What to Do If You Find a Leak in Your Roof
Finding water coming through your ceiling or running down a wall is never a nice moment, but what you do in the first hour or so can make a real difference to how much damage ends up being done. Here is a practical rundown of what to do if you find a leak, and when it is worth calling someone out straight away.
Protect the Inside of Your Home First
Before anything else, move furniture, electronics, and anything valuable away from the area where water is coming through. If you can, place a bucket or container underneath the leak to catch the water and stop it spreading further across floors or ceilings.
If water is pooling anywhere near light fittings, sockets, or other electrics, switch off the power to that area at the consumer unit if it is safe to reach, and avoid that part of the room until it has been checked over.
Try to Work Out Where It Is Coming From
Water does not always travel in a straight line once it gets into a roof space, so the damp patch on your ceiling is not necessarily directly below where the leak started. If you can safely get into your loft with a torch, have a look for obvious signs like daylight coming through a gap, a damp patch on the underside of the roof covering, or water tracking along a rafter.
You do not need to identify the exact cause yourself, and climbing onto the roof itself is not something to attempt, especially in wet or windy conditions. The goal here is just to gather a bit of useful information to pass on when you call someone out.
Take Photos as You Go
Photographing the damage, both inside the house and from a safe vantage point outside, is worth doing as soon as you can. This is useful for your own records, for any insurance claim you might need to make, and it helps whoever comes out to look at the roof understand what has been happening before they arrive.
Know When It Counts as an Emergency
Active water coming through the ceiling, a section of roof covering that looks like it has come loose or is missing, or damage following a storm are all situations where it is worth treating the problem as urgent rather than waiting for a routine appointment. A slow, occasional drip that only happens in heavy rain is still worth getting checked with a proper roof inspection, but is less likely to need an immediate emergency response.
If you are ever unsure which category your situation falls into, it is always worth calling and talking it through rather than guessing.
What Happens Once We Are Called Out
We are a family run team covering Morden and the surrounding area, and when you call about a leak, our first priority is finding out how urgent it is. For genuine emergencies, we offer emergency roof repair to get your roof watertight as quickly as we reasonably can. For less urgent leaks, we will book in a visit, carry out a proper inspection, and give you a clear, honest explanation of what has caused it, whether that means a straightforward roof repair or something more involved.
Call us on +44 330 133 4111 to get in touch, and we will help you work out the right next step for your situation.