New Roofs in East Harling - What to Do While You Wait for the Roofer

Expert New Roofs
in East Harling

The Service: New Roofs Fitted Properly

Thetford Roofers installs new pitched and flat roofs across East Harling and the surrounding area. We work with natural slate, concrete tiles and clay tiles on pitched roofs, and EPDM rubber membranes and torch-on felt on flat roofs for extensions, garages and outbuildings. A new roof fitted correctly from the outset - with proper underlays, correctly specified flashings, adequate ventilation and good drainage - is the most reliable weather defence a house has.

Sometimes, though, there is a gap between the moment a roof problem becomes serious and the moment a new roof can be planned and installed. This page is about managing that gap sensibly.

How to Assess What You Are Dealing With

Before you do anything, work out roughly what is happening. If you have access to your loft, look in there during or just after heavy rain. A torch is enough. You are looking for water dripping through, dark wet patches on the timbers, or daylight visible through the roof covering. The location of the wet patch in the loft is generally close to where the entry point is on the outside, though water can travel along a rafter before dripping, so the ceiling stain below and the actual entry point may not be directly aligned.

From the ground, scan the roof line. Missing or displaced slates or tiles are often visible. A ridge tile that has shifted, a section of sagging felt visible at the eaves, or a moss-laden valley are all signs worth noting and describing when you call a roofer.

What You Can Safely Do While You Wait

There are sensible practical steps any homeowner can take to limit damage while a roofer is booked and materials are being organised. These do not require climbing on the roof.

• Place buckets or containers under any active drips. Check them regularly and empty them before they overflow, particularly overnight.
• Move furniture, electronics and valuables out from under any wet area. Water staining on furniture and damaged floors add to the cost of a roofing problem.
• Lay down plastic sheeting or old towels on the floor beneath the leak to protect flooring.
• If the loft is accessible and safe to enter, you can place a bucket directly under a drip at the point it enters the roof space. This keeps water from reaching the ceiling below.
• Take photographs of the damage - both the roof from outside if visible, and any internal water ingress. These are useful when discussing the extent of the job with a roofer and for any insurance claim you may need to make.
• Keep a brief note of when the leaking started and after which weather events it is worst. This detail helps a roofer narrow down the likely cause quickly.

What Not to Do Yourself

This is the part that matters most, because DIY attempts on a failing roof frequently create more problems than they solve, and sometimes create serious safety risks.

Do not go on the roof. This is not a caveat about doing it carefully - it is a straightforward statement. A roof that is failing may have soft or damaged decking, rotten battens or compromised structure that is not obvious from the surface. Tiles and slates that appear stable can move unexpectedly under load. Falls from roofs cause serious injuries. Leave roof access to people with the right equipment and experience.

Do not apply DIY sealants or roof repair sprays to a pitched roof. Products sold as emergency waterproof coatings work poorly on slates and tiles, block drainage between the overlapping courses, and can make a subsequent professional repair more difficult by contaminating the surfaces around the fault. They also tend to fail in a few months, giving a false sense that the problem is resolved.

Do not attempt to re-bed or move a ridge tile yourself. Ridge tiles are heavier than they look and sitting at the apex of a pitched roof is not a safe position without proper scaffold or a harness system. Attempting to move or re-point a ridge tile from a ladder is dangerous.

Do not ignore a small ceiling stain. A patch of damp plaster that seems minor can be concealing a significant volume of water sitting on the ceiling membrane or in the insulation above. Pressing or piercing the ceiling to see how wet it is behind will release any collected water and can cause the plaster to fail. If you suspect water is collecting in a ceiling void, call a roofer and let them assess it properly.

Temporary Waterproofing: When It Is and Is Not Appropriate

In some situations - typically after storm damage - a roofer attending on an emergency basis may apply a temporary covering such as a reinforced polythene sheet weighted or fixed at the edges. This is a professional measure applied with the right equipment. It is not the same as a homeowner attempting to fix a tarpaulin from a ladder. If the situation is urgent enough to need temporary covering, call a roofer and describe the situation; they can advise whether an emergency visit is the right response or whether the gap can be managed safely until a planned installation date.

Planning the New Roof: What to Think About While You Wait

The waiting period before a new roof is installed is a useful time to gather information and make decisions. Think about the following:

• What material do you want? Natural slate looks excellent on older properties and lasts longer than concrete tiles, but costs more. Concrete interlocking tiles are practical and cost-effective on most post-war housing. Clay plain tiles suit period properties where matching the character of the building matters.
• Do you have a chimney that needs its flashings or pot work addressed at the same time? Doing this while the scaffold is in place saves a return visit.
• Is the loft insulated at ceiling or rafter level? This affects what ventilation the new roof needs to include.
• Are there any flat-roof sections on extensions or a bay that need addressing at the same time? EPDM rubber is a reliable choice for these. Combining the work with the main roof replacement reduces overall scaffold and access costs.

What a New Roof Typically Costs

As a guide, a full re-roof on a standard semi-detached house using concrete interlocking tiles with scaffold typically falls between £5,000 and £10,000. Natural slate is higher, often in the range of £8,000 to £15,000 or more depending on size and complexity. Flat roof replacement on a single garage or average extension runs from roughly £1,500 to £4,000. These are indicative figures only - your actual quote will depend on the specifics of your property and the material chosen.

We Cover East Harling and the Villages Around It

Thetford Roofers works across East Harling and neighbouring communities. We also cover the surrounding towns and villages. If you are unsure whether your location is covered, call us - we cover a wide area from our Thetford base.

Call us now to arrange a roof survey in East Harling. We will assess the condition of your roof, tell you what needs doing and why, and give you a clear picture of the work and the cost before anything is agreed.