Georgian Roof Restoration in Dublin
The four-storey townhouses and squares of the south side, restored in lead and natural slate behind the parapet, by a family-run Dublin roofer who has worked these roofs since 1989.
The Roofs Behind Dublin's Georgian Parapets
Georgian roof restoration in Dublin is specialist work, because a Georgian roof is nothing like the pitched slate you see on a Victorian terrace. The four-storey townhouses of the Georgian squares and the Dublin 2 core hide a low-pitch slate roof behind a fine brick or rendered parapet, drained by a lead-lined gutter you cannot see from the street. It is as much a lead roof as a slate one, and it is where a general roofer often comes unstuck.
We have restored these roofs for decades, and the work rewards someone who knows them. The parapet and box gutters need re-lining in new lead with the right falls, the abutments and stacks need dressing by hand, and the low slate needs re-laying so it sits neat behind the parapet exactly as it was built to. Many of these houses are protected structures, so it is done sympathetically, in the original materials, the way a Georgian roof is meant to be kept.
Where Georgian Roofs Fail
A Georgian roof gives its warnings quietly, behind the parapet and inside the house rather than out on the slate. Knowing where to look, and how the lead and the gutters are built, is what a proper restoration turns on.
Parapet and Box Gutters, Hidden and Leaking
A Georgian roof drains through a lead-lined gutter that sits behind the parapet wall, out of sight from the street, and through box gutters between the roof slopes. It is the first thing to fail and the hardest to spot, because the water does not show on the roof, it shows as damp on a top-floor ceiling, on the cornice or down the party wall. After two centuries the lead splits at the joints and the old linings perish, and the only proper fix is to strip the gutter back and re-line it in new lead, laid in the right lengths with the right falls so it drains for another lifetime.
The Lead That Holds It All Together
A Georgian roof is as much a lead roof as a slate one. Lead lines the gutters, dresses the parapets, seals every abutment where the roof meets a wall or a stack, and flashes the slate. When it is dressed and bossed properly by hand it lasts generations, but perished, split or badly-patched lead is where these roofs let go. We renew it the traditional way, in the right code of lead, welted and bossed rather than sealed with mastic, so the detail is right and the roof stays watertight.
Tall Chimney Stacks, Four Storeys Up
The stacks on a Georgian house stand tall and take the full weather, four storeys up and often shared between houses. Perished mortar, cracked flaunching and loose pots let water into the stack and the flashings around it, and at that height the work needs the right access and a careful, insured approach. We repoint, re-bed the pots, renew the flaunching and re-dress the lead, so the stack sheds water again and the ceilings below stay dry.
Low-Pitch Slate You Never See From the Street
Behind the parapet sits a low-pitch natural-slate roof the street never shows, and because it is out of view it is easy to leave until a ceiling gives way. The slate ages the same as any period roof, the old nails rust and let go, and the low pitch means water sits longer and finds any weakness. A restoration re-lays the slate on new non-corroding nails over a breathable underlay, keeping the roof low and neat behind the parapet exactly as it was designed to sit.
The Georgian Squares and Terraces
Dublin's Georgian heart runs through the squares and the townhouse streets of the south inner city, and it is where this work is. The four-storey terraces of Georgian Dublin, around Fitzwilliam Square, Merrion Square, Baggot Street, Leeson Street and Mount Street, carry the classic parapet-hidden slate roofs and concealed lead gutters, and the larger period homes further out toward Ballsbridge and Donnybrook share much of the same detail. Each has its own access and its own quirks, and after decades on them we know how a Georgian roof is put together and where it lets go.
Wherever your Georgian house is, the promise is the same: a free inspection, an honest steer on whether re-lining the gutters and repairs will hold or a fuller restoration makes more sense, lead and slate put back the traditional way, and a clear written price. This sits within our wider period roof restoration across Dublin, and you can see guide figures on our roofing costs page or read more on slate and tile roofing. When you are ready, honest Georgian roof restoration in Dublin is one free inspection away.
Georgian Roof Restoration Questions, Answered
What does Georgian roof restoration in Dublin involve?
Why does my Georgian house leak at the top-floor ceiling?
Do you work on protected structures and the Georgian squares?
Is a Georgian roof different to a Victorian one?
How much does Georgian roof restoration cost in Dublin?
Last updated: August 2026.
What Dublin Homeowners and Businesses Say
We have never asked anyone for a review, and we have never taken one down. Our perfect 5.0 rating from 41 Google reviews is simply what people wrote once the job was finished, tidied and paid for.
“I had water dripping right over the front door. They repaired the gutter joint within 20 minutes and didn’t try to upsell anything. Very honest service.”
Verified Google review
“Our old fascia and soffits were literally falling apart. The team replaced everything over two days and cleaned up the mess before leaving. The house looks fresher than it has in years.”
Verified Google review
“I was dealing with a damp patch spreading around the chimney breast. They found the cause immediately and resealed everything properly. Haven’t seen a single leak since.”
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Restore Your Georgian Roof, Properly
Parapet gutters, hand-dressed lead and low-pitch slate on Dublin's four-storey townhouses, restored sympathetically. Arrange a considered assessment with a family-run specialist who has worked these roofs since 1989.
- Lead parapet gutters and traditional detailing
- Sympathetic to protected structures
- On Dublin's period roofs since 1989
Rated 5.0 on Google from 41 reviews