Service
Ridge and VergeRepointing in BathBefore Mortar Becomes a Leak
The cheapest roof job you can do at the right time, and one of the most expensive to leave. Cracked bedding raked out, ridge tiles re-set and verges made secure at a fixed written price.
Established 2004 · 22 years' experience · £1,000,000 public liability
22 years' experience
Established 2004
Fixed-price quotes
Agreed in writing, not a day rate
£1,000,000 public liability
Insured for your protection
Emergency call-out
Available when a roof cannot wait
Overview
What Ridge and Verge Repointing Involves
The ridge is the horizontal line at the top of the roof; the verge is the edge where the covering meets a gable wall. Both are traditionally finished with tiles bedded in mortar. That mortar is the part of the roof most exposed to heat, frost and movement, and it is almost always the first element to fail, usually decades before the covering does.
Repointing is not smearing new mortar over old. The failed material is raked out, loose tiles are lifted and re-bedded onto a fresh bed, and the joints are pointed with a correctly mixed mortar so it bonds rather than sits on the surface. Where a verge is repeatedly failing, a mechanically fixed dry verge system removes mortar from the equation altogether.
It is one of the highest-value jobs on any roof: modest cost, immediate reduction in leak risk, and it removes a genuine falling-tile hazard above pavements and driveways.
Who this work is for
- Homeowners seeing cracks or gaps along the ridge line from ground level
- Anyone finding sand or mortar fragments in the gutters or on the drive
- Properties with visibly loose, lifted or slipped ridge or hip tiles
- Terraces and gables where verge mortar has fallen away in sections
- Owners preparing to sell whose survey has flagged defective ridge bedding
What's included
- Old, hollow mortar raked out rather than covered over
- Ridge and hip tiles re-bedded and repointed
- Verge repointing and dry verge options
- Loose tiles made safe on the same visit where possible
What happens if it is left
The Cost of Waiting Another Winter
Once mortar cracks, water gets behind it. In winter that water freezes, expands and opens the crack further, so the failure accelerates each season rather than staying still. Water passing the ridge runs onto the top of the felt and down into the roof space, which is why ridge failure so often shows up as damp on an upstairs ceiling in the middle of a room rather than at an edge.
The safety issue is more immediate. A ridge tile is heavy, and once its bedding has gone it is held on by very little. Over a pavement, a parked car, a front path or a neighbour's garden, that is a real liability, and a wind event is all it takes.
There is also a cost sequencing point. Repointing a ridge is a modest job. Re-bedding a ridge after tiles have moved, cracked and let water into battens for three winters is a bigger one, and if slipped tiles have damaged the covering below it grows again.
Common mistakes we are called in to undo
- Pointing new mortar over cracked, hollow bedding so it debonds within a year
- Using a mix that is too strong or too weak for the exposure
- Leaving one loose ridge tile 'until the rest need doing'
- Assuming a damp upstairs ceiling must be condensation
- Repointing a verge that has already lost its bedding rather than re-bedding it
Our process
How the Job Runs, Start to Finish
The same sequence on every job, so you always know what happens next and what it costs before it happens.
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Step 1
Inspection
We check the full ridge, hips and verges close up, tap for hollow bedding and identify which tiles have moved.
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Step 2
Diagnosis
You get a clear picture of what has failed, whether re-bedding or repointing is needed, and whether dry verge is worth considering.
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Step 3
Fixed written price
One price covering rake-out, re-bedding, pointing, access and clearing away, agreed before we start.
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Step 4
Rake out and re-bed
Failed mortar is removed properly, tiles lifted and re-bedded on a fresh bed, and joints pointed with an appropriate mix.
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Step 5
Check and clear
Every tile is checked for movement, gutters cleared of mortar debris and the site left clean.
What you get
Why This Work Is Worth Doing Properly
Leak risk removed early
Closing the ridge and verge stops water reaching felt and battens where it does slow, expensive damage.
Falling-tile hazard gone
Loose ridge and verge tiles above pavements, cars and paths are made secure.
Small cost, large saving
Repointing at the right time avoids re-bedding, timber repairs and internal redecoration later.
Survey issues cleared
A common survey flag resolved with documented, priced work before a sale.
Dry verge option
Where mortar keeps failing on an exposed gable, a mechanically fixed system ends the cycle.
Fixed written price
No day rate, no scope creep once access is in place.
In detail
Ridge/verge repointing: Materials, Methods and Variations
The specifics that decide whether the work lasts, written out so you can judge any quote you receive, including ours.
Why Ridge Mortar Fails
Mortar bedding fails for three reasons: thermal movement, frost, and the wrong mix. The ridge takes more temperature swing than any other part of the roof, expanding and contracting daily against rigid clay or concrete tiles. Over years that opens hairline cracks. Frost then gets into those cracks and levers them apart. A mix that is too strong cracks rather than flexes; too weak and it erodes.
Exposure matters locally. Gable ends facing the prevailing south-westerly across the Avon valley take driven rain directly and lose verge mortar far faster than the sheltered side of the same roof.
Re-Bedding vs Repointing vs Dry Fix
Repointing addresses the visible joint where the bed beneath is still sound. Re-bedding lifts the tile completely and re-sets it on fresh mortar, which is what is needed once tiles have moved or the bed has gone hollow. Dry ridge and dry verge systems fix tiles mechanically with clamps and unions, ventilate the ridge line and remove mortar dependence entirely.
- Repointing, sound bed, failed surface joint only
- Re-bedding, hollow bed, moved tiles, or widespread failure
- Dry ridge, exposed roofs, long ridge lines, ventilation requirement
- Dry verge, repeat verge failure on gables, particularly on modern tiled roofs
Hips, Gables and Terraced Roofs
Hip tiles carry the same risks as ridge tiles with added slope: once the bedding fails, gravity is working against you and hip irons at the foot are the only thing preventing a slide. We check hip irons as part of every inspection on a hipped roof.
On terraces, the ridge often runs continuously across several properties and mortar failure rarely respects boundaries. We will tell you where the failure extends beyond your section so you can raise it with neighbours rather than repointing up to an invisible line.
Materials and Mixes
The mortar specification is chosen for the covering and the exposure: strong enough to hold, flexible enough to move, and coloured to match the existing roofline rather than announcing itself in bright grey across an old slate roof.
On period property in Bath and Bradford-on-Avon, matching the appearance of existing lime-rich bedding matters as much as performance, and we take that into account rather than defaulting to a single mix on every roof.
Questions
Cost, Timescales and Guarantees
The questions we are asked most often, answered straight.
How do I know if my ridge needs repointing?
Visible cracks, missing sections of mortar, or fragments of mortar in the gutter are the usual signs. We confirm at inspection by checking the bedding close up.
How much does ridge repointing cost in Bath?
It depends on the length of ridge, hip and verge involved and how the roof is accessed. It is one of the lower-cost roofing jobs, and the price is fixed in writing before we begin.
How long does repointing take?
Many domestic ridge and verge jobs are completed within a day or two once access is in place. Larger or hipped roofs take longer and we give a timescale with the quote.
How long will repointing last?
Correctly raked-out and re-bedded work with an appropriate mix lasts many years. Pointing smeared over failed bedding does not, which is why we do not work that way.
Is a loose ridge tile dangerous?
Yes: ridge tiles are heavy and once bedding has failed there is little holding them. If one is loose above a pavement, path or parking area, treat it as urgent.
Should I choose dry verge instead of mortar?
On exposed gables and modern tiled roofs where mortar keeps failing, dry verge is often the better long-term answer. We will price both so you can compare.
Can you fix loose tiles on the same visit?
Where access allows and the work is within the agreed scope, yes: loose tiles are made safe on the same visit wherever possible.
Will the new mortar match my roof?
We choose a mix and colour to suit the existing roofline, which matters particularly on older Bath property.
Do you cover villages outside Bath?
Yes, Keynsham, Saltford, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Frome, Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Bristol.
Related roofing services
- Roof repairsLeaks traced, slipped tiles reset and weak areas made watertight, repaired properly rather than patched.
- Re-roofs / re-tilingFull roof replacement and re-tiling, stripped back, re-felted, re-battened and re-covered to a lasting standard.
- Chimney workRepointing, rebuilds, flashings and capping, chimneys made sound and weathertight.
- All roofing servicesEvery service we carry out across Bath and Bristol.
Where we carry out this work
Ridge/verge repointing carried out across Bath and the surrounding towns and villages. Not listed? Ask us : we may still cover you.
- Ridge/verge repointing in Bath
- Ridge/verge repointing in Bristol
- Ridge/verge repointing in Keynsham
- Ridge/verge repointing in Saltford
- Ridge/verge repointing in Bradford-on-Avon
- Ridge/verge repointing in Trowbridge
- Ridge/verge repointing in Frome
- Ridge/verge repointing in Radstock
- Ridge/verge repointing in Midsomer Norton
Get a Fixed Price for Ridge/verge repointing in Bath
Inspection first, written fixed price second, no work started until you have agreed it. 22 years' experience, £1,000,000 public liability. Call Luke Watts on 07735 894962 or send the details and we will arrange a look at the roof.