Roofer in North & North West London — Slate, Tile, Flat Roofs & Leaks

What do you need?

Choose the job. Each one says what to send, and whether to call.

• Water coming in

  Call if the leak is active. Photograph the ceiling stain and, from the ground, the roof slope. Do not climb the roof.

  Call 020 7101 3168

• Tiles, flashing or a flat roof

  Say which elevation and send ground-level photographs of the defect.

  Send this in a brief

Describe the roof symptom without guessing its source

A roofing brief should record what has been observed: an active internal leak, displaced covering, overflowing gutter, failed flashing, ponding, daylight, debris or a defect noted in a survey. State when it appears, which rooms or elevations are affected and whether wind or rain direction changes the pattern. Photographs taken safely from ground level or an existing window are useful; no one should climb onto a roof to improve an enquiry. Water can travel before it becomes visible, so the first scope may be investigation rather than a promised repair to the nearest apparent defect.

Plan safe access before committing to inspection or repair

HSE states that all roof work is dangerous and must be organised and planned with proper precautions. Safe access, roof edges, openings and fragile surfaces need assessment even when a task appears brief. The access method may involve scaffold, a tower, mobile equipment or another planned system depending on height, roof form, duration and surroundings. Treat a roof as fragile until a competent person establishes otherwise. A customer-supplied ladder or an invitation to step out of a rooflight does not make the work safe, and access cost should not be hidden inside an unsupported repair promise.

Keep temporary make-safe separate from permanent repair

An urgent attendance may reduce water entry, secure a loose element or protect an exposed area without establishing the final repair. The written visit basis should state whether the task is inspection, temporary make-safe, permanent repair or a combination that remains subject to safe access and condition. Temporary coverings and fixings have limitations and require an identified follow-up; they should not be described as a completed permanent system. If severe weather makes roof access unsafe, internal protection or another interim step may be the only appropriate action. Availability and safe method are confirmed case by case.

Survey the complete roof system around the defect

A durable scope considers covering type and age, battens or deck where visible, underlay, falls, abutments, valleys, ridges, flashings, penetrations, parapets, outlets, gutters and the condition of adjacent masonry or timber. Slate, tile, leadwork and flat-roof membranes use different details and repair methods. Local patching may be reasonable where the surrounding system is sound; broader failure can change the recommendation. Opening-up should be agreed where concealed build-up matters. The survey should record what could and could not be inspected rather than turning limited access into a whole-roof condition guarantee.

Coordinate roof drainage and internal moisture evidence

Blocked or undersized outlets, defective gutters, cracked hoppers and poor falls can produce symptoms that resemble a covering failure. Internal staining may also relate to plumbing, condensation or an older event. Record roof drainage routes, overflow marks, loft ventilation and whether insulation or stored items obscure the underside. Damp internal finishes should not be redecorated until the relevant source and drying position are understood. Roofing, drainage, plumbing and internal making good can be separate packages; the accepted scope should allocate each responsibility rather than assuming that one external repair automatically resolves every moisture mark.

Check visible changes, shared roofs and ownership

Replacement coverings, rooflights, altered materials, chimneys and other external changes can raise planning, Building Regulations, listed-building or conservation questions depending on the property and proposal. Leasehold blocks and terraces can add freeholder, insurer, neighbour and service-charge responsibilities. Establish who owns and can authorise the affected roof, gutter or party detail before work is ordered. An occupier’s report is important evidence of the symptom but is not always authority to alter a shared system. Attach surveys, management documents and prior repair information already held so the correct owner and consent route can be identified.

Specify replacement work by build-up and interfaces

Where repair is insufficient, the proposal should define removal extent, deck or batten assumptions, insulation and ventilation relationship, covering or membrane system, flashings, outlets, edge details, penetrations and protection of the occupied building. Product guarantees, if offered, depend on their actual terms and should not be converted into an unrestricted workmanship or leak claim. Weather protection during opening-up and material handling at height belong in the method. New work must connect to retained fabric, so interfaces and unresolved substrate condition matter as much as the named surface product.

Close roofing work with evidence and a clear limitation

A comparable roofing proposal separates access, investigation, temporary works, strip-out, repairs, coverings, drainage, masonry interfaces, waste, internal protection and exclusions. It should state which quantities or substrate repairs remain provisional and how changes are approved after opening-up. Handover can include photographs from safe access, product information, any applicable approval or guarantee documents, outlet checks and a written description of completed and outstanding work. A repair outcome should be tied to the accepted area and method; it should not imply that uninspected roof sections or unrelated internal moisture sources have been certified.

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