Nail Sickness
The progressive corrosion of galvanised steel nails that fix roof tiles, common on Worthing properties built between 1930 and 1980. As the nails fail, tiles are held only by gravity and can slip or lift in a gale. It cannot be seen from the ground and requires direct roof access to assess. It is the single most common re-roofing driver across Worthing's interwar and post-war housing stock.
Code 4 Lead
A thickness grade of milled lead sheet (1.80mm) used for flashings, valleys and abutments. Codes run from 3 to 8 by increasing thickness. In coastal Worthing we use Code 4 as a minimum rather than the thinner Code 3 used inland, because salt air strips the protective patina faster and thicker lead extends service life on exposed elevations.
GRP Fibreglass
Glass-Reinforced Plastic, a seamless flat-roofing system of fibreglass matting saturated with polyester resin and finished with a gel coat. It has no joints — the primary felt failure point — and is impervious to salt air and UV. In coastal Worthing GRP lasts 40–50 years versus 8–12 for felt, making it our standard flat-roof specification.
Ridge Mortar
The mortar bedding that secures ridge and hip tiles along the apex of a roof. On elevated and exposed Worthing properties such as High Salvington and Findon, wind and freeze-thaw cycling crack rigid cement mortar within a few winters. We use flexible mortar with coastal additives to extend the interval between repointing.
Breathable Membrane
A modern underlay laid beneath roof tiles that sheds water outward while allowing water vapour to escape from the roof void, preventing condensation. It replaces the brittle bituminous felt used on pre-1980 roofs. We fit breathable membrane as standard on every Worthing re-roof — reusing old felt under new tile is a false economy.
Flaunching
The mortar fillet that seals the top of a chimney stack around the base of the pots, shedding rainwater away from the flue. Cracked or missing flaunching lets water into the stack and is a common finding on older Worthing chimneys. In coastal conditions we use a waterproof mortar mix to resist salt-driven deterioration.
Pointing
The finished mortar between bricks or stones, including on chimney stacks. Pre-1930 Worthing properties require hydraulic lime pointing, not modern cement — cement is harder than the surrounding brick, traps moisture and causes the brick face to spall. Using the correct mortar for the era is essential on Victorian and Edwardian stock in Broadwater, Heene and Tarring.
Nail-Sick Re-Roof
A full roof replacement carried out because widespread nail sickness has made piecemeal repair uneconomic. Rather than repeatedly re-fixing slipping tiles, the roof is stripped and re-laid with new tile, breathable membrane, treated batten and stainless steel fixings. It is the correct answer when more than a quarter of tiles across a Worthing roof show failed fixings.