Active leaks, storm damage, slipped tiles and failed flashings need dealing with before the damage spreads inside the property. Covering Thetford and the surrounding villages.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A roof leak, a tile blown off in a storm or a flashing that has lifted overnight can let water into the property fast. Left unattended, water works its way through the roof structure and into ceilings, walls and timbers well before you can see the full extent of the damage. This page explains what counts as a genuine roof emergency, what you can safely do before a roofer has been out, and what the repair work itself involves.
Some roof problems can wait a few days; others cannot. A leak that is actively dripping or running into the property during or after rain is urgent, particularly if water is near electrics, the ceiling is bulging or sagging, or daylight shows through the roof from the loft (if you go up to look, step only on the joists or boarded areas). A sagging or bulging ceiling can come down without warning. Keep people out of the room beneath it and do not poke, prod or pierce the ceiling.
Storm damage, missing or slipped tiles, lifted ridge tiles and split or lifted flashings all allow water to reach the underlay, battens and timbers beneath. Plain clay tiles and slates are double-lapped, so a single missing piece still leaves the courses below partly covering the gap, while interlocking concrete tiles are single-lapped and a missing one leaves a larger opening onto the underlay and battens. However, the underlay is not waterproof indefinitely, and once it is saturated or torn, water gets into the structure. On older roofs that have no underlay at all, a missing tile or slate leaves the timber structure directly exposed.
Pitched roofs covered in natural slate are vulnerable to nail sickness, where the original iron nails corrode and slates slip out of position. Slates have no nibs and are held entirely by their nails, so a batch of slipping slates means the nails across a section of the roof are failing together. Plain clay tiles can crack under impact or lift in strong wind if their nibs are worn. Ridge tiles on older roofs are mortar-bedded; the mortar deteriorates and the tiles rock, let in water and eventually fall. Newer roofs often use dry-fix ridge systems, which have their own clips and seals that can also fail.
Lead flashings seal the joins between the roof covering and walls, chimney stacks and roof windows. Lifted lead can sometimes be dressed back into place; cracked or split lead needs replacing rather than patching. A failed flashing at a chimney or roof window is a frequent cause of a sudden, concentrated leak inside.
Flat roofs develop problems where the membrane meets a wall or parapet, and at outlets and drainage points. A split or lifted felt or EPDM membrane lets water through directly. Standing water on a flat roof usually means a blocked outlet or insufficient fall in the deck; if left, the weight and the moisture both accelerate deterioration. Flat roof coverings and their junctions need to be inspected from the roof surface, which requires safe access - not something to attempt yourself.
Blocked gutters, downpipes and overflowing valleys are another common source of sudden leaks. When a gutter or valley cannot drain, water backs up and finds its way under the roof covering at the eaves or along the valley line. The result inside the property can look identical to a tile or flashing failure. A roofer will check the drainage route as part of diagnosing the fault.
There are practical steps you can take to limit damage without putting yourself at risk. The key rule is: do not go on the roof yourself.
Assessing the outside of the property from ground level is fine. Look for visible missing tiles, fallen ridge tiles, debris in gutters or valleys, and anything that appears to have shifted. Do not climb a ladder onto the roof.
When a roofer comes out after an emergency call, the first priority is to stop water getting in. That often means temporary make-safe work: fixing a heavy-duty tarpaulin or temporary sheeting over the affected area, re-bedding or securing a loose ridge tile, or covering a flat roof section where the membrane has split. Temporary work buys time for the materials and conditions needed for a proper repair.
A permanent repair then follows once the full extent of the damage has been assessed. After a leak, a roofer checks the underlay and battens as well as the surface fault, because water does not always travel straight down. Timbers that have been wet for a period may need treatment or replacement. The visible fault - the missing tile, the split flashing - is only the starting point.
Whether temporary or permanent work is needed first, and how long either takes, depends on the access available. A slipped tile on a low, gentle pitch may be reachable with roof ladders. A high or steep roof, or a larger area of damage, often requires scaffolding. Scaffolding affects both the cost and the timing of make-safe and repair work, and the roofer will assess what is needed when they attend.
Storm damage to a roof is often covered under a buildings insurance policy, but the detail matters. Insurers commonly decline claims where they decide the storm only exposed existing wear and tear, rather than causing the damage itself. Each policy has its own definition of what constitutes a storm, and insurers typically refer to recorded wind speed or rainfall data when assessing a claim.
If you think storm damage may be covered, tell your insurer as soon as possible. Photograph the damage, keep any receipts for emergency work carried out to prevent further damage, and ask your insurer whether emergency make-safe costs are covered. If an insurer refuses a claim, you can use their internal complaints process and then take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service if needed. Records of any previous repairs can help support a claim.
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 call, be ready to describe what you can see: where the water is coming in, whether there is visible damage to tiles, slates or flashings, and whether the ceiling is showing signs of stress. The more detail you can give, the better a roofer can understand what is needed.
We cover Thetford and the surrounding villages. If you have a roof emergency, call us.
No two emergency call-outs are the same, so the cost depends on several factors. The main ones are: the type and extent of the damage, whether temporary make-safe work is needed before a permanent repair, and whether scaffolding or other access equipment is required. A small repair on a low-pitched roof with easy ladder access costs significantly less than work on a high or steep roof where a scaffold must be erected first. The materials involved - lead, EPDM membrane, ridge mortar, slates, clay tiles - also affect the final price. A roofer will assess all of these at the visit before any work begins.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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