Roofs and flat roofs
How should a buyer separate Ludlow interlocking tiles, the exposed verge and a mortar bed used as the only ridge fixing when all three are mentioned together?
Separate the Ludlow interlocking tiles, the exposed verge, and the mortar bed used as the only ridge fixing. They share a paragraph because they were seen on the same roof. The survey has not decided that the tiles interlock as they should, that the verge is restrained, or that a mortar-only ridge is adequate. Each is a visual note. None was opened or tested. Read them as three limits, not as one combined verdict on the covering.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Ludlow tiles are a named interlocking pattern. The side lap can be missed at the verge, where tiles are cut and the edge is open to wind. A mortar bed as the only ridge fixing means the ridge tiles appear to rely on mortar rather than a mechanical system. Mortar cracks and lets go. From the ground the surveyor sees the pattern, the open verge and the ridge line. That does not lift a ridge tile. The three phrases should not collapse into one repair line.
Ask the solicitor which of the three the seller has already had repaired, and keep the answers separate. A roofer can check verge restraint and how the ridge is actually held. The home survey has not specified clips, mortar or new tiles. Do not tell a lender that interlocking tiles make an exposed verge safe, or that a continuous mortar line means the ridge is fixed. The report only placed the three details together.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What was visible of the Ludlow tiles at the exposed verge?
- How did the report describe the ridge fixing, short of opening it?
- Are the three items given separate comments or one blended line?
What are the typical next steps?
- Split the tiles, the verge and the mortar ridge.
- Ask the seller what, if anything, has been repaired.
- Let a roofer judge restraint at the verge and the ridge.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does interlocking tile mean the verge cannot lift?
Interlock helps on the main slope. At an exposed verge the tiles are often cut and the edge is open to wind. The survey did not test that edge. A mortar smear along the verge is not a restraint test. Keep the verge as its own question beside the tile name.
Is a mortar ridge always a defect on this type of tile?
The report says mortar is the only ridge fixing that was apparent. It does not prove no other fixing exists, because the ridge was not opened, and it does not by itself rank the urgency. Cracked or lost mortar is a condition point. Sound-looking mortar was still not tested. A roofer can confirm how the ridge is held.