Leaky Roof - What should I do?

tristanjourney

Just this morning, my wife found that the ceiling of one of our bedroom has dripping water. I checked the loft space and found there is a big dark water marks on the area that above the dripping place. There was heavy raining outside and is still raining.

We just moved into this home for LESS than 2 months and it's the first time being a home owner for us.

I am considering three options:
1) Ask the home insurance company to see if I can claim a repair.
2) Find a roofer myself to fix the problem asap and then find a home insurance
3) Ask the survey (who did the building survey for us on July this year) why he hasn't identified the problem.

Any advices?

Dippypud

I would get the leak fixed as it can create more expenditure ....

Davesnave

Unless this problem was the result of an identifiable storm, this will be seen as normal wear & tear and not be covered by insurance.

As there was no rain in July over most of the British Isles, it's likely that your surveyor wouldn't have seen this. It's also a long time since July, so if the leak has only just occurred, that suggests it's only just started to become noticeable.

In other words, you're on your own funding this repair, which is what it will be. However, as it is now the Christmas break, when most people in building have two weeks off, any immediate repair you can arrange will probably be done under emergency rates and be very expensive.

If it were me, I'd get a bucket/basin + a wide board to support it and try to catch the drip in the loft, emptying the bucket or basin as required. I'd expect to keep doing this until a roofer could come around, maybe by the middle of January.

These is the sort of thing one has to cope with as a home owner.

moneyistooshorttomention

Right at this moment - fix a tarpaulin up quick across the roof inside the loft and place buckets where necessary for the water. Get to the shops quick to buy a tarpaulin before Christmas hits and the shops are shut (you need a DIY one - like B & Q).

Call up a roofing firm for an emergency repair. Make sure you get an invoice from them for the work.

Take photos of the situation from all angles prior to any work and after the work (in case insurance will pay it - but want proof).

A roof dripping through a ceiling might mean a quick/cheap repair on the one hand or could be the start of the roof "going on you/has to be replaced pronto". I've had both situations. To assess which of those two it's likely to be you - check out roofs on nearby equivalent houses to see if a noticeable number of them have been replaced (which would mean yours needs replacing too either now or imminently if so).

EDIT; How old is the house? Leaking roof on current house (1970s) meant a replacement roof tile was needed (no other nearby house roofs replaced and previous owner already assessed as bodger).

Leaking roof on my last house (Victorian) and the (generally useless) surveyor had told me verbally at least that "roof will last about 3-5 years more" and I could see a noticeable number of roofs on the other Victorian terraces nearby had been replaced. I got away with a couple of small roof repairs - subsequently it started leaking a LOT in one room and the roof had "gone" at that point. That was about 14 years after buying the house. I couldnt afford to - but had to have the roof replaced at that point.

tizerbelle

Just get a roofer in to have a look - could be a tile that has slipped or cracked in heavy winds and can be fixed very simply. Could be more serious.

Unless a tree/plane has landed on your roof, home insurance wont be interested and they don't cover you for repairs for general maintenance issues anyway.

The problem may well not have existed in July so little to no point going after the surveyor.

Welcome to the world of homeownership where all those little jobs to maintain a house now fall on your shoulders.

Davesnave

Money, tarpaulins go on the outside of a building!

If there is a leak in the loft it will (hopefully) be dripping in one place, so catching it in a container will be much more effective than trapping it on a tarpaulin. How do you empty a tarpaulin?

In some circumstances, it might be necessary to make a hole in the ceiling to make catching the water possible or easier within the room, rather than in the loft itself. A lot of water trapped in the loft could bring the ceiling down.


I repeat, if this is a maintenance issue, insurance will not pay.

Lorian

it's always worth checking the insurance policy in detail though. my policy includes cover for emergency repairs, including the roof. Often it's an option extra you would have to select and pay more for though.

John_the_Boy

As said your building insurance isn't likely to cover it, however if you have home emergency cover with your insurance check that.

Some of them do cover a roof leak, Churchill don't as I had a leak 6 months ago and rang them up to be told it wasn't covered but a few others do, I think Direct Line do if I remember correctly.

moneyistooshorttomention

From memory - it was some time ago now - but I think I did get some money towards one or two roof repairs on my last house from my insurance company. Can't recall now if I had "emergency" add-on or no to my policy.

So one certainly used to be able to get that - but don't know whether they still do these days.

Re roofer coming now for emergency repair - I've had to have that before now - and they came in immediately before Christmas. So there may be some possibility of getting one before Christmas if you're lucky. I think it was more or less understood (with this area functioning the way it does) that I'd just pay them the money in cash for doing so.

Davesnave

I claimed once for a roof repair when a storm took three or four tiles off the corner of the upper roof, which then smashed tiles and a Velux window on a lower roof, causing significant damage.


But that's in a different league from a drip, which is what the OP describes.

tristanjourney

I am surprised so many people are trying to help here. I really appreciate all your advices.

I tried to use the bucket method that Dave suggested but in the loft it only has big water marks without dripping, so I don't know where to put the bucket.

The roofer can visit and assess the roof today. I'll see how that goes.

What's the reasonable quote for repairing a leaky roof?