Roofers in Kensington

Kensington is one of central London's grandest districts, a parade of white stucco-fronted Victorian terraces, garden squares and mansion blocks around its palace and museums, almost entirely listed or within conservation areas. Those stately buildings are roofed in natural slate concealed behind parapets, so repairs turn as much on hidden lead-lined parapet and box gutters as on the visible slopes.

Well inland, Kensington is spared salt, but the hidden parapet gutters of the stucco terraces are precisely where water finds a way in if neglected, and mature garden-square trees drop leaves into them. Owners should budget for lead parapet and valley gutters, use matching natural slate, and work only with a roofer fluent in period detailing and the strict conservation consent that applies to virtually any visible change. Keep those concealed gutters clear of leaves and debris, and hold ridges and flashings sound behind the parapets.