Why does Burgess Hill have so many clay-tiled roofs?
Because they were made here. Brick and tile making on St John's Common dates from the 17th century, and the town grew after the common was enclosed and the railway opened in 1841.
The best known works was Keymer Brick & Tile, which began in 1875 with its own rail siding, at one time employed about 300 people, and made hand-made roof tiles until December 2014.
Can old Burgess Hill clay tiles be matched?
Often, but it takes effort. With the Keymer works closed, a roofer will usually look for reclaimed tiles of the same size and colour, or a modern clay tile that's a close match, and may move original tiles from a hidden slope to the front.
Ask the roofer to show you the replacement tile before they start. A patch of mismatched tiles on a Victorian terrace is easy to avoid if it's agreed in advance.
What goes wrong with Victorian roofs?
Usually the fixings, battens and mortar rather than the tiles. Between 1850 and 1880 the town grew to about 4,500 people, and almost all of its Victorian middle-class houses and terraced workmen's cottages survive, so many roofs are well over a century old.
Typical jobs: refixing slipped tiles, rebedding ridges, renewing lead flashing on bays and chimneys, and sorting gutters. See roof repairs and chimney repairs for costs and what to do first.
Do terraced houses share a roof?
Structurally the roof often runs across several houses, but each owner is responsible for their own section. If the problem is at the party line between two houses, talk to your neighbour early, as the repair may need doing on both sides.
Roofers covering Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill calls go to the same number as the Crawley roofer line. Nearby, we cover Haywards Heath and Horsham.