Roofing Advice
What to Do if Your Roof is Leaking
A roof leak can feel alarming — especially when water is coming through a ceiling. Here's what to do right now to minimise damage while you get it sorted.
Step 1: Move belongings clear of the water
The first priority is protecting your possessions. Move furniture, rugs, electrical equipment and anything else away from the affected area. Water damage to a sofa or floor can be just as costly as the roof repair itself.
Step 2: Contain the drip
Place buckets, bowls or towels to catch water. If you notice the ceiling bulging, it may be holding collected water — carefully make a small hole to let it drain in a controlled way rather than waiting for a sudden collapse.
Safety warning
Do not go onto the roof yourself, particularly in wet or windy conditions. Roof surfaces become extremely slippery when wet. Leave roof access to trained professionals with the right equipment.
Step 3: Try to identify the source
Water travels before it drips, so the leak point is often not directly above where you see water. Look in the loft space if it's safe to access — you may be able to see daylight through the roof covering, wet felt or damp insulation that indicates roughly where the problem is.
Common sources of roof leaks include:
- Cracked, slipped or missing tiles or slates
- Failed or missing flashing around chimneys, skylights or roof junctions
- Blocked gutters overflowing back under the roof covering
- Deteriorated flat roof membrane
- Cracked or leaking chimney stack
Step 4: Call a roofer
Once you've contained the immediate problem, call a roofer. Give them as much information as possible: where the water is coming through, how long it's been happening, whether there was recent storm or heavy rain, and whether you've noticed anything on the roof from the ground.
For a roof leak anywhere in Ayrshire, call IC Roofing on 07856 094070. We'll advise you on urgency and get someone out as quickly as possible.
Step 5: Document the damage for insurance
If the leak was caused by storm damage or another sudden event, you may be able to make a home insurance claim. Take photographs of:
- Water ingress and internal damage
- Any visible damage to the roof (from the ground — do not go up yourself)
- Any damaged possessions
Contact your insurer as soon as possible. Keep all receipts for any emergency measures you take to prevent further damage.
When is a roof leak an emergency?
Not every leak requires an emergency call-out. A slow drip that started yesterday in dry weather is probably not urgent — get it looked at within a day or two. However, these situations require prompt same-day attention:
- Water coming through a ceiling in significant volume
- Visible daylight through the roof structure
- Roof timbers exposed to weather
- Structural damage from fallen trees or debris
- Active leak with more rain forecast