Job 2291 · Ashford Old Town
Slate restoration
Stone cottage on Mill Row
We kept 70% of the original slate, replaced the rest with reclaimed stone of the same quarry colour, and rebuilt both chimneys with copper flashing.
(The brief)
The brief
Slates had been sliding off this roof for three winters. Two quotes had recommended stripping it and putting asphalt shingle on, which the owners did not want on a stone cottage of this age.
The slate itself was sound. The iron nails holding it had rusted through, which roofers call nail sickness, and the chimneys had been pointed with mortar instead of flashed.
- Job
- 2291
- Address
- Mill Row, Ashford Old Town
- House
- 1880s stone cottage, 1½ stories
- Foreman
- Colm Brennan
- Crew
- Slate and heritage crew · 4 roofers
- Inspection
- Thu 2 Apr 2026
(What we found)
48 photos, 3 findings, one plain answer
The report the owners received within 24 hours of the inspection, trimmed to its findings. Every one has a photo reference and a rating.
- ReplaceWorn out across the area
- RepairA specific fault letting water in
- WatchNot urgent, check again next year
- RepairP-05Nail sickness: iron nails rusted through, 1 in 5 slates slipped or loose
- ReplaceP-13Mortar fillets instead of flashing, cracked and letting water into the chimney breast
- ReplaceP-21Original battens soft along the eaves, sagging under the lower courses
48 photos · 3 findingsInspected by C. Brennan
(Scope and numbers)
The written price, and what it came to
The quote the owners signed, and every change agreed on site, each one photographed before the work was done.
| Item | Qty | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold, 12 working days | 1 | $2,400 |
| Strip, sort and set aside original slate | 18 sq | $4,320 |
| Breathable membrane and new treated battens | 18 sq | $3,240 |
| Relay slate with copper nails, 3 in headlap | 18 sq | $14,040 |
| Reclaimed slate, matched quarry colour | 5.4 sq | $6,210 |
| Copper step and cover flashing, 2 chimneys | 2 | $3,860 |
| Agreed during the build | ||
| Sister one cracked rafter at the rear eave (photographed) | 1 | $420 |
| Fixed price | $34,070 | |
| Final invoice | $34,490 | |
Includes permit and disposalNo deposit until materials were delivered
- 70%
- original slate kept
- 12
- days on site
- 6,100
- copper nails
- 100+
- years expected
How it was paid
- 40% on materials delivery
- $13,628
- Balance at sign-off
- $20,862
(Build log)
Day by day, as the owners saw it
Each entry is the daily text the owners received at the end of the day, with the photos left out.
- Fri 1 May
Scaffold up, reclaimed slate deliveredSlate sorted against the original on the ground
- Mon 4 May
Strip front slope, slates sorted and stackedSound slate chalk-marked for relaying
- Wed 6 May
Front slope membrane and battensCracked rafter found and sistered · photo sent
- Mon 11 May
Front slope relaid, rear slope strippedOriginal slates on the street side, reclaimed at the rear
- Thu 14 May
Copper flashing, both chimneysStepped into raked-out joints and repointed in lime
- Tue 19 May
Ridge, clean-up, scaffold down, sign-offWalkthrough with the owners 15:00 · warranty W-2291 issued
Daily text at 18:00Foreman: Colm Brennan
(The result)
How it turned out
From the lane the roof looks as it did before, which was the point. The street-facing slope is almost entirely original stone, the reclaimed slate is on the rear, and the chimney breasts have dried out for the first time in years. With copper nails and copper flashing, the next job on this roof should be somebody else's in the next century.
(Free inspection)
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