What this site is
Kensington Roof Notes is a small collection of writing about the roofs of west London's period housing. We started it because the good information about mansards, parapets and lead tends to live in trade knowledge, not anywhere a homeowner can read it.
We explain the subject. We don't carry out the work.
What we cover
The articles are grouped around the kinds of roofs you find here, and the problems they throw up.
- Period terraces — mansards, parapets and lead on Chelsea streets
- Stucco fronts and the hidden roofs behind them in Notting Hill
- Victorian valley gutters, using Fulham as the example
- Flat roofs on Hammersmith mansion blocks, and EPDM, GRP and felt compared
- Slate re-roofing, leadwork and flashing, and what to do when a roof leaks
How it's written
Answer first, then the detail. We try to describe how a roof is actually put together rather than reaching for the nearest generalisation, and we're willing to say when a common bit of advice is wrong — the piece on storm-damage myths exists for that reason.
If something here is out of date or plainly mistaken, we'd rather know.
Who writes it
About Kensington
You can read more about Kensington and the surrounding area on Wikipedia.