Ridge Capping

What is ridge capping?

• Ridge caps are the tiles that sit at the apex (ridge) of the roof where two or more tiled roof areas meet.

• Ridge caps are fastened by the outer layer the "pointing" and the inner layer the "bedding".

• The pointing secures the ridge caps to the bedding and roof tiles whilst sealing the mortar and roof intersection against the elements and from water ingress.

• Some people may also refer to ridge capping as "coping" or "mortar".

Pointing:

• Pointing is a highly adhesive flexible acrylic binder (resin) material used for bonding and sealing the ridge caps, bedding and roof tiles together. 

• The flexibility allows for movement in your roof and home due to shrinking and expansion of building materials from daily heat cycles.

• Prevents strong winds from lifting ridge caps off of the roof.

• Pointing can last 12-18 years before becoming badly deteriorated and needing repointing; even longer if the roof has been painted with the correct paint membrane. 

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Bedding:

• The bedding is made from a sand and cement composition that when mixed correctly can last up to 40-50 years without needing to be rebedded.

• The cement bedding acts as a rigid support for the caps to rest on. 

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When is repointing necessary?

• When there are visible cracks and gaps along the ridge pointing.

• Visible evidence that the bedding or roof tiles are sliding out from beneath the ridge cap tiles.

• The pointing is peeling away from the layer underneath (usually due to poor preparation the last time it was repointed).

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When is rebedding necessary?

• When it isn't mixed or laid correctly it can deteriorate by turning sandy, this can happen in as little as 2 years or take as long as 20 years with a poor quality mix; when the bedding goes sandy the pointing can no long adhere and it begins peeling away, as well as this the sand can block weepholes in the bedding which are designed to drain moisture and any water ingress back out from beneath the caps. 

• Weepholes were not installed when the bedding was originally laid, and the cement is too dense to drill new holes through; this becomes an issue once the pointing is deteriorating allowing water to ingress and begin pooling under the ridge caps.

• Over-bedding of the cement, if too much bedding has been laid between the ridge caps and roof tiles, this becomes an issue once the pointing is deteriorating allowing water to run off the back of the cement under the ridge caps.

• Over-pointing of the ridge, if the capping has been repointed too many times or too thickly, it may not be possible to repoint over the capping once the old pointing has deteriorated.

• If gone unnoticed or intentionally ignored these issues can result in costly repairs not only to fix the bedding but also from water ingress to your home.