Emergency Roof Repairs,Made Watertight First.
Water coming through a ceiling, tiles off in the wind, a flat roof split in a storm. Ring the 24 hour emergency line and tell us what is happening. Where it is safe to do so, we make the roof watertight first and talk about the permanent repair after.
When It Cannot Wait, and When It Can.
Some roof problems need someone now. Water running through a ceiling, tiles or ridge pieces hanging over a path, a chimney pot that has shifted in the wind, a flat roof that has split open in a storm. Those are the calls our 24 hour emergency line is for.
Plenty of problems feel urgent but will hold for a day or two. A damp patch that is not growing, one slipped tile with no water getting in, a gutter dripping at a joint. They still want looking at, just not in the middle of the night. If you are not sure which you have, ring and describe it. We will tell you what it usually means.
Whichever it is, the order is the same. Stop the water first, find out what has actually failed, then put that right properly. An emergency visit is about making the roof safe and watertight. The permanent repair comes after, with a written price, once we can see what we are dealing with.
Stop the water first. Find the fault second. Then fix it properly.
What to Do in the First Hour.
None of this needs a ladder. If anything here is not safe for you to do, leave it.
Keep People Clear
Keep everyone out of the room where the water is coming in, and away from the ground below any loose tiles, ridge pieces or chimney pots outside.
Leave the Electrics Alone
Do not touch switches, sockets or light fittings with water near them. If water is coming through a light fitting, switch off at the consumer unit if you can reach it safely with dry hands, and call an electrician.
Catch the Water
Buckets, bowls and old towels under the drips. If the ceiling is bulging with water, keep well clear of it, because wet plaster can give way without warning.
Move What You Can
Lift rugs, electrical items and anything precious out of the way. Cover what you cannot move with plastic sheeting or a bin bag.
Take Photos
Of the damage inside, and of the roof from the ground. They help us understand what has happened, and your insurer will usually want to see them.
Stay Off the Roof
Please do not go up yourself, least of all in wind or rain. Wet tiles, moss and gusts are how roof accidents happen. Ring 07377 633898 instead.
What Making a Roof Safe Actually Means.
In bad weather the first job is to stop more water getting in. Depending on what has failed, that can mean refixing tiles or slates that have slipped, covering an opening so the rain cannot reach the timbers, securing loose ridge or hip pieces, or clearing a valley or outlet that is backing water up under the tiles.
It is a temporary measure, and we will tell you so. Mortar and some flat roof coatings will not cure in the wet, so a permanent repair often has to wait for a dry spell. We make the roof watertight now, come back to do the job properly, and tell you which applies to your roof.
Sometimes the roof itself is not safe to work on, in high wind for example, or on a steep roof in the dark. If that is the case we will say so straight away, talk you through protecting the inside of the house, and arrange the visit for when it is safe to get up there.
What We Usually Find After High Winds.
Storms find the weak points a roof already had. These are the ones we see most.
Slipped and Missing Tiles
Tiles held by tired nails or perished battens lift and slide in a gale, and one gap is enough to let driving rain onto the felt. More on roof repairs.
Ridge and Hip Pieces
Mortar bedded ridges crack with age, and a strong gust can lift a loose ridge tile clean off. They are heavy, so keep clear of the ground below.
Lifted Lead Flashing
Where the roof meets a chimney or a wall, wind can peel lead away from the brickwork and let water run down behind it. More on leadwork and flashing.
Chimney Pots and Flaunching
Pots that have been loose for years can shift in high winds, and cracked flaunching at the top of the stack is what lets them move. More on chimney repairs.
Flat Roof Splits and Edges
Felt that is already blistered or brittle can split, and the edges are where the wind gets underneath. More on flat roofing.
Gutters and Fascias
Gutters packed with leaves overflow in a downpour, and a run hanging off a rotten fascia can come down in the wind. More on gutter repairs.
Repairs to the Parts That Fail in Bad Weather.
Hips, chimney flashings, valleys and flat roofs, from our own jobs. Tap a photo to see it larger.
Emergency Roof Repair Questions.
Yes. The mobile, 07377 633898, is our 24 hour emergency line. Ring it at any hour and tell us what is happening.
For an emergency, the mobile. It is the 24 hour line. The London, Surrey and West Sussex numbers on every page are there for quotes and everything else.
It depends on what has failed and on the weather. Some permanent repairs need dry conditions to be done properly, because mortar and some coatings will not cure in the wet, so we may make the roof watertight first and come back. We will tell you which applies.
Buildings insurance generally covers damage from a sudden event such as a storm, and generally does not cover wear and tear. Ring your insurer early, keep your photos, and read your policy before you assume either way. Policies usually expect you to take reasonable steps to stop the damage getting worse, and making the roof watertight is that step.
Not always. Plenty of what gets called a roof leak is a gutter overflowing down the wall, or a blocked valley pushing water under the tiles. Both still need sorting. Our roof leak advice explains how to tell the difference.
Fifteen towns across Surrey, West Sussex and South West London, from our base in Horley. The full list is further down this page. If you are just outside, ask anyway.
From Your Call to the Roof Put Right.
You Ring the Mobile
07377 633898, at any hour. Tell us your town, what is happening and where the water is showing.
We Make It Safe
Where it is safe to do so, the roof is made watertight first, before anyone talks about the permanent repair.
We Find the Fault
The wet patch is a starting point. We trace it back to the flashing, valley, tile or joint that has actually failed.
You Get a Written Price
For the permanent repair, and you decide whether to go ahead. No figures until we have seen the roof.
Emergency Roof Repairs Across Fifteen Towns.
From our base in Horley, across Surrey, West Sussex and South West London. Each town has its own page, with the roofs we see there and the local number to ring.
The Repairs Behind the Emergency.
Tell Us What Is Happening, and We'll Come and Look.
If water is coming in now, ring 07377 633898. Otherwise your name, a number, roughly where you are and what you have noticed is all we need.