How Long Does a Roof Last?

Typical lifespans by material

• Natural slate: often 80 to 100 years or more, with fixings needing attention sooner
• Clay tiles: commonly 60 years or more
• Concrete tiles: around 40 to 60 years
• Felt flat roofs: roughly 10 to 20 years depending on the system
• EPDM rubber and fibreglass flat roofs: often 25 years or more when well installed
• Lead flashing and leadwork: many decades when correctly sized and fitted

The parts that fail first

The covering usually outlasts what holds it together. Nails, battens, underlay, mortar on ridges and verges, and flashings tend to need attention long before the tiles or slates themselves. That is why so many older roofs need repairs and not replacement.

What shortens the life of a roof

• Blocked gutters and valleys that hold water against the roof
• Moss that keeps tiles damp and lifts their edges
• Poor loft ventilation, which causes condensation and rot
• Repairs left undone, letting water reach the timber
• Exposed locations with high winds and driving rain

Signs a roof is nearing the end

• Tiles or slates slipping in many places at once
• Crumbling tiles or flaking slates
• Daylight visible through the roof in several places
• Sagging along the ridge or between rafters

Getting more years from your roof

Small, regular maintenance is what makes a roof reach the top of its range: clear gutters, replace slipped tiles promptly and have the ridge, flashings and chimney checked every few years.