Ridge RepointingRidge & Hip Tiles RebeddedAcross West Yorkshire
Loose or cracked mortar along the ridge and hips gets raked out and rebedded properly, closing off the most common route water uses to get into a roof space unnoticed.
Free site visit before any price, and no fixed prices until we've had a proper look at the ridge line.
35+ years
the family name has worked on Yorkshire roofs
25 years
Davin's own time in the trade
24 hours
phone answered, day or night
Free
site visit before any price is given
THE SERVICE
Ridge repointing, closing the gap water finds first
The ridge is the highest point on a pitched roof, where the tiles or slates from each slope meet and are capped with ridge tiles bedded in mortar. That mortar bond takes more punishment than almost anything else on the roof: full sun, driving rain, frost, and every gust of wind trying to lift the ridge tiles it's holding down. When that mortar fails, cracks, or falls away entirely, it opens the single most common route for water to get into a roof space without anyone noticing from the ground.
Ridge repointing, sometimes called ridge repair or ridge cap repair, is the job of raking out failed mortar along the ridge and hip lines and rebedding the tiles properly. It's needed on roofs of every age and type, but it's especially common on older properties across Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford where traditional sand and cement mortar has simply reached the end of its life after twenty, thirty or more years of Yorkshire weather.
The warning signs are often small and easy to miss. A dislodged ridge tile after a storm, a crack running along a section of the ridge line visible from an upstairs window, or crumbs of old mortar found in the gutter or on a path below. Inside the house, it usually shows up much later as a damp patch on a ceiling, particularly in a loft or top-floor room, once water has been tracking in along the ridge for a while and finally found its way through the felt or membrane below.
Because the ridge sits at the very top of the roof, this isn't a job for a ladder and a bag of mortar on a windy day. It needs safe access, usually a roof ladder or scaffold depending on pitch and height, and it needs doing properly with a mortar mix and technique that will actually hold against Yorkshire's exposed weather rather than failing again within a season. Davin Price has repointed ridges on roofs across West and North Yorkshire for 25 years and knows exactly what a badly bedded ridge tile looks like before it becomes an obvious problem.
Ridge tile rebedding
Loose or cracked ridge tiles are lifted, old mortar cleaned off, and the tile rebedded in a fresh mortar mix suited to the roof's age and covering.
Hip line repointing
The angled hip lines where two roof slopes meet get the same treatment as the ridge, since they take similar exposure and fail in the same way.
Full re-pointing runs
Where mortar has failed along most of the ridge, the whole run is raked out and repointed in one go rather than patching individual tiles.
Mechanical fixing as an upgrade option
On exposed roofs we can discuss dry-fix ridge systems as an alternative to mortar, which rely on mechanical clips rather than mortar bonding alone.
RECENT WORK
Photos From Our Own Ridge Repointing Jobs
LEAVE IT AND IT GETS WORSE
Why ridge mortar failure gets missed until it's serious
Ridge and hip mortar sits at the very top of the roof, which means most homeowners never really look at it closely. It's not like a gutter you clean out or a fascia you can see clearly from the ground. Cracks and gaps develop slowly over years, and by the time a ridge tile actually shifts or falls, the mortar around several neighbouring tiles has usually already failed too.
Once water gets past the ridge line it doesn't necessarily show up straight away. It can track along the underside of the ridge tiles, run down the roofing felt or membrane, and only show as a damp patch on a ceiling once it's found a weak point to come through, sometimes metres away from where it actually entered. That makes ridge failure one of the more deceptive sources of a leaking roof, because the visible damage inside rarely lines up neatly with where the problem started outside.
There's also a wind risk that's easy to underestimate. A ridge tile that's only loosely held by failing mortar can lift and shift in strong gusts, which are common enough on exposed roofs across the Pennine fringe and open ground around Selby, Doncaster and Wakefield. A lifted or dislodged ridge tile is not just a leak risk, it's a falling hazard for anyone below.
Water tracking into the loft and ceilings
Failed ridge mortar lets water in at the highest point of the roof, where it can travel some distance before showing as damp inside the house.
Dislodged or falling ridge tiles
Loose ridge tiles held by crumbling mortar can lift in high wind and become a falling hazard, as well as leaving a bigger gap for water.
Escalating repair scope
A few metres of failed ridge mortar left unaddressed tends to spread along the whole run as the same weather keeps working on it, turning a small job into a bigger one.
Mistakes we get called out to fix
- Only replacing an individual fallen ridge tile without checking or repointing the mortar either side, which fails again soon after.
- Using a cement-based mortar too rigid for the roof's movement, which cracks again within a season or two on exposed elevations.
- Skipping the hip lines because attention goes to the ridge only, when hips take the same exposure and fail the same way.
- Sealing over cracked mortar with a mastic or sealant rather than raking it out and rebedding properly.
- Ignoring a small dislodged ridge tile after a storm, assuming it's cosmetic rather than a sign of wider mortar failure.
- Not checking the felt or membrane condition underneath while access is already up there for the ridge work.
HOW THE JOB RUNS
How we handle ridge repointing
Getting a proper look at the ridge line before pricing anything is the only way to know the real extent of the work.
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STEP 01
Free site visit
We assess the ridge and hip lines, checking how much mortar has failed, the condition of the ridge tiles themselves, and the underlying roof structure where visible.
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STEP 02
Clear scope agreed
We tell you whether it's a few tiles needing attention or a full ridge run, and whether a dry-fix upgrade is worth discussing for an exposed roof.
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STEP 03
Priced to the job
Pricing depends on the length of ridge and hip needing work, access, roof pitch and height. There's no fixed price until we've seen it.
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STEP 04
The repointing work
Ridge tiles are lifted, old mortar cleaned off, and tiles rebedded in a fresh, correctly mixed mortar with proper joints between each tile along the full run.
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STEP 05
Finish and check
The completed run is checked for a sound, watertight bond and left tidy. Ridge repointing is a repair rather than a new roof, so it sits outside our 10-year new works guarantee, and we'll always explain that clearly before starting.
WHAT YOU GET
What proper ridge repointing gets you
Closes the most common leak point
A properly rebedded ridge stops water getting in at the highest and most exposed point of the roof.
Removes a wind risk
Ridge tiles bedded securely in fresh mortar are far less likely to lift or shift in strong wind than tiles sitting on failing, crumbling mortar.
Longer-lasting than a quick patch
A full repointing run with correctly mixed mortar holds for years, rather than a single replaced tile that fails again as the mortar either side keeps deteriorating.
Avoids ceiling and loft damage
Dealing with the ridge before water tracks through stops damp patches, stained plaster and damaged insulation appearing inside the house.
Cost-effective compared to a full re-roof
Ridge repointing addresses a specific failure point without needing to strip and replace a roof covering that's otherwise sound.
Straight advice on dry-fix versus mortar
On particularly exposed roofs we'll explain the option of a mechanical dry-fix ridge system honestly, rather than defaulting to one approach regardless of the roof.
THE DETAIL
Ridge and hip repointing in detail
Ridge failure looks simple from the ground but the right fix depends on the roof's covering, pitch and exposure.
Why mortar at the ridge fails first
The ridge line sits at the highest, most exposed point of the roof and takes the brunt of wind, sun and frost more than any other mortar joint on the property. Traditional sand and cement mortar hardens over the years and loses flexibility, so as the roof structure naturally moves slightly with temperature changes, the rigid mortar cracks rather than flexing with it.
This is why ridge mortar often fails years before other parts of a roof show any issue at all, even on a roof covering that's otherwise in good condition. It's a maintenance item in its own right, not necessarily a sign the whole roof needs attention.
Traditional mortar bedding versus dry-fix ridge systems
Traditional ridge tiles are bedded directly onto the roof tiles or slates using a sand and cement mortar mix, which has worked for generations but needs periodic maintenance as the mortar ages and weathers.
A dry-fix ridge system uses mechanical clips and a ridge union strip instead of, or alongside, mortar, fixing the ridge tiles securely without relying on the mortar bond alone. It's worth discussing as an option on particularly exposed roofs, though it's not automatically the right choice for every property, especially older or listed buildings where a traditional finish matters for appearance.
Hip lines take the same punishment
Hip roofs, common on many detached and semi-detached properties around Harrogate, Wetherby and the more suburban parts of Leeds, have angled hip lines running from ridge down to eaves where two roof slopes meet. These hip tiles are bedded in mortar just like the ridge and face the same exposure, sometimes worse depending on which direction the hip faces.
We check hip lines with the same attention as the ridge itself during a site visit, because it's common for a homeowner to notice ridge damage and not realise the hips need the same work.
Reading the signs before they become a leak
Some signs of ridge mortar failure are visible without going up on the roof, others need a proper look from height.
- Cracked or crumbling mortar visible along the ridge or hip lines from ground level with binoculars or from an upstairs window
- Ridge tiles that look slightly out of alignment compared with the rest of the run
- Small pieces of mortar or debris found in gutters, on a patio or driveway below the roofline
- A ridge tile that has visibly shifted or fallen after high winds
- Damp patches or discolouration on a loft ceiling or top-floor ceiling, particularly near the centre of the house under the ridge line
Working safely at the ridge
Ridge repointing happens at the highest point of the roof, often on a pitch that makes standing directly on the tiles unsafe. Depending on the roof's height, pitch and the extent of work needed, we use roof ladders, crawl boards or scaffold to work safely and without causing damage to tiles either side of the ridge line.
This is factored into the price at the free site visit stage, since access requirements vary considerably between a low single-storey extension roof and a steep-pitched roof on a three-storey terrace.
Ridge Repointing across West & North Yorkshire
We cover Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Wakefield, Harrogate, Wetherby, Selby and Doncaster from our Leeds base. If your property sits between those towns, call and we will tell you straight away whether we can get to you.
- Leeds
- Huddersfield
- Halifax
- Bradford
- Wakefield
- Harrogate
- Wetherby
- Selby
- Doncaster
QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED
Ridge Repointing: your questions answered
How much does ridge repointing cost?
It depends on the length of ridge and hip needing work, the roof's pitch and height, and access. We give a free site visit and price the job after seeing it, with no fixed prices.
How do I know if my ridge needs repointing?
Common signs are visible cracks in the mortar, a ridge tile that looks out of line or has shifted, debris in the gutters below, or a damp patch on a top-floor ceiling. If you spot any of these, worth getting it checked.
How long does ridge repointing take?
A single ridge run on an average semi can often be done in a day, depending on access and the extent of repointing needed. Larger roofs or full hip and ridge work take longer.
Is ridge repointing covered by your 10-year guarantee?
No, the 10-year guarantee covers new pitched and flat roof works. Ridge repointing is a repair and maintenance job, which we'll always be upfront about.
How long does ridge repointing last?
A properly done repointing job with correctly mixed mortar typically lasts well over a decade, though very exposed roofs may need attention sooner than sheltered ones.
Should I choose dry-fix instead of mortar?
It depends on the roof's exposure and the property. We'll talk through both honestly at the site visit rather than pushing one option regardless of what suits the roof.
Can you repoint just part of the ridge, or does it all need doing?
It depends on the extent of the failure. If damage is limited to one section, we can repoint just that run, but if mortar is failing throughout, doing the whole ridge in one visit is usually more sensible.
Do you offer emergency ridge repairs?
Yes, if a ridge tile has come loose or fallen in a storm, the phone is answered 24 hours and emergency call-outs are available including weekends, from £250.
Do you cover ridge repointing outside Leeds?
Yes, we work across Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Selby, Doncaster, Wakefield, Harrogate and Wetherby as well as Leeds.
Noticed a loose or cracked ridge tile?
Book a free site visit and we'll check the whole ridge and hip line, not just the obvious spot, and price the job properly.
- Free site visit before any price is given
- 10-year guarantee on all new roofing works (small repairs and maintenance are not covered)
- Phone answered 24 hours — emergency call-out from £250
Request your free quote
Tell us what the roof is doing and we will arrange a visit.
Related work we carry out
Chimney Stack Repairs & Rebuilds
Repointing, partial repairs and full stack rebuilds, finished to match the existing property.
Leaking Roof Repairs
The leak traced to its actual source, not patched over and left to come back next winter.
Roof Repairs & Maintenance
Slipped tiles, failed flashings and worn coverings put right before they turn into a bigger bill.
See all 12 services or head back to the homepage.