Roofs and flat roofs
Ridge mortar has dropped into the loft. Is the ridge still fixed?
The ridge has not been shown to be still fixed. Mortar that has dropped into the loft is bedding that has left the ridge, so some of the material that held the ridge units is now debris on the boards. The survey can record the fallen mortar and the ridge it could see from outside or from the loft. It has not tested the fixing of each unit, has not lifted the ridge, and has not proved that whatever mortar remains still holds it. Fallen bedding is a defect to note. It is not a certificate that the ridge remains secure.
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?
Ridge units sit along the apex, bedded and sometimes mechanically fixed. When the bedding falls through, the loft collects the evidence, but the cause is at the apex. Wind, frost and a lost nail can all play a part, and the survey cannot see every fixing from a board in the middle of the loft. Daylight at the ridge, if it was noted, shows a gap. It does not measure how close the unit is to coming off. The report stops at the loss it could see.
Ask a roofer to look at the ridge if you want the fixing checked, and do not treat the debris as a repair already done. Tell the solicitor the ridge bedding has dropped. A lender reading the report should hear that the ridge was not proved secure. If other roof defects sit beside this one, keep them listed separately so a quote can name the ridge rather than a vague patch of roof. The survey has not rebedded anything.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Has fallen mortar been taken as proof the ridge is still fixed?
- Did the visit lift the ridge or test each unit?
- Is the debris in the loft the same thing as a completed repair?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the ridge fixing as unproved.
- Ask a roofer to check the apex if a quote is needed.
- Do not describe fallen bedding as a repair.
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 daylight at the ridge mean the covering has failed everywhere?
No. Daylight at the ridge, if the report notes it, is a gap at that line. It does not condemn every slope. The survey has not said the whole covering is open. Read the ridge sentence on its own. Other defects, if any, will have their own words. Do not expand one apex note into a failed roof.
Can the mortar be put back from inside the loft?
Not as a proper repair of the ridge. The bedding belongs at the apex, on the outside, and this survey has not replaced it. Pushing mortar up from the loft would not be the inspection either. Ask a roofer how the ridge is fixed. The debris is evidence of loss, not a method of putting the ridge back.