A Peninsula of Very Different Homes
Birkenhead grew rapidly in the nineteenth century, and that era left it the grand terraces of Hamilton Square and Birkenhead Park, which opened in 1847 as the world’s first publicly funded park. Streets of brick terraces with slate roofs are common in Birkenhead, Tranmere and Rock Ferry, while Oxton and Claughton have larger villas, many built in local sandstone.
Port Sunlight, begun by Lever Brothers in 1888 to house soap factory workers, is known for the varied architecture of its cottages. Elsewhere, Wallasey, Bebington and Bromborough have plenty of Edwardian and inter-war semis, and towards West Kirby, Caldy and Heswall the housing is more often detached, with bungalows, dormers and large extensions.
Coastal Weather and What It Does to a Roof
The Wirral has the Mersey on one side, the Dee on the other and the Irish Sea along its northern shore. Homes along the coast from New Brighton to Hoylake, and on the Dee side at West Kirby and Heswall, are the most exposed to strong winds and driving rain. Salt in the air can also speed up corrosion of exposed metal fixings and fittings.
On exposed roofs the weak points are usually the edges and joints: mortar ridges and verges, lead flashings that lift in the wind, and slates held by corroded nails. Ridge and hip tiles must now be mechanically fixed under BS 5534, so any ridge we replace is secured properly rather than relying on mortar. Our storm-proofing checklist covers what homeowners can check before winter.
Sandstone, Chimneys and Period Details
Older buildings across the Wirral use red and buff sandstone for walls, boundary walls and chimney stacks. Weathered stone and open joints let water into the stack and down into the house, and on brick stacks the flaunching at the top cracks with age. Our chimney stack repairs cover repointing, flaunching, pots, cowls and rebuilding, and we renew lead flashings at the same time so the stack and the roof meet properly.
Conservation Areas From Hamilton Square to Caldy
Wirral Council has designated conservation areas across the peninsula, and describes Port Sunlight and Hamilton Square as being of national importance. Others include Oxton Village, Rock Park, Birkenhead Park, West Kirby, Caldy and Thornton Hough. Many individual buildings are also listed. If your home is in a conservation area or is listed, check with the council before changing roof materials, adding rooflights or altering chimneys. For straightforward repairs, matching the existing slates, ridges and leadwork is normally the right approach.
Flat Roofs, Extensions and Emergency Help
Many Wirral homes have flat-roofed dormers, garages or rear extensions. Where an old felt roof keeps failing, a single-ply EPDM rubber roof or a GRP fibreglass covering can be a good replacement, provided the deck underneath is sound.
If a storm has damaged your roof, call our 24/7 emergency line. Where safe access and weather allow, a temporary repair goes on first to keep the weather out, followed by the permanent work. If you are making an insurance claim, take photographs before anything is moved and contact your insurer; we can provide a written report, photographs and a quote to support it.
Covering Wirral from our base at Maghull Business Centre.
