs we deal with are laid with indigenous (mostly Welsh) slate. We can deal with most slate roofed properties, from small cottages to large industrial and commercial buildings like the Corn Exchange in Leeds.

What areas of the UK do you work in?

We can work in all areas, anywhere in the UK.