Mortar based roof verges require regular maintenance. The mortar helps to prevent rain water from getting underneath the roof tiles, it acts as a sealant.  The changeable weather conditions, will over time cause the mortar to crack and crumble. Birds find a way to chip away for nesting purposes which can also allow the rain to penetrate the verges and roofline. Missing mortar is detrimental to the roof itself and can cause considerable problems if neglected. A minor re-pointing repair is much better than leaving it until later, damp problems can occur and even the stability of the roof or brickwork on the property could be at risk of major damage.  Building regulations have improved and changed, and all new builds have the new dry verge systems installed.  These systems are more beneficial and are more cost effective than mortar based verges as they do not require regular labour and repairs.

Ridge tiles that are mortar based are also prone to the weather conditions eroding the mortar, which causes the ridge tiles to become loose.  Since 2015 the building regulations have been updated and now the preference is for the ridge tiles to be mechanically secured, which is much better for safety and the securing of the ridge tiles. All new builds have the dry ridge systems installed. These systems have many more advantages and benefits and are more cost effective in the long run since they do not require the maintenance that the mortar based systems do.