Ridge and hip repairs in Gillingham

In Gillingham, 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.

Ridge end cap and hip bars at the top of an anthracite aluminium roof lantern

Is it time for ridge and hip repairs?

Drips near the centre or top of the lantern
A cracked or faded ridge end cap
Sealant around the ridge cap split or missing

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 Gillingham and nearby

Even in drier areas, one heavy downpour with blocked eaves is enough to overflow a lantern indoors. Clearing the eaves channel is the simplest prevention there is.

Near the coast, salt in the air is hard on aluminium finishes and fixings; washing the frame occasionally and touching in chips keeps corrosion away.

Gillingham is around 9 miles from Maidstone, and both are within our Kent coverage.

Close by, we also cover Chatham (1 mile), Rochester (2 miles), Strood (3 miles).

Guide prices for ridge and hip repairs in Gillingham

Guide price, per lantern£195–£445 ex VAT£234–£534 inc VAT

Guide price for ridge and hip repairs: £195–£445 ex VAT (£234–£534 inc 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?

Straightforward repairs — resealing, gaskets, cappings, eaves and like-for-like parts — don't normally need building regulations approval in England. Replacing the whole lantern or enlarging the opening is different and falls under the Building Regulations 2010; we confirm in writing which route applies before any replacement. 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 Gillingham: questions

Can you repair a lantern someone else installed in Gillingham?

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.

Which places near Gillingham do you cover?

As well as Gillingham, we cover nearby Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Gravesend and the rest of Kent.

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 Gillingham

Ridge and hip repairs near Gillingham

More about ridge and hip repairs · All roof lantern repairs in Gillingham