In Reading, as everywhere, the ridge is where the hip bars and glazing bars meet at the top of a lantern, usually under a moulded or pressed end cap. Send photos and we'll tell you what we think has failed.
Signs you need ridge and hip repairs
- Drips near the centre or top of the lantern
- A cracked or faded ridge end cap
- Staining along the hip bars inside
Why it happens
Movement at the junction
Several bars meet at one point and each moves slightly with temperature; the seals at the ridge take the strain.
Poor original sealing
Ridge details are fiddly. If the original sealing was rushed, it's often the first place to leak.
Covering Reading and nearby
Most inland lantern leaks aren't storm damage; they're usually tired sealant, a lifted capping or blocked eaves drainage. All three are quick to find and fix once you know where to look.
If you're just outside Reading, we also cover Wokingham (7 miles), Crowthorne (10 miles), Yateley (10 miles).
Guide prices for ridge and hip repairs in Reading
Typical range: £195–£445 ex VAT, which is £234–£534 with VAT, per lantern. Towers or scaffold, where needed, are priced into the quote. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Do you need permission in England?
Most lantern repairs in England need no approval at all. Where a job turns into a replacement, the Building Regulations 2010 apply and we confirm how the work will be signed off before we start. Listed buildings need listed building consent from the local council for alterations, and conservation areas can have extra controls; like-for-like repairs are treated differently from changes, so check with the council's conservation officer first.
How does it work?
- Send photosWhatsApp or upload a few photos and tell us when it leaks.
- Guide priceWe reply with a guide price and whether a visit is needed.
- Fixed price in writingYou approve the price and the date before anything starts.
- Repair and testWe fix what's failed, water-test where it matters, and send photos.
Ridge and hip repairs in Reading: questions
Do you need to visit to price ridge and hip repairs?
Not always. Clear photos are often enough for a guide price. Where the cause isn't obvious, a visit to inspect and water-test is charged from £145 ex VAT, confirmed before we come.
Can you repair a lantern someone else installed in Reading?
Yes. We repair lanterns whoever fitted them. If yours is still under the installer's warranty, contact them first so you don't affect it.
My ridge cap is a different colour from the frame — does that matter?
Faded or chalky caps are a sign of UV damage. Colour alone isn't a leak, but brittle caps crack, so we check them.
Can you replace just the ridge cap?
Yes, if a compatible cap is available and the seals underneath are sound.
Other lantern repairs in Reading
- Eaves beam and gutter repairs in Reading
- Slipped glass panel repairs in Reading
- Solar control and self-cleaning glass upgrades in Reading
- Aluminium roof lantern repairs in Reading
- uPVC roof lantern repairs in Reading
- Roof lantern respraying in Reading
Ridge and hip repairs near Reading
More about ridge and hip repairs · All roof lantern repairs in Reading