Realising that your property has a leak before any serious damage is done will save you money and a big headache. With many problems a diy solution can be effective in solving it but most people don’t know what to look out for. So, if you are unsure of what problems to look out for then here are seven useful tips which will help you recognise what you need to do.

Roof Tiles – Look Out For Broken Or Slipped Tiles:

1. Two things usually cause a leak from the ceiling of your house. They are tiles coming loose and moving out of position or tiles splitting. This allows water to come through in the rain and these will cause damage if they are not seen to. These tiles should then be replaced as soon as possible.

Ridges – Look Out For Missing Mortar And Loose Ridge Tiles:

A ridge is the area where the sides of a roof meet. Such an area is covered with ridge tiles which are shaped like half moons.

2. The mortar from ridge tiles tends to fall out after suffering years of weathering. If their condition is quite reasonable then they only need to be repointed. A wire brush should be used to clean them first and any loose mortar or moss removed. A strong mix for the new mortar should be used (3 1/2 parts sand, 1 part cement with PVA and water). Also it is important to check that the PVA is both weatherproof and for use outdoors.

3. Loose ridge tiles should be removed and rebedded immediately as there is a real risk of them falling off and causing damage in high winds. This is caused by rain water getting in and breaking up the mortar. Good ridge tiles can easily be spotted as they will look solid and full. However, it’s time to get a roofer in to have a look at them for you if you notice that bits are coming off them.

Chimneys – Look Out For Broken Flashing And Brickwork Joints:

4. Chimneys are another place on the roof where water can get in. The culprit most times is the flashing which has come loose over the years. Flashing has a silverish grey colour and is made of lead which goes all the way round the bottom of a chimney. Flashing that comes up to the chimney should be tucked in and an experienced roofer should put little lead bullets into the chimney to hold the flashing in.

5. The brickwork joints of a chimney should also be full of mortar to hold the flashing in. The top of one, around the flues, should not squared off but banked like a half moon. Any water can then run off and go down the roof. If done correctly and regularly checked then this should stop water damage from occurring.

Guttering – Look Out For The Slope And End Tiles:

6. Water damage can also occur when people have new guttering put in. You can easily check this yourself by looking to see if it is sloping the right way, as a back fall (guttering sloping the wrong way) doesn’t allow water to run down the pipe but instead goes over the edge. This will then make the water flow down the wall ending up eating into the brickwork and causing damp to the inside of the house.

7. A gap between the roof and guttering is another problem that you can easily check for yourself. You’ll be able to see light coming through the gap if there is one. This means that the roof tiles are not sufficiently inside the gutter. It is advisable to use a 4 or 6 inch black DPC roll (damp proof cause) to act as a bridge between them if you cannot move these tiles further into the gutter. The DPC is secured by simply lifting the bottom tile by the gutter and sliding it underneath and into the gutter. Then when it rains the water will run on the DPC and into the gutter. This in turn will stop it from running down the walls of your house and causing damp and water damage.

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