In short
Catch the water, move valuables and electricals away, keep out of any room where the ceiling is bulging, and stay off the roof. Then ring a roofer and your insurer. The Association of British Insurers says to contact your insurer as soon as possible, arrange temporary repairs to stop the damage getting worse, and keep photos and receipts.
This is a job for our Roof Repairs service.
The first hour
- Catch the water in buckets and bowls, and lay towels to protect floors.
- Move things out of the way, especially electricals.
- If a ceiling is sagging with water, keep out of that room.
- If water is near lights or sockets, turn off the electrics at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so.
- Stay off the roof. Wet tiles in the dark are no place to be.
Protect your insurance claim
The Association of British Insurers says to contact your insurer "as soon as possible", and that most insurers run 24-hour emergency helplines. It advises arranging temporary emergency repairs, if necessary, to stop the damage getting worse, telling your insurer about them, and keeping receipts because they form part of your claim. Which? adds that you may need photographic evidence to back up a claim.
So take photos of the stain, the drips and any damage before it is cleared up. The ABI also points out that insurers separate genuine storm damage from wear and tear that the storm simply exposed. That is one more reason to keep a record.
Why a roof only leaks in heavy rain
If a roof stays dry in light rain but drips in a downpour, the water is usually getting past something that copes with normal weather:
- Lead flashing at a chimney or wall that has split or lifted.
- Felt that has rotted at the eaves, so wind-driven rain gets behind the gutter.
- A valley or gutter that overflows when it is carrying a lot of water.
- A slipped or cracked tile that only lets water through when rain is blown sideways.
The stain on your ceiling is often not under the hole. Water runs along timbers first, so the leak has to be traced from the loft and the roof.
What we do when you ring
- Ring 01234 634 016. We offer a 24-hour call-out for leaks and storm damage.
- We make the roof safe and stop the water first.
- We trace the leak to the cause and photograph what we find, which also helps your insurer.
- You get a written quote for the proper repair.
- We repair it, and show you photos of the finished work.