Roof repair: everything you need to know about protecting your home

A roof only asks for attention twice: when it is built, and when something goes wrong. The gap between those two events is a lot shorter if nobody ever looks at it. Here is what to watch for, and what a proper repair looks like.

Spotting a problem early

From the ground, twice a year and after any storm, look for:

• Gaps or dark patches in an otherwise even run of slates
• Slate or tile fragments in the gutter or on the ground
• A ridge line that dips or a ridge tile sitting proud
• Mortar debris at the base of the chimney
• Heavy moss, especially on a north-facing slope
• Staining on the wall under the gutter line

From inside, go into the attic on a bright day with the light off. Daylight where there should not be any, damp stains on the felt or dark marks on the rafters all tell you where water is getting in.

What a proper repair involves

Finding the leak is the job; fixing it is usually the easy part. Water rarely enters where it appears — it runs along a batten or a rafter and drops well away from the entry point. That is why a repair should start with an inspection on the roof, not a guess from the driveway.

Once the source is found, the repair should deal with the cause rather than the symptom. Mastic smeared over a failed flashing is not a repair; new lead dressed into the joint is. Re-bedding a ridge with the correct mortar mix, replacing slates with matching ones and proper fixings, renewing a valley rather than patching it — these are the repairs that are still holding in ten years.

Questions worth asking

• Did you get on the roof, and can I see the photographs?
• What caused this, not just what is being replaced?
• Is the price fixed and in writing, including access and disposal?
• Are you insured, and will I get a guarantee in writing?
• If you find something underneath, what happens to the price?

A word on storm damage

After a storm, make it safe first. If slates are loose or a ridge is dislodged, stay out from under it and get the roof covered temporarily. Take photographs before anything is moved — they matter for your insurance. Then get a proper inspection: storm damage often loosens more than what visibly came off.

We cover Cork City and County for repairs of every size, from a single slate to a full re-roof, with a free inspection and a written price before any work starts.