Drone roof inspections in Ivybridge

A 1980s boom town

Ivybridge was a small mill village on the River Erme until the second half of the 20th century. The A38 bypass opened in the early 1970s, new estates spread east and west of the old centre, and by the mid-1980s it was being described as the fastest-growing town in Europe. By 2001 its population had reached about 12,000.

So much of Ivybridge's housing is now 30 to 50 years old, which is about when original roofs start to need attention. Most are concrete interlocking tiles on trussed rafters, with mortar-bedded ridges and verges and uPVC or timber fascias. Common problems are cracked ridge and verge mortar, tiles slipped at the eaves, and leaks around dormers, porches and conservatories added later. Since the 2014 revision of the roofing standard BS 5534, ridge and hip tiles must be mechanically fixed rather than held by mortar alone, so it's worth knowing how your ridge is fixed before a roofer quotes. A full roof visual inspection shows you.

Rain off the moor

The town sits right on the southern boundary of Dartmoor National Park, and the Two Moors Way starts here. Weather coming in from the Atlantic rises over the high ground and drops its rain on the way, so Ivybridge and the villages above it see wetter, windier days than the coast at Plymouth. Heavy, sustained rain is what finds a roof's weak spots: overflowing gutters, blocked valleys and flashing that only leaks when rain is driven sideways.

Leaves and debris from the wooded Erme valley add to the problem, especially in gutters and valleys under trees. A gutter and valley inspection shows where water is being held up before it gets inside. Villages such as Harford, and parts of Cornwood, lie inside the National Park, where Dartmoor National Park Authority handles planning. If repairs to a listed or older building there need consent, check with the Authority before work starts. Elsewhere around Ivybridge, the council is South Hams District Council.

Typical jobs in Ivybridge

• Ridge and verge checks on 1980s and 1990s estate houses
• Finding leaks around dormers, porches and conservatory roofs
• Gutter and valley checks after heavy rain off Dartmoor
• Before-and-after photos when a roof is re-ridged or re-roofed

Questions from Ivybridge homeowners