Is your roof leaking?
We trace the source first, then repair the cause. Where a leak is one of several symptoms of a roof at the end of its service, we will say so rather than sell you a patch.
Where leaks usually start
One leak can have more than one cause, and a recurring leak usually does.
Damaged sheets
Impact, corrosion at the edges, or foot-traffic damage.
Failed flashing
Where the roof meets a wall, parapet or chimney.
Ridge problems
Loose or short caps, missing closures, under-driven fasteners.
Valley problems
Undersized, blocked or badly lapped valley gutters.
Blocked gutters
Water backs up over the fascia or under the sheet edge.
Loose fasteners
Missing, over-driven or worn washers at fixing points.
Deteriorated sealants
Mastic and tapes harden and crack with heat cycling.
Roof penetrations
Vents, flues, solar fixings, aerials and tank supports.
Poor installation
Short laps, wrong pitch for the profile, reversed laps.
Storm damage
Wind uplift at edges and ridges, debris impact, hail.
Age-related wear
Coating breakdown, rust, brittle tiles, tired felts.
Condensation
Not a leak at all — moist air meeting a cold sheet.
Symptom, possible cause, what should be checked
These are possible causes, not diagnoses. A roof can show the same symptom for several different reasons, and only an inspection of the roof and the space beneath it can tell you which applies to your building.
| Problem | Possible cause | What should be checked |
|---|---|---|
| Water entering during rain | Flashing, sheet damage, penetration, short laps | Leak source and the whole area uphill of it, not just the wet spot |
| Rust | Trapped moisture, damaged coating, cut edges, unsuitable environment | Sheet condition, drainage, whether water is standing anywhere |
| Sagging roof | Structural issue — overloading, undersized or failed members | Roof structure, connections, wall plate and the cause of any rot |
| Overflowing gutters | Blockage, inadequate size, wrong fall, too few outlets | Gutters, downpipes, brackets and the roof area they drain |
| Loose or rattling sheets | Fastener failure, spacing too wide, installation fault | Fixings, washers, sheet alignment and purlin spacing |
| Damp ceiling with no visible drip | Slow leak, or condensation rather than rainwater | Roof, ventilation and insulation together; whether damp follows rain |
| Stains spreading along a line | Water tracking along a purlin or rafter from a distant entry | The full member, uphill to where water first lands |
| Leak only in heavy or driven rain | Wind-driven water past ridge, verge or lap detail | Ridge closures, verge detail, lap length and sealing |
When repair makes more sense than replacement
Repair suits isolated faults on a roof that is otherwise sound. Replacement becomes the better value when the same money would be spent chasing leaks across a covering that is failing generally.
Repair usually fits when
- The fault is identifiable and local
- The rest of the covering is in good condition
- The structure below is sound and dry
- The profile, gauge and colour can still be matched
- Damage came from an event — a storm, an impact
Replacement is worth pricing when
- Leaks keep appearing in new places
- Corrosion or deterioration is widespread
- Fixings no longer hold reliably across the roof
- The structure needs opening up anyway
- Repair costs approach a share of replacement
Either way, check first
- Whether the leak has wet any structural timber
- Whether ceilings or insulation are damaged
- Whether drainage contributed to the problem
- Whether the original installation was at fault
- What the roof will need in the next few years
Replacement pricing follows the same structure as any new roof — see what determines roofing cost.
What to photograph before requesting a repair
Photographs taken from the ground and from inside are usually enough for a first assessment. Do not climb onto a wet or fragile roof to take them.
The whole roof from a distance
Two or three sides, so the shape, pitch and covering are clear.
The ceiling stain or drip
Including which room it is in and where it sits relative to the walls.
Inside the roof space if accessible
Daylight showing through, wet timber, or staining on purlins.
Gutters and downpipes
Whether they are blocked, sagging or overflowing in rain.
Any junction near the leak
Wall abutments, chimneys, valleys, vents, solar mountings.
A note on when it leaks
Every rain, only heavy rain, or only when wind comes from one side.
Request a roof inspections
An inspection covers the covering and its fixings, flashings, ridge and hip lines, valleys, penetrations, gutters and downpipes, the roof structure where it can be seen, and the ceiling below. You get a written record of what needs attention now, what can wait, and what caused the problem.
Useful before buying a property, before the rainy season, after a storm, or when a leak has already been patched more than once.
Roof repair, answered
Tell us where the water is coming in
Send the photographs listed above through the project form, and we will tell you whether this is a repair or a replacement before anyone goes on the roof.