Roofers in Mid Ulster

Roofing in Mid Ulster

Mid Ulster is rural Northern Ireland — Cookstown, Dungannon, Magherafelt and a scatter of villages and farms between the Sperrin Mountains and Lough Neagh. The roofscape is a mix of traditional slate farmhouses and cottages, solid town-centre Victorian stock, and a good deal of modern rural bungalow and new-build housing on individual plots. Exposure is the theme: the Sperrin foothills and open countryside take heavy rain and wind, and there is little natural shelter.

Natural slate dominates the older buildings, with roughcast render on the walls, so sound roof-to-wall junctions and good flashing are essential. On the many detached and rural properties, complex roofs — hips, valleys and dormers on the newer bungalows, and ageing slate with nail sickness on the older farmhouses — are the common jobs. Wind uplift on exposed sites makes ridge and edge fixing important.

For rural owners, the practical priorities are proper mechanical fixing on exposed positions, keeping valleys and gutters clear given the rainfall, and, on older farmhouses, an honest assessment of whether the original slate is worth relaying. Sourcing matching slate for repairs is worth the effort to keep a traditional roof looking right.