Active leaks, storm damage, slipped tiles, lifted ridge tiles and failed flashings need attention before water spreads further. We cover King's Lynn and the surrounding villages.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A roof that is actively leaking, has tiles missing after a storm or has a flashing that has pulled away is not a problem to put off. Water that gets in under the tiles or through a failed joint works its way down through the structure fast, damaging ceilings, timbers and everything below. This page covers what to do first, what make-safe work involves, how emergency repairs differ from permanent fixes, and what to do about insurance.
Not every roof issue demands the same level of action, but some signs mean you should call a roofer today rather than next week. Look for these from the ground or from inside the house:
A sagging or bulging wet ceiling is particularly serious. Keep people out of the room and do not poke at it - a waterlogged ceiling can come down without warning. The same applies to children and pets: clear the room and leave it clear until a roofer has been out.
The most important rule is to stay off the roof. A wet roof is dangerous to walk on, and without the right equipment and training a fall is a real risk. There is nothing on a roof that a homeowner should try to fix themselves as a temporary measure.
Inside the house, place buckets or bowls under any drips and lay down towels or old sheets to protect floors. Move furniture, rugs and any items that matter away from the wet area. Take photographs of the damage - ceiling staining, water marks, any tiles or debris on the ground - noting the date and time. If you need to make an insurance claim, those photographs and dates are important evidence.
If water is near a light fitting, socket, switch or the fuse board, do not touch them. If the consumer unit is dry and you can reach it without going near water, you can turn off the main switch. If there is any doubt, leave it and call an electrician.
Not every sudden leak is caused by a missing tile. Blocked gutters and downpipes cause water to back up and overflow behind fascias or into the roof structure. Blocked or poorly lined valleys - the internal angles where two roof slopes meet - can overflow in heavy rain and send water under the tiles at the sides. These can appear as new leaks with no obvious cause, especially after a period of heavy rain, and they are worth bearing in mind when describing the problem to a roofer.
Pitched roofs with plain clay tiles. Plain clay tiles are double-lapped, which means one missing tile does not leave a straight-through hole - the tile above still covers part of the gap. However, a missing tile can let rain reach the battens and the underlay beneath them, and if the underlay has aged or torn, water can get through into the loft. Most pitched roofs have an underlay layer under the tiles, but some older properties do not, so a missing tile on a genuinely old roof can mean a direct route into the loft.
Slate roofs. Slates slip when the nails holding them fail - a problem called nail sickness, common on roofs where the original iron nails have corroded over many decades. Slates have no nibs and rely entirely on their nails, so once the nails go the slate slides down. Like plain clay tiles, slates are double-lapped, but multiple slipped slates in the same area can leave gaps that let rain through to the underlay and battens.
Interlocking concrete tiles. These are single-lapped, so a cracked or missing tile leaves a larger exposed area than an equivalent gap with plain tiles. A cracked tile in a high position on the roof can let in a surprising volume of water.
Ridge tiles. On older roofs, ridge tiles are bedded in mortar. That mortar cracks over time and can let ridges lift in wind. Lifted ridge tiles expose the timber apex of the roof and the felt beneath it. Some newer roofs use dry-fix ridge systems with mechanical fixings rather than mortar; these are less prone to this problem but the fittings can still fail.
Lead flashings. Lead flashing seals the join between the roof and a chimney, parapet, dormer or any vertical surface. Lifted lead can sometimes be dressed back into place and resealed. Cracked or split lead needs replacing rather than patching. A failed flashing is one of the most common causes of water appearing inside a chimney breast or at the base of a dormer wall.
Flat roofs. A split or lifted membrane lets water straight through to the deck below. Standing water on a flat roof that does not drain away points to a blocked outlet or insufficient fall, and prolonged ponding will shorten the life of any felt or EPDM rubber membrane significantly.
In many cases the first visit after a storm or sudden leak is a make-safe rather than a full repair. This might mean a heavy-duty tarpaulin or temporary sheeting secured over the affected area to stop water getting in until the full repair can be carried out. Make-safe work is not a substitute for a permanent fix - it buys time and limits further damage.
Whether temporary sheeting can be fitted from roof ladders or whether scaffolding or safe access equipment is needed first depends on the pitch, height and layout of the roof. A slipped tile low on a roof may be reachable with roof ladders. A ridge tile on a tall or steeply pitched property, or work over a large area, may need scaffolding before anything can be done safely. Scaffolding adds to the overall cost, and this is worth bearing in mind when thinking about how the job will proceed.
After a leak, the repair is not just the visible fault. The underlay, battens and roof timbers beneath the problem area will be checked as well. Wet timbers that are left can develop rot, and wet or displaced underlay needs attention even if the outer tiles look sound again once the repair is done.
Storm damage is often covered under a standard buildings insurance policy, but the details matter. Photograph the damage as soon as it is safe to do so, noting the date. Keep any receipts for temporary protective measures. Where possible, contact your insurer before having work done, as they may want to send their own assessor or they may have specific requirements about evidence.
Insurers commonly decline claims where they judge the main cause of failure to be existing wear and tear rather than the storm itself. Each policy has its own definition of what counts as a storm - often based on recorded wind speed or rainfall at the nearest weather station - and the insurer will apply that definition. If a claim is refused, you can go through the insurer's formal complaints process and, if that does not resolve it, to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Mortar that was already cracked or a tile that was already loose before the storm are typical examples of the existing wear an insurer may point to. This does not mean you cannot claim, but it does mean it is worth being honest about the condition of the roof before the storm when you speak to your insurer.
Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers, who ring you back to talk through what has happened and arrange a visit.
When you ring about urgent roof damage, it helps to have the details to hand: what you have seen, where it is and when it started. We cover King's Lynn and the surrounding villages.
When a roofer visits, they will assess the damage and explain what needs to happen, whether that is a temporary make-safe or a full repair once safe access is in place.
No two emergency jobs are the same, and several factors shape what a repair costs. The main ones are the extent of the damage, whether scaffolding or specialist access equipment is needed to reach the area safely, whether it is a temporary make-safe or a full permanent repair, and the materials involved - lead flashing, slate, clay tile and flat-roof membrane all have different material costs. A job that needs a full scaffold on a large property will cost considerably more than a slipped tile reachable with a roof ladder.
If you are making an insurance claim, ask your insurer whether they need a written assessment or scope of works before repairs begin, as this can affect how the job is priced and documented.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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