Roofers in Climping

Climping lies along the coast on the west bank of the River Arun. Most of the former parish of Cudlow has been lost to the sea, and the record shows erosion at Atherington from the late 15th century into the 18th. For a roofer that history is more than a curiosity. It is a reminder that this stretch of coast is open, and that the buildings nearest the shore take the weather first. The coastline has stayed undeveloped and under National Trust covenants, with a beach that drew summer day visitors from London and elsewhere. Open ground with little built up around it gives a roof less shelter than a house tucked into the middle of a town, so the shoreline houses and farm buildings here deserve a careful look after every rough spell.

1.1 Gales, driving rain and salt air

Weather off this shore means gales, driving rain and, close to the water, salt air. We do not grade a roof with a number. We go through the weak points one by one and write up what each looks like in your roof's photographs. Tiles on a gable are held at the verge, the exposed edge of the roof, and lifted by wind first. Ridge and hip tiles are held mechanically as well as in mortar, since the 2014 revision of BS 5534, which means screws or clips as well as a bed of mortar. Flashings, the lead dressed between a slope and a wall, need shaping into the joint, not smearing over with sealant. Where a roof has a shallow pitch, the wind can pull at the windward slope, and the fixing needs to suit. Gutters get the same attention, because a bracket that has worked loose lets a full run drop in a gale and throw water against the wall. Painted fascias and soffits near the water also need rinsing and re-coating, and on a house with tired timber boards we flag it early so the roofline is renewed in one visit and not piecemeal.

1.2 Flat roofs and extensions near the water

Many coastal houses carry a flat-roofed extension, garage or porch. A flat roof is only flat in name: it must be laid to a fall so the water runs away, and BS 6229:2025 sets a minimum finished fall of 1:80, which roofers usually exceed in design. Edge trims, the metal or plastic profiles that finish the covering at the perimeter, are the first place a coastal gale gets under a membrane, and a trim that has lifted a few millimetres is enough to let water in. A membrane that has blistered or split along a seam can sometimes be repaired, but a roof that has been patched several times is better replaced to a proper fall. Our flat roofing page explains the coverings and the details we use at the edges.

St Mary's, the parish church, has a tower dating from the later 12th century. A roof on a medieval church follows the approval route that applies to the church. A church in use may fall under the ecclesiastical exemption and go through its denomination's own process, while a church that is not exempt needs listed building consent from the council. Work on the tower roof or the nave is not something to start before the right consent is in hand. Part of Ford airfield lay within the parish, and the open ground around a former airfield is a reminder that a barn or a long shed catches the wind in a way a village roof never would.

3.1 Larger roofs on open ground

If you own a barn, a workshop or a large outbuilding in Climping, the roof may be metal sheeting or an older fibre-cement sheet. For a building put up or refurbished before 2000, HSE guidance says to presume asbestos is present until a check shows otherwise. Weathered asbestos cement that is still whole can be taken down as non-licensed work; sheeting that is substantially damaged turns it into notifiable work, and the waste needs a consignment note. Cement sheet is also brittle, so nobody steps onto it without crawling boards and edge protection. Our commercial roofing page covers larger buildings.

3.2 Choosing who decides on consent

For Climping, Arun District Council acts as both planning authority and building control team. Its conservation areas page names none for the parish, and the council can confirm whether your own address sits inside one. If your house is listed, works that affect its character need consent. Putting the same covering back on a plain house seldom raises a planning question, because the street sees no change. The survey gives its verdict first, with photographs of your roof, and the quote follows.

3.3 Scaffold by a riverbank lane

Narrow lanes beside the Arun make delivery and scaffolding awkward, and a lorry of stone or tile may have to unload some way from the house. Scaffolding over a public highway is licensed by West Sussex County Council, and it asks for at least 10 working days' notice, so find out from your roofer who is lodging it. Leave time for it in your plans, and warn anyone whose drive the poles will cross.