Local roofing specialists in Braunstone. Post-war and 1950s–60s concrete tile housing across the LE3 estate — nail sickness, flat roof extensions and emergency repairs. Free surveys and honest pricing.
Full roofing service covering Braunstone and surrounding Leicester areas. Same team, no subcontractors.
Slipped tiles, failed flashings, cracked ridge mortar. Fast repairs with no call-out fee.
Get a quote →Full re-roofs for all property types. Itemised quote, correct material specification, 10-year guarantee.
Get a quote →GRP fibreglass and EPDM for extensions and garage roofs. Correct drainage specified before installation.
Get a quote →24/7 call-outs to Braunstone for storm damage, active leaks and structural concerns.
Call now →Repointing, lead flashing replacement, pot removal and stack stabilisation.
Get a quote →Free quotes, no call-out fee. Local team, same-week availability.
Braunstone is a large post-war Leicester housing estate developed primarily by the local authority in the late 1940s and 1950s, with further expansion in the 1960s. The housing stock is predominantly semi-detached and short terrace properties built using concrete interlocking tile on timber-framed roof structures. The original construction used steel fixing nails throughout; these nails are now 60–75 years old and at various stages of corrosion. Properties on the estate also frequently have flat-roofed rear extensions added in the 1970s and 1980s, typically using three-layer built-up felt. Much of this felt is now 40–50 years old and well past its design life. Braunstone also has some early post-war properties on the estate periphery that used brick-and-mortar construction with different tile specifications.
Nail sickness in concrete interlocking tiles is the defining roofing problem in Braunstone. The corroding original steel nails mean tiles across large areas of these roofs are progressively losing their mechanical fixing, sitting on battens under self-weight only. The first visible sign is typically tiles that rattle in high winds or produce a dull sound when tapped; progressive displacement follows, often accelerated by a winter storm. We re-nail and re-fix tiles across the affected area rather than replacing the entire covering, unless the tiles themselves are also at end of life. Flat roof replacement on rear extensions is the second major work category — the 1970s and 1980s felt on these extensions has typically failed at multiple points and repair is no longer economical.
Braunstone's relatively flat, low-lying position west of Leicester city means it doesn't experience the elevated exposure of southern suburbs, but the estate density and lack of natural shelter from prevailing westerly weather means wind-driven rain on west-facing tile slopes is a consistent maintenance factor. The original concrete tile specification, with its interlocking profile, handles normal weather well, but the nail sickness problem means wind uplift is a more serious risk on unfixed tiles than the tile profile alone would suggest.
"Nail-sick concrete tiles on our 1958 Braunstone semi had been slipping for two winters. Re-nailed across the rear slope with stainless fixings and replaced the five displaced tiles. Properly sorted."
"Rear extension flat roof — 1970s felt completely gone. GRP replacement done in one day. Drainage fall was corrected properly for the first time. No more winter leaks."
"Emergency call after a ridge tile came off in January winds. Team arrived within two hours, made safe, and returned the following week for the full repair. Good service."
Yes. Braunstone estate is a regular part of our work. Post-war concrete tile housing across LE3 — nail sickness, flat roof replacements and emergency repairs. Call 0116 319 1348 for a free survey.
Nail sickness is the corrosion of the original steel fixing nails used to secure concrete interlocking tiles. As nails corrode they lose their grip, and tiles progressively become unfixed. On 1950s-60s Braunstone properties, this is now advanced across many roofs. Signs include tiles that have slipped, that rattle in wind, or that sound dull rather than clear when tapped gently. A free survey will confirm the extent.
We lift the affected tile runs, replace corroded nails with stainless steel or aluminium fixings, check the batten condition, and re-lay the tiles. If the tiles themselves are also deteriorated, full replacement using a matched modern equivalent is more economical than re-nailing tiles that won't see out another 10 years.
Yes. Flat roof replacement on rear extensions across Braunstone is regular work for us. Most are three-layer felt from the 1970s-80s well past replacement age. We replace with GRP fibreglass as standard — 25+ year lifespan with no joints to fail.
Yes. 24/7 emergency call-outs to Braunstone and LE3. Call 0116 319 1348 any time — we attend storm damage and active leaks as priorities.
We work primarily with private homeowners and owner-occupiers across Braunstone. For housing association or local authority work, contact the relevant repairs team directly — we can provide quotes but procurement processes differ for social housing clients.
Re-nailing a typical Braunstone semi rear slope takes one day. If both rear and side slopes need attention, allow two days. We work efficiently and leave the site clean at the end of each day.
This depends on the housing era. For Victorian and Edwardian properties: lead valley and chimney flashing inspection every 5 years is the highest-value action — these details fail slowly and expensively if left unattended. For post-war concrete tile properties: nail sickness inspection every 3–5 years to catch corrosion before tile displacement. For all property types: annual gutter and valley clearing in November. A free roof survey confirms which maintenance category your specific property falls into.
Braunstone is one of Leicester's largest post-war municipal housing estates, developed primarily in the late 1940s and 1950s. The housing stock is almost entirely concrete interlocking tile on semi-detached and detached properties — a specification that was appropriate for the era but is now creating significant maintenance issues across the estate. Steel nail fixings from the 1940s and 1950s are at or past the end of their corrosion-resistant life, creating the nail sickness condition where tiles sit unfixed on battens. The Braunstone estate has more nail sickness-related call-outs per property than any other area in our Leicester coverage. The pattern is consistent: tiles that appear sound from the ground begin displacing in moderate wind events, sometimes multiple tiles simultaneously. Proactive re-nailing before displacement occurs is significantly more cost-effective than emergency repair after storm damage.
Our quoting process is straightforward and quick. Call 0116 319 1348 to book a free survey — we typically confirm a visit within 24–48 hours and can often attend within the same week for standard jobs. The survey takes 20–45 minutes depending on the scope of work, and we provide a written itemised quote within 48 hours of the visit.
The written quote specifies every element of the work: scope, materials by name, access method, guarantee period and payment terms. We never start work without written acceptance of the quote. We don't require payment in full before work starts — a reasonable deposit of 10–25% covers material ordering, with final payment on satisfactory completion. We accept bank transfer and card payment and provide a VAT invoice on all work.
Once you accept the written quote, we schedule the work and confirm a start date. For larger jobs involving scaffold, we confirm scaffold erection dates separately. We contact you the working day before the start date to confirm the team is attending. On the day, the lead roofer will introduce themselves and walk through the planned work before starting. Any unexpected findings — structural timber problems, additional lead work required — are communicated immediately with a written price before any additional work is carried out. We don't make decisions on site without your knowledge and approval.
No call-out fees. No obligation. A local Leicester roofer who turns up when they say they will.
0116 319 1348 ✉ Email Us