Kingston Park is one of Newcastle’s younger suburbs. Most of it was built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, joining up what had been separate developments known as Kenton Bank Foot, Tudor Grange and Ouseburn Park. The Metro station followed in 1985, and the estate has since been joined to the north by the Great Park.
Roofs from that period are now forty years old or more, and that is about when original components begin to fail. Newcastle Roofs repairs and replaces roofs, fascias, soffits and flat roofs across Kingston Park, and we carry out loft insulation, boarding and ladders too. We visit without a call-out charge, explain clearly what needs doing and why, and give you a free written quote with no obligation. If you have an urgent leak, our 24/7 emergency service can help.
Forty-something roofs: what starts to wear out
Kingston Park’s houses were built quickly and in volume, with south of the Metro mostly private homes by developers such as Leech and north of it largely council housing, much of it since bought by tenants. Despite that difference, the roofs tend to share materials and construction, and they are ageing in similar ways.
Concrete interlocking tiles are the usual covering. The tiles themselves are often still serviceable, but what lies beneath them is a different story. Bitumen felt underlay from this era hardens and tears, especially at the eaves where it sags into the gutter, and once it has gone, wind-driven rain and snow can reach the roof timbers. Ridge and hip tiles bedded in mortar crack loose, and mortar along the verges falls out in pieces, leaving gaps at the gable ends.
Common jobs on Kingston Park houses
- Ridge and verge upgrades: replacing failed mortar with dry-fix ridge and verge systems that are mechanically fixed and need far less maintenance.
- Fascias and soffits: swapping original painted timber boards for uPVC, checking the rafter feet behind them and fitting new guttering.
- Eaves repairs: cutting back perished felt and fitting eaves protection so water drains into the gutter rather than behind it.
- Garage and porch roofs: replacing tired felt flat roofs with EPDM rubber or fibreglass.
- Re-roofing: where many tiles are cracked or the underlay has failed across the whole roof, stripping and relaying with a breathable membrane and new battens.
We will tell you honestly whether a targeted repair will do the job or whether you are better off planning for a new roof in the next few years.
Open ground to the north and west
Kingston Park sits on the north-western edge of the city, with Newcastle Airport a short Metro ride away and open land beyond the newer developments at Callerton and the Great Park. Homes on the outer edges, without much in the way of buildings or trees to break the wind, catch more of the weather.
Repeated buffeting is what loosens mortar-bedded ridges and verges in the first place, and the gable ends of end-terraced and detached houses take the worst of it. If you find pieces of mortar on the path after a windy night, or can see daylight under the edge of the roof from the loft, the verge is likely to need attention before it lets in water.
Lofts: storage, insulation and ventilation
Many homes here have lofts that were insulated when built and have had extra layers added since. That is good for heating bills, but if insulation has been pushed into the eaves it can block the airflow the roof relies on, and condensation follows. We can fit eaves ventilators, tile vents or a ventilated ridge to restore airflow.
For storage, raised loft boarding lets you use the space without crushing the insulation, and a proper loft ladder makes it safe to reach. If you have more ambitious plans, a loft makeover with Velux roof windows may be possible, depending on headroom and the roof structure. Trussed rafter roofs, common on houses of this age, cannot simply be cut into, so any conversion needs proper design and building regulations approval.
Ex-council homes and leasehold questions
Some homes in Kingston Park were originally sold leasehold, and many former council houses are now privately owned. If you are not sure whether you own the roof outright, check your deeds or lease before arranging work. On some properties, especially flats or maisonettes, a freeholder or management company may be responsible for the roof and need to give consent.
Homes in a terrace or semi-detached pair often share a ridge line, and sometimes guttering, with the neighbouring property. A new roof on one house has to be joined neatly to the old roof next door, so it is worth a friendly word with your neighbour before work starts; they may even want their side looked at while the scaffold is up.
Once you know where you stand, get in touch. We inspect from the ground, from ladders and from inside the loft, then explain our findings in plain terms. You receive an itemised written quote and nothing starts until you agree it. All work is fully insured and guaranteed, and we clear up thoroughly before we leave.
