Spot roof damage early by checking from the ground with binoculars: look for slipped or missing tiles, displaced ridge tiles, gaps in chimney flashing and sagging gutters. Inside, watch for damp patches on ceilings and chimney breasts. Catching these signs early turns an expensive repair into a cheap one.

The majority of serious, expensive roof repairs we carry out in Stratford could have been prevented — or at least significantly reduced in scope — if the early signs had been spotted and acted on six to eighteen months before the leak appeared. Roofs rarely fail suddenly. They degrade progressively, and the progression leaves visible evidence at every stage. This guide tells you what to look for.

The Ground-Level Check

You do not need to go near a ladder to perform a useful roof inspection. Stand back from your property far enough to see the whole roof — from the opposite side of the road if necessary — and look systematically.

Ridge line: The ridge should be straight from end to end. Any sagging or deviation from a straight line indicates either structural movement in the ridge board below, or displaced ridge tiles creating a visible step. Look also at the ridge mortar — a well-maintained ridge is uniformly coloured; areas where mortar has fallen away will appear as darker gaps between the ridge tiles.

Tile surface: From a distance, the tile surface should be visually consistent. Displaced tiles appear as lighter rectangles against the surrounding darker tile surface. On concrete tile roofs, look for any tiles that are sitting noticeably lower than their neighbours — this is the early presentation of nail sickness.

Valleys and hips: Valley gutters run up the internal angle where two roof slopes meet. Hips run up the external angle at the corners of the roof. Both are potential leak points. Displaced or cracked hip tiles are often visible from street level. Valley blockages are not visible from below but can sometimes be inferred from a dark wet staining that persists in the valley area after dry weather elsewhere on the roof.

Guttering: Walk around the perimeter and look at the guttering from below. Any section that has visibly pulled away from the fascia, or that is sagging between brackets, is failing. A gutter that has separated from the fascia is sending water against the wall face with every rainfall.

Chimney stacks: Look for white salt efflorescence — chalky white staining — on the external face of any chimney stack. This is caused by moisture moving through the brickwork and depositing mineral salts on the surface. It is a reliable indicator that moisture is entering the stack somewhere — usually a failing flashing or cracked capping.

NFRC recommends routine visual inspection from ground level and after severe weather, since early identification of slipped tiles and flashing gaps prevents minor faults developing into structural water damage.

— NFRC — roof maintenance guidance

The Loft Inspection

The loft is the most informative single location for assessing roof condition, and most homeowners can access it safely with a torch and reasonable caution. Stand at the hatch and look up before you enter. If you can see any daylight where there should be none — through a gap in the tile coverage, or where a ridge tile has displaced — this is an urgent repair.

Once inside, shine your torch along the underside of the felt and the inner face of the tile courses. Look for:

  • Water staining or tide marks on the felt, which indicate past or ongoing ingress
  • Felt sagging between rafters in a characteristic wave pattern, indicating the felt is holding standing water
  • Mineral deposits on the felt surface — white or crystalline staining that follows the lines of tile laps
  • Mould or dark staining on north-facing timbers, which typically indicates condensation from inadequate ventilation rather than direct ingress, but still requires attention
  • Rot in the batten or rafter ends at the eaves, which is usually caused by gutter overflow or fascia failure

📞 We carry out written roof condition reports from £75. Call ' + PHONE + ' to arrange a survey.

Inside the House

Some roof problems show themselves inside the property first, particularly in older Stratford houses where the ceiling-to-roof void distance is sufficient to allow water to travel some way before becoming visible.

A ceiling stain that appears after a specific rainfall event and then dries is typically indicating intermittent active ingress — the leak is real but not constant. This is the time to act, not to wait and see if it recurs. By the time a stain is recurrent and the ceiling plasterwork is softening, the insulation above it is almost certainly saturated.

On Victorian properties in Stratford, the chimney breast wall is a specific area to monitor. Any darkening or staining on the upper section of the chimney breast — even on a chimney that has been sealed and is no longer in use — indicates moisture tracking down the inside of the stack, almost always from failing lead flashing or failed capping mortar above.

When to Call a Professional

A professional inspection is worth arranging when: you have identified something that looks wrong but you are not sure of the severity; you are buying a Victorian or older Stratford property and the surveyor has flagged the roof; you are a landlord and want documented evidence of roof condition for maintenance records; or you have had a single repair in the last twelve months and want to know whether there are other issues developing.

Our inspection reports are written to be suitable for solicitors, mortgage lenders and insurers. They include photographs, a condition rating, estimated remaining life, and a prioritised remedial works list with indicative costs. The fee is deducted from any work we subsequently carry out.