Ridge mortar life
How long does ridge mortar last?
The short answer
No single number covers every roof, since each house ages in its own way. The mortar bed under the capping is often the first part of a tiled roof to show age, and when it fails the usual causes are weathering, roof movement or a bed that never had a mechanical fixing. Since the 2014 revision of BS 5534, a ridge built today is fixed mechanically as well as bedded.
Why a bedded ridge ages faster than the slopes below it, what wears it out, and when a repair is enough.
A thin layer with a heavy job
At the apex of the house the slopes come together under a row of capping tiles, and that line is the ridge. Beneath those tiles runs a bed of mortar that fills the space between the capping and the slope tiles and fixes each piece in line. It sits right at the top, takes weather from both sides, and has to stay put while the roof under it shifts with temperature and wind.
Marley, the tile maker, explains that after the 2014 change to BS 5534 the grip of mortar on its own could no longer be counted on for ridge and hip pieces. Put simply, mortar seals and fills well but resists a pull poorly. That makes the bed a part with a limited working life, and a ridge is better judged by its condition than by the year it was laid. Two ridges of the same age can be in very different shape.
What wears a bed out
Several causes work together. Weather scours the surface, and the joints open as the bed dries, shrinks and absorbs the small movements of the roof. Water gets into those hairline openings and, when it freezes, swells and splits the bed from within. A mix that was wrong for the tile, a bed spread too thin, or capping set onto dusty tiles without clean contact will all give up sooner.
Position matters as well. A ridge near the sea meets driving rain and gales, so a bed on a coastal bungalow is working harder than one in a sheltered cul-de-sac. We do not rate any local exposure by category, but that argues for checking a ridge here rather than assuming it is sound. A bed laid before the 2014 revision may also carry no fixing, which leaves the mortar to hold the whole load alone.
Tired mortar compared with a failing ridge
The two are not the same thing. Mortar that has weathered, dulled and picked up hairline cracks may still be doing its job if the tiles above it are firm and level. A failing ridge shows more: tiles that rock when pressed, gaps with daylight showing through, grit in the gutter or on a porch roof below, and capping that has drifted out of line.
You can check from the ground with binoculars and no ladder. Look along the ridge against the sky; a dip, or a tile sitting proud of its neighbours, is a sign. Pale chunks in the gutter after a gale are another. Cracks that run along the joint between capping and slope tile are the ones to take more seriously than fine lines across the face of the mortar. Our guide to the signs of loose ridge tiles walks through what to notice, inside the house and out, before you ring anyone.
Repoint, rebed or change the system
If the tiles are sound and bedded firmly, repointing the face of the mortar can be enough. If the bed has gone beneath them, the tiles come off and are rebedded with a mechanical fixing added. If the ridge is old and repeatedly lets go, a dry-fixed system built to BS 8612 removes the reliance on mortar altogether. Each has its place, and we suggest whichever repair is smallest yet sound. Repointing a bed that has already lost its grip underneath only dresses the surface, so we look beneath before recommending it.
Price depends on how long the run is, how easily it can be reached and which method suits. Checkatrade's roof repair guide, updated June 2026, quotes £50 to £70 per metre for ridge tile repairs, a typical figure that leaves out VAT. For the choice between the methods, read repointing against dry ridge, which sets the two side by side.
What the survey settles
A number of years cannot be read off a calendar, so we look at the ridge itself. The survey checks whether each tile is firm, how much of the bed has gone, whether any fixings are present, and how the verge ends and hip junctions are holding. Our photographs show your roof as it is, with a clear verdict beside them: leave it alone, repair it, or rebuild the run. Ends and junctions get extra attention, since a run tends to start moving at the gable end or over a hip first.
The quote then arrives in writing at one total price, which lets you plan around the bed rather than guess at its remaining life. If a ridge is sound today but ageing, we will say that too, and suggest when to have another look, perhaps after the next hard winter. Our ridge tile repairs page describes how the work is done from start to finish.
Related questions
Ridge bed questions
Can I leave cracked ridge mortar until a tile actually moves?
Hairline cracks alone are not an emergency, but they are a warning that water can get in. A tile that has moved is harder to deal with, because it can fall in the next gale. Having the ridge checked while it is still firm usually means a smaller repair and a smaller bill.
Is it normal for a ridge to need attention before the rest of the roof?
Yes. The bed is generally the first part to tire, because it is a thin layer of mortar at the most exposed point of the roof. The slopes below can be perfectly sound while the ridge asks for work.