You do not need to get on a roof to spot most problems. A pair of binoculars from the pavement opposite, on a dry afternoon, will tell you the majority of what a roofer would see on a first visit. Here is what to look for before winter sets in.
1. Slates or tiles out of line
A covering should read as straight rows. Any slate sitting lower than its neighbours has usually lost a nail, and a slate that has slipped will normally take the ones below it eventually. On a Portsmouth terrace this matters more than it might elsewhere, because the roofline is continuous and a gap can start letting water into more than one property.
2. A ridge line that is no longer straight
Sight along the ridge. If it dips or waves, that can be bedding mortar breaking down, or in more serious cases movement in the structure underneath. Bedding is a routine job. Movement is not, and it is much cheaper found early.
3. Mortar debris in the gutter or on the ground
Small grey fragments below the ridge or around the chimney are pieces of the mortar that is meant to be holding things in place. Once it starts shedding, the next strong wind tends to take what is left.
4. Gutters overflowing in heavy rain
Stand outside during a downpour, unpleasant as that is. Water sheeting over the front edge of a gutter means a blockage or a dropped run. Left through a winter, that water runs down the wall instead, and the damp appears indoors months later where nobody connects it to the gutter.
5. Lead flashing that has lifted or been sealed with mastic
Around chimneys and where a roof meets a wall, look for lead that has curled away from the brickwork, or a black or grey line of mastic where lead should be. Mastic is what somebody applies when they do not want to redo the leadwork, and it buys a season or two at most.
6. Staining on an upstairs ceiling or in the loft
Go into the loft with a torch on a bright day. Daylight through the covering, damp felt, or dark staining on the rafters all mean water is getting in. Note where it is, because a leak rarely shows up directly beneath the fault.
What to do next
None of the above is a reason to panic. Most of it is routine maintenance that costs far less attended to in October than repaired in February. If you have spotted any of it on your own roof, call us on 023 9355 3347 and we will take a look and tell you honestly whether it needs doing now or can wait.