Roof leak nobody can find: how we track it down
If you have already had someone out and it is still leaking, the repair was probably done in the right spirit at the wrong place.
Water coming in right now? We prioritise active leaks across Hampton, Twickenham, Teddington and the wider TW and KT postcodes.
Call 07748 750711Leaks get missed because water travels. It enters at a flashing or tile, runs along a batten or rafter, and drops metres away. Tracing one properly means working backwards from the wet timber in the loft, not guessing from the ceiling stain.
Start inside, not outside
The loft holds the evidence. Wet timber, staining trails, rust marks on nails and dark tracks on the underlay all point uphill to the entry point. Following those trails upwards is faster and more reliable than scanning tiles from a ladder.
Suspect the junctions first
Chimneys, abutment walls, valleys, soil pipes, dormer cheeks and bay roofs cause most stubborn leaks. Plain runs of tile in the middle of a slope rarely leak unless something is obviously missing.
Staged hose testing
Water applied low on the roof first, then progressively higher, with someone watching in the loft. Soaking the whole roof at once proves nothing. Working up in stages tells you exactly which detail is the culprit.
Leaks that only happen in certain weather
Wind driven rain from one direction points at flashing or a vertical detail. Heavy prolonged rain only points at valleys, gutters or overflow. Cold still weather points at condensation rather than a leak.
When the honest answer is the covering is finished
Sometimes a leak keeps moving because the underlay has perished generally and water is getting through in several places. We will tell you when patching has stopped being economic instead of returning every few months.
FAQs
On site quotes are free across our coverage area. Where a leak needs extended hose testing we agree that with you first.
No promises without seeing it, but we work backwards from the loft evidence and test in stages rather than repairing the first suspicious tile we see.
Often yes for flashing, pointing and tile work. Anything needing scaffold or a sourced material gets booked in properly.
Related reading
More on repairs & problems and the jobs that usually come with it.
- GRP fibreglass flat roofs: pros, cons and when to choose them
- Missing or slipped tiles: how urgent is it really?Repairs & problems
- Lead flashing: when it fails and what it costs to fix
- Loft condensation: ventilation, not leaksMaterials & systems
Looking for something specific? See our roofing services, cost guides, common roof problems or the areas we cover.
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Family-run and Hampton-based. Tell us what you're seeing on the roof and we'll come and look properly before quoting.