Leaking.
A damp patch on the ceiling, a drip in the loft, a rim of mould along the wall. Water in the house rarely goes away on its own. Do call: for urgent work I can often come out the same day.
First the cause, then the repair
Call 06 - 54 90 68 17Tracing
I find where the water is entering the roof, not where you see it indoors.
Assessing
Is a repair enough, or is the roof due for replacement? You get an honest answer.
Repairing
The repair is carried out properly, with bituminous roofing.
Checking
The roof is handed over watertight and checked over.
Water coming in?
Calling is quickest. For urgent work I can often come out the same day, and you hear straight away on the phone whether that will work.
What this work includes
- Tracing the leak on the roof
- Emergency repair to keep it dry
- Repairs to seams, upstands and penetrations
- Lead work at chimney and gable
- Clearing blocked rainwater outlets
- Replacing damaged roof decking
Tracing a leak, and what you notice of it
Tracing belongs to the job
The spot where water enters the roof is rarely the spot where you see it indoors. Water travels along the decking, sometimes for metres, and comes down at the lowest point. So I start at the junctions and the penetrations rather than in the middle of the area.
Rather too early than too late
A damp patch that keeps coming back, a rim of mould along the wall, a ceiling that keeps staining after it has dried. Waiting rarely improves it: meanwhile the water soaks into the decking, and then timber work is added to the repair.
For urgent work, often the same day
I work in the region five to six days a week and am almost always reachable by phone. You hear straight away on the phone whether that same day will work, and if not, when it will. If it keeps leaking meanwhile, an emergency repair can keep it dry until the proper fix.
What people ask about a leak
Calling is quickest. I work in the region five to six days a week and am almost always reachable by phone. For urgent work I can often come out the same day; you hear straight away on the phone whether that will work. No call centre and no queue.
Put a bucket under the leak and move anything that could get wet. Take photos of the damp patch: they help with tracing it and your insurer will often want them later. Do not go up on the roof yourself.
Usually not. A leak often comes down to one damaged seam, a blocked outlet or a joint that has worked loose. Only when the roofing is worn out everywhere does replacement come into view. You will get an honest answer on that.
Rarely. Water runs along the decking and across the joists before it comes through. That is why every repair starts with tracing it; otherwise you repair the wrong spot.
Water damage often falls under buildings or contents insurance, but that varies by policy. Keep photos and the repair invoice; your insurer will almost always ask for them.
The places a leak starts
Two sheets of bitumen that have worked apart over time. Often solved with a local repair.
Where the roof meets rising brickwork. The most common place of all.
Around a vent or a cable entry the collar has hardened and cracked over the years.
If the trim has come loose anywhere, the wind pulls underneath and the water gets behind it.
Leaves and dirt in the rainwater outlet. The water stands and finds another way down.
At a chimney or along a gable. Cracked or slipped lead is a classic on older properties.
A quote for the repair, with no obligation.
For urgent work, calling is quickest. For a planned repair the form works just as well. A ten-year guarantee on watertightness, and you are tied to nothing.
Roof leaks
Tracing the leak is part of the job. Urgent work is scheduled as soon as possible.
Timber and roof decking
Replacing rotten decking under the roofing, so the new roof lies on sound timber.
Roof maintenance and inspection
Having a look every five years often prevents a bigger repair.