Nail sickness is the single most common structural roofing issue on Cheshire's post-war housing stock. If your property was built between 1965 and 1990 with concrete interlocking tiles, nail sickness is a question of when, not if. This guide explains what it is, how to identify it, and how to decide between repair and re-roofing.
March 2025 · Technical Guide · Wilmslow Roofing Experts
Nail sickness is the corrosion of steel roofing nails that fixed concrete tiles on Cheshire homes built between 1965 and 1990. As nails fail, tiles slip or displace. It affects most post-war Cheshire estate housing now, and once widespread across an elevation, re-roofing costs less than repeated repairs.
Nail sickness is the single most common structural roofing issue on Cheshire's post-war housing stock. If your property was built between 1965 and 1990 with concrete interlocking tiles, nail sickness is a question of when, not if. This guide explains what it is, how to identify it, and how to decide between repair and re-roofing.
Concrete interlocking tiles are fixed to the roof battens by steel nails driven through a pre-formed hole in the tile. The steel nails used in roofing installations from 1965 to approximately 1990 were mild steel — either plain or lightly galvanised. In Cheshire's mild, damp climate, these nails corrode from the outside in. The corrosion process takes 40–60 years to reach the point where the nail cross-section is reduced enough to allow the tile to move. At that point, any sustained wind load — or even a moderate gust — displaces the tile.
Cheshire's climate — persistent rainfall, high ambient humidity from the Mersey and Bollin valleys, and freeze-thaw cycling in the elevated eastern areas — accelerates nail corrosion compared to drier regions. A nail that might last 60 years in East Anglia reaches the same corrosion stage in 40–50 years in Cheshire. The result is that a significant proportion of Cheshire's 1960s–80s housing stock is currently in the nail sickness phase, with corrosion at varying stages across different elevations and age bands.
Mild steel and galvanised nails used in tile fixing before the 1990s have a service life of roughly 40-60 years in the UK's damp climate, which is why concrete tile roofs of this era reach failure together.
— NFRC guidance on mechanical fixing of tiles and slates
Early stage (grading 1–2): Tiles that have shifted slightly out of line — visible as an uneven course when viewed with binoculars along the roof slope. No tiles have yet displaced but lateral movement is detectable from scaffold. Middle stage (grading 3): Individual tiles have lifted or displaced, typically following a wind event. Repairs are possible but are treating symptoms rather than cause. Late stage (grading 4): Multiple tiles displaced across an elevation, pattern of re-displacement following repairs, significant corrosion visible on nails accessed from loft. Re-roofing is the only economically rational approach.
Grade 1–2: Annual inspection, plan for re-roofing within 5–10 years. Grade 3 (less than 15% of tiles affected): Repairs are appropriate. However, if repairs have been carried out twice or more in five years, re-roofing is more economical. Grade 3 (more than 15% affected on one elevation): Re-roofing of the affected elevation is typically more economical than continued individual tile replacement. Grade 4: Full re-roofing. The cost of continued repair — including repeated scaffold hire — exceeds the re-roofing cost within 2–3 years.
Inspection survey (written report): £120–£180. Individual tile repair (per call-out): £150–£400. Partial re-roof (one elevation, 3-bed semi): £2,000–£4,000. Full re-roof (3-bed semi, concrete interlocking tile): £5,500–£9,000. Full re-roof (4-bed detached): £8,000–£14,000. The economics are clear: a property at Grade 4 nail sickness that generates two emergency call-outs per year at £250 each would spend £2,500 on repairs over five years — repairs that address nothing — versus a one-time re-roofing cost of £6,000–£9,000 that resolves the issue for 40–60 years.
For properties where the original specification was concrete interlocking tile, concrete tile replacement is correct and cost-effective. Modern concrete tile is significantly better than 1970s tile in surface hardness, water absorption and colour stability. Clay plain tile or Welsh slate are not the correct specification for a 1970s Cheshire estate semi — they are overspecified and carry an unnecessary cost premium for a property type where concrete tile is the right material. Free survey and advice on correct specification: 01625 402977.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026
Look along the roof slope from the ground: tiles shifted out of line indicate early nail sickness, and displaced tiles indicate a more advanced stage. A scaffold-level survey confirms the grading.
No. Nail sickness is gradual deterioration rather than sudden storm damage, so it is excluded from standard buildings insurance. Storm-displaced individual tiles may be claimable.
Individual repairs cost £150-£400 per call-out, a partial re-roof £2,000-£4,000, and a full 3-bed semi re-roof £5,500-£9,000. Once failure is widespread, re-roofing is more economical.
Repair if under 15% of tiles on an elevation are affected. Re-roof if failure is widespread or repairs have been needed twice or more in five years.
A concrete tile re-roof using modern tile with stainless steel or aluminium fixings lasts 40-60 years, as modern fixings do not corrode within a normal ownership period.
Elevated areas like Macclesfield and Poynton see the fastest corrosion due to more freeze-thaw cycles, so 1970s housing there is typically at a later stage than the flat plain towns.
The severity of nail sickness on any individual property depends on the age of the installation, the quality of the original nails, and the local climate. Across our Cheshire East coverage area, nail sickness presents at different stages in different locations — primarily because the frost frequency and moisture exposure vary significantly between the elevated eastern areas and the flat western plain.
The elevated Pennine fringe sees the fastest nail corrosion progression. Properties at SK10 and SK12 experience more freeze-thaw cycles per winter than any other part of our coverage area. 1970s estate housing in these areas is typically at Grade 3–4 nail sickness — late stage. Full re-roofing is more economical than continued repair for most properties at this elevation that haven't been re-roofed since original installation.
SK7 elevated position accelerates nail sickness above the Cheshire Plain rate. 1970s estate housing in Bramhall — particularly the streets north of Bramhall Hall Park — shows Grade 3 presentation. Pre-winter survey is recommended on any SK7 property with 1960s–80s concrete tile that has not been assessed in the past three years.
The flat suburban towns show standard Cheshire nail sickness progression — Grade 1–2 on 1970s properties, Grade 2–3 on 1960s properties. This is manageable with planned maintenance rather than emergency response if identified early. Annual survey on any property with concrete tile from this era costs £120–£180. Call 01625 402977.
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Free surveys across Wilmslow and Cheshire East — 01625 402977 — no call-out fee
NFRC Registered · Fully Insured · 10-Year Guarantee · 01625 402977
Free surveys across Wilmslow and Cheshire East — 01625 402977 — no call-out fee
NFRC Registered · Fully Insured · 10-Year Guarantee · 01625 402977