Category
Heritage Roofing Solutions for Traditional Coverings
full packages in London, Kent and Sussex.
Traditional Slate, Tile and leadwork coordinated as part of a full envelope.
One envelope
Natural slate
Slate is still the preferred choice for heritage roofing packages that conservation officers and many London streets rely on. We specify and coordinate natural slate as part of a full roof installation, which includes the metal and lead junctions essential for keeping structures dry.
Typical projects involve using Welsh and Spanish slates for pitched roofs, as well as vertical hanging on cheeks and gables, with careful consideration for meeting points with zinc, copper, or lead. Our slate and tile roofing solutions adhere to BS 5534 standards, ensuring correct head laps, hooks or copper nails, grading by thickness, and appropriate weathering at valleys, ridges, and abutments.
We do not rely on anonymous pallet slate; instead, we select a skilled slating team for each job. Metalico continues to be the trusted contractor for these traditional roofing systems.
Clay and concrete tiles
Plain tiles and interlocking clay profiles are the vernacular of large parts of London, Kent, and Sussex, especially within traditional roofing systems. Concrete and engineered interlocking tiles also play a crucial role in larger residential and commercial pitches, where weight, frost resistance, and cost must be balanced.
We view tiling as part of the roofing envelope: new pitches, refurbishment, tile-hung elevations, and the dormer cheeks that sit against metal or lead. Our heritage roofing packages ensure that battens, counter-battens, membranes, and ventilation are meticulously integrated with the metalwork so that the roof appears as one cohesive construction, rather than two trades meeting in the rain.
Traditional leadwork
Lead is the junction metal on most heritage roofing packages across this city. Proper formation of gutters, valleys, soakers, stepped flashings, dormer tops, hips, ridges, and abutment coverings is essential for the longevity of slate and tile roofing systems.
We coordinate code-compliant leadwork with slating, tiling, and other elements of the hard metal package. When a detail is more suited to coated steel, zinc, or copper, we make sure to specify that. Our priority is the listed fabric and conservation advice, followed by selecting the metal that will best withstand the weather at the junctions.
This is not merely an inexpensive flashing add-on. Inferior lead quality is a common cause of failures in mixed roofs. Lead is priced and integrated into the project as part of the envelope, rather than being treated as a last-minute, day-rate consideration.
One company to envelope. The right trade on each surface.
Many London roofs are not composed of a single material. For example, a listed house may retain its Welsh slate while requiring new lead valleys, or a loft conversion might feature standing-seam zinc on the cheeks along with clay tiles as part of a slate and tile roofing system. Additionally, a townhouse extension may incorporate copper bays alongside hanging tiles, showcasing a blend of heritage roofing packages that respect traditional aesthetics.
This variety is typical of the work we undertake at Metalico. Billy Leach leads our specialized hard-metal crew, while we maintain strong working relationships with slaters, tilers, and lead workers who are already familiar with how we detail junctions. Unlike a general roofing firm, we take responsibility for the entire package when the project calls for it.
On-site, Metalico conducts thorough surveys of the building, assesses the build-up, prices the envelope, schedules the trades, installs the metalwork, and coordinates the traditional roofing systems so that all flashings, soakers, abutments, and ventilation align perfectly. You’ll only interact with us, eliminating the need to manage multiple contractors yourself.
Full roofing envelope packages
The whole roof, under one contract
Architects and main contractors lose time when managing zinc, slate, and lead as three separate packages, each with its own programme and excuses at the abutment. Homeowners grow impatient when no one takes ownership of the valley.
Metalico will take the roofing envelope as a single package to streamline the job, especially where heritage roofing packages can be beneficial. Our typical scope includes:
• Survey, substrate comment, and build-up recommendation.
• Hard-metal roofing and cladding — including zinc, copper, aluminium, and Green Coat PLX, with standing seam options.
• Slate and tile roofing solutions, featuring natural slate and clay or concrete tiling, including vertical hanging.
• Traditional leadwork for gutters, valleys, soakers, abutments, and dormers, reinforcing our commitment to traditional roofing systems.
• Carpentry and substrate coordination where the roof cannot be properly finished without it.
• Comprehensive RAMS, programme management, a single point of contact, handover, and a workmanship warranty on the work we complete.