When a sudden downpour of rain hits, it can overwhelm your homes roof and gutters causing a water leak into the interior of your home.

So if you have noticed a water damp patch appearing in the ceiling of your home during a heavy rainstorm or the concerning drip drip of rain water leaking into your home, what are you supposed to do?

Firstly, don’t panic. Having a leak in a roof is obviously concerning but until you call your local Glasgow Roofer to fix the problem, all you can do is reduce or prevent the amount of water damage that the leak will cause.

So here are some suggestions for things you can do before we can diagnose the roofing problem and fix it for you.

1 – Protect the interior of your home

Step 1 is to grab a bucket (a mop bucket is ideal for a quick solution) and place it under the leak. If the leak is falling from a height, there may still be splashes occurring that fall out of the bucket so lay a towel or tarp down to help protect the area. You should also dry as much of the surrounding floor that has already been affected by the leak.

2 – Find the leak

We strongly advise you from going out onto the roof at any point, let alone in the rain. But you can help us to narrow down the source of the leak. If you can, take pictures of any damp spots in the ceiling. By the time we have been called out, the ceiling may have dried so it is always helpful to see where the damage was affecting your home the most. Leaks can occur for other reasons that just a roof but if the leak has only appeared in the rain then it is very likely that this is the cause.

If the weather is not too severe and there is no lightning, grab a coat or umbrella and have a look at your roof while it is raining. If you can spot something obvious that is the cause then that could be the issue. Things like clogged gutters, down pipes having become disconnected and flooding the walls of your home with water or a hole in the side of your chimney are all easy to spot issues that can cause a leak in your home. We always advise our customers to have their gutters cleaned because when it rains heavily in Glasgow, you need your gutters to work perfectly. Otherwise the water will overflow and find any small hole in your homes walls to seep into. If you live in a sandstone property with pointing weaknesses this can be a likely vulnerability that is causing a water leak.

Take a note of anything that could be the issue and if you can, take photos. The more information we have to work with, the easier and more likely it is that we can find and fix the leak in your roof.

3 – Go and have a look in the attic

If you don’t have an attic then ignore this point. But if you do and it is easy to access your attic, then go and have a look. What you are looking for is any clear signs of a leak. Even better, if you can hear the leak. Can you see or hear water entering your home? If your loft is filled with insulation then you can pat your hand around the insulation feeling for wet areas. If you can find any then you are a step closer to finding the leak. Always remember that in the rain, these kind of signs are a lot easier to detect and any information you can give us will help to locate and repair your leaking roof.

Why you should always get a leaking roof fixed sooner than later

Any water that enters your home can lead to bigger problems. From mould to wet rot and damage to your interior space, furniture, paintings, carpets etc. A leaking roof is always the beginning of a developing issue and if you don’t get it fixed quickly, it can lead to more damage and a costly repair.

Find out more

With offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, we are one of the leading local roofing contractors in your area with over 35 years of service across the central belt of Scotland.

We can provide the complete roofing and building maintenance service from traditional roofing repairs to new slate or tile roof fitting and emergency roof repairs after storm damage.

Roofing Services

Roof Repair Services

We undertake robust and lasting roof repairs for all types and materials of roofs.  Our mission is always to offer you the best quality service and the best in value and honest roofing work. Due to the range of different roofing structures and stonework used on buildings in and around the city, experience truly matters when you are looking for professional repair work. From simple roofing repairs like nail rot and loose tiles and slates, to more advanced work involving dangerous cracks and holes that may be health and safety hazards to your property; we cover it all.