Velux roof windows across Surrey
Velux roof windows in Bookhamand across Surrey, flashed andweathered in properly
A roof window is a hole in your roof, so the flashing and the tiling around it are the job. We install Velux windows weathered correctly into the surrounding covering, with our workmanship guaranteed in writing.
Workmanship guaranteed in writing: tiled roof work guaranteed 25 years. £2m public liability, £10m employers' liability.
30+ years
Matt's experience on Surrey roofs
Guaranteed
Workmanship guarantee in writing
£2m / £10m
Public and employers' liability cover
Bookham based
Local across Surrey, not a call centre
The service
The window is the easy part. Weathering it into the roof is the skilled part
Fitting a roof window means deliberately opening a roof and then making that opening as watertight as the covering it replaced. The frame goes in quickly. What decides whether you get daylight or a damp patch is the flashing kit, the way the tiles or slates are cut and set around it, and how water arriving from the roof above is directed past it.
Our Velux installation covers the whole detail: forming the opening, setting the window at the right height within the roof plane for its flashing kit to work, fitting the flashing correctly, and then cutting and bedding the surrounding tiling so the whole thing sheds water like the rest of the roof.
This is roofing work, which is exactly why a roofer should do it. A window fitted level with the wrong tile line, or with the flashing dressed badly, leaks at the head where the flow is concentrated, and no amount of sealant fixes a detail that was set at the wrong height.
We install roof windows across Bookham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Effingham, Ashtead, Epsom, Cobham, East and West Horsley, Shalford, Woking and Guildford, in tiled and slate roofs, as single windows or several in a loft conversion, and as part of a re-roof where the whole covering is being renewed anyway.
Loft conversions and loft rooms
Daylight and ventilation for a room in the roof, installed so the covering around it works rather than merely closes.
Dark landings, bathrooms and kitchens
A single roof window transforms a space that has no realistic prospect of a wall window.
Replacing an old roof window
Older units leak at the flashing, mist up, or no longer close properly. Replacement includes putting the surrounding detail right.
Anyone having a re-roof
The ideal time. With the covering off, the window and its flashing can be built into the roof as one continuous detail.
What happens if it waits
A badly fitted roof window leaks into the room you fitted it for
Every roof window interrupts the flow of water down a roof slope. Water arriving from above has to be collected at the head of the window and carried around both sides to rejoin the covering below. Get that wrong and the leak appears at the top corners of the frame: inside a finished room, usually onto new plasterboard.
Height within the roof plane is the detail people underestimate. The flashing kit only works within a set relationship to the tile courses, so a window set too high or too low leaves the flashing fighting the covering. That fault cannot be sealed out afterwards; it has to be reset.
There is also a condensation problem masquerading as a leak. A window fitted without proper attention to the internal reveal and airflow will run with condensation in cold weather, which soaks the plaster below and looks exactly like a roofing failure. Diagnosing which one you actually have saves ripping the right thing out for no reason.
The consequences land in the worst place. A roof leak in an open loft is unpleasant; a roof leak into a finished loft conversion means plasterboard, insulation, decoration and possibly flooring, on top of correcting the window itself.
Common mistakes we get called out to fix
- Setting the window at the wrong height relative to the tile courses, so the flashing kit can never work properly.
- Relying on sealant at the head of the window instead of forming the flashing to carry water around it.
- Using a flashing kit that does not suit the covering profile; flat slate versus deep interlocking tile are different kits.
- Cutting tiles roughly around the opening so the courses either side no longer lap correctly.
- Cutting rafters to make the opening fit without regard to the structure that was there.
- Ignoring the internal reveal and airflow, then diagnosing condensation as a roof leak.
How the job runs
How a roof window installation is planned and carried out
Step 1
Inspection and survey
We look at the roof covering, pitch, rafter positions and the room below, and confirm where the window can go so the flashing detail will work.
Step 2
Diagnosis and specification
You are told the size and position that suits the roof and the room, and which flashing kit your covering needs. Where a window is not sensible in a given spot, you hear that.
Step 3
Detailed written quote
The window, flashing kit, timber work, tiling and making good are itemised, so you can see exactly what the price includes.
Step 4
Opening and fitting
The opening is formed and trimmed properly, then the window is set at the correct height within the roof plane and fixed securely.
Step 5
Flashing, tiling and verification
The flashing kit is fitted and dressed, the surrounding tiles or slates are cut and bedded so the courses lap correctly, and the detail is checked to shed water at the head and sides.
Step 6
Clear down and guarantee
Offcuts and debris are removed, gutters left clear, the site cleaned, and the work confirmed with our written workmanship guarantee.
What you get out of it
What a properly installed roof window gives you
Daylight without a damp patch
Correct height, correct flashing kit and correctly cut tiling mean the opening sheds water like the rest of the roof.
Fitted by roofers, not around them
The window, the flashing and the covering are one job. Nobody hands the weathering detail on to someone else.
Ventilation as well as light
An opening roof window clears heat and moisture from a loft room or bathroom, which protects decoration and timber.
Cheapest during a re-roof
With the covering off, the window is built into the roof rather than cut into a finished one, which saves both money and risk.
Value added to the room
Natural light is the single biggest change you can make to a loft space, and it does not cost you wall space.
Workmanship guaranteed in writing
Our tiled roof workmanship carries a 25 year guarantee, backed by £2m public liability and £10m employers' liability cover.
In detail
Positions, flashing kits, coverings and replacements
Roof window work varies with the covering, the pitch and the room below. Here is what changes and why it matters.
Choosing size and position
Position is limited by the rafters, the pitch and where water arrives from above. Working with the existing structure is preferable to cutting through it.
Inside the room, the height of the window affects both daylight and the view, so the sensible position is decided looking at the room as well as the roof.
Where several windows go into one slope, the spacing has to leave the tiling and flashing between them able to work.
Flashing kits and coverings
Flashing kits are specific to the covering. A flat slate roof and a deep interlocking concrete tile need different kits, because the profile decides how water passes the frame.
The kit only performs within a set relationship to the tile courses, which is why setting the window at the correct height within the roof plane is the critical measurement of the whole job.
Where a window meets an abutment or sits near a valley or chimney, lead detailing may be needed alongside the kit. Leadwork carries a 10 year workmanship guarantee.
Installing during a re-roof
During a re-roof the membrane, battens and covering are all new, so the window is integrated into the roof build-up rather than inserted into it. This is the lowest-risk way to fit one.
It is also the cheapest, because the access and the tiling work are already part of the job.
If a loft conversion or roof window is on your plans for the next couple of years and the roof needs re-covering now, that is worth saying at the quote stage.
Replacing an existing roof window
Older units commonly fail at the flashing, at the seals, or in the operating mechanism. A replacement is the opportunity to correct a detail that was wrong from the start.
We look at whether the existing opening and height are right for the new unit's flashing kit, rather than assuming what was there is a good template.
Where the original leak has already wet the timber around the opening, that gets repaired before the new window goes in.
Condensation, ventilation and Surrey lofts
Water at the bottom of a roof window in cold weather is often condensation rather than a leak, particularly in bathrooms and unheated loft rooms. Telling those apart prevents unnecessary work.
Ventilation matters in a converted loft, and an opening window is part of managing moisture in the room rather than only a source of daylight.
Local loft conversions sit under everything from period plain-tiled roofs to modern interlocking tiles, so the flashing specification is set to the roof in front of us rather than to a standard.
Where we work
Covering Bookham
and the towns around it
We are based at The Manse, Eastwick Road, Bookham, Surrey and work across these Surrey towns and villages.
- Velux Roof Windows in Bookham
- Velux Roof Windows in Great Bookham
- Velux Roof Windows in Leatherhead
- Velux Roof Windows in Fetcham
- Velux Roof Windows in Effingham
- Velux Roof Windows in Ashtead
- Velux Roof Windows in Epsom
- Velux Roof Windows in Cobham
- Velux Roof Windows in East Horsley
- Velux Roof Windows in West Horsley
- Velux Roof Windows in Shalford
- Velux Roof Windows in Woking
- Velux Roof Windows in Guildford
Not sure whether you are in range? Call 07877 013968 and we will tell you straight away.
Related work
Often done at the same time
See every roofing service we offer or go back to the homepage.
Questions
Straight answers
before you commit
Anything not covered here, ask Matt directly on 07877 013968.
How much does Velux installation cost in Surrey?
It depends on the window size, the covering and flashing kit needed, the number of windows, the timber work involved and access. Matt looks at the roof and the room and gives an itemised written quote before anything starts.
How long does it take to fit a roof window?
A single roof window in an accessible roof is typically a short job of a day or two once access is set up. Several windows, or work forming a larger opening, takes longer, and the timescale is given before booking.
Is the installation guaranteed?
Yes. Our workmanship is guaranteed in writing, with tiled roof work carrying a 25 year guarantee and any associated leadwork carrying 10 years. The window unit itself is covered by the manufacturer.
Can you install one in a slate roof?
Yes. Slate needs a different flashing kit from interlocking tile, and the slates around the opening need cutting and fixing correctly. That is standard roofing work for us.
Should I fit roof windows during a re-roof?
If you are planning both, yes. With the covering off, the window is built into the roof as one continuous detail, which is cheaper and lower risk than cutting into a finished roof later.
Do I need planning permission?
Roof windows in the plane of an existing roof frequently fall under permitted development, but it depends on the property, the elevation and any local restrictions. Check with your local authority; we will not tell you it is fine when the answer depends on your address.
Will it leak?
Not when it is set at the correct height in the roof plane, fitted with the right flashing kit and tiled in properly. Leaks in roof windows almost always trace back to one of those three being wrong.
There is water at the bottom of my existing roof window; is it leaking?
Often it is condensation rather than a leak, particularly in bathrooms and loft rooms in cold weather. Matt will tell you which one you have before anyone starts taking a roof apart.
Can you replace an old roof window that has failed?
Yes, including repairing any timber around the opening that the original leak has damaged, and correcting the flashing detail if it was wrong.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Bookham and cover Great and Little Bookham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Effingham, Ashtead, Epsom, Cobham, East and West Horsley, Shalford, Woking and Guildford.
Next step
Get daylight inand water out
Send the form and Matt will look at the roof and the room, confirm where a window can go, and put a detailed quote in writing. To talk the options through, calling is quicker.
Call 07877 013968The Manse, Eastwick Road, Bookham, Surrey, KT23 3BE
Mon–Sat 8am–6:30pm · Sun 9am–4pm