Roofers in South Shields & South Tyneside

Six miles of coast and what it means for a roof

South Shields sits at the mouth of the Tyne with six miles of coastline, limestone cliffs and dunes along the Leas and Marsden Bay. Wind-driven weather off the sea finds ridges, verges, flashings and flat-roof edges first. The town slopes down from the Cleadon Hills to the river, so the most exposed roofs face the sea or stand on higher ground. Further upriver in Jarrow and Hebburn the salt is less, but the same check of ridges, verges and flashings applies.

Flat roofs: upstands first

Coastal flat roofs usually fail at the upstands, where wind pushes rain sideways. On coastal flat roofs we default to 150mm minimum upstands and stainless fixings at trims, and replace aluminium trims once they start to chalk. Around the town centre, flats and maisonettes are the largest housing group, which means flat roofs on blocks and rear offshoots; see flat roof repair, EPDM and single-ply roofing.

Westoe slate and Harton tile

Westoe village is a street of Grade I and II listed Georgian and Victorian houses, with Welsh slate and stone parapets treated as conservation work; listed building consent may be needed for anything beyond like-for-like. We source reclaimed Welsh slate to match colour, thickness and weathering. Harton's interwar semis are mostly concrete tile and usually need ridge re-bedding and verge clips long before a full strip. Across South Tyneside, Census 2021 records 42.9% semi-detached and 27.4% terraced homes.

Chimneys, leaks and lofts

Silicone breaks down quickly on lead in salt air, so we use proper lead-flashing sealant and dressed leadwork. Unused stacks can be taken down; see chimney removal and the chimney removal cost guide. If a leak follows a storm and you are claiming, our roof insurance claims guide and storm damage repairs page explain the evidence to gather. Loft condensation is a ventilation question, covered in roof ventilation.

Housing providers and planned work

Social renting is high in South Tyneside, at nearly 30% of homes, so housing providers are a large part of local roof upkeep, and planned roof maintenance suits them. South Shields is in South Tyneside, with South Tyneside Council as the planning authority, not Sunderland or Newcastle.

Towns covered

South Shields, Westoe, Harton, Marsden, Whiteleas, Cleadon Park, Jarrow, Hebburn, Boldon.

See all areas we cover.