Advice
Roof advice and guides
Practical guides from 20+ years of roof surveys: what goes wrong with roofs, why, and what to check.
Main guides
How Much Does a Roof Survey Cost?
What a roof survey costs in London and the South East, what changes the price, published UK price ranges and what you get for your money.
Read the guide →Do I Need a Roof Survey When Buying a House?
When a separate roof survey is worth it before you buy, how it differs from a RICS survey, when to book it and how to use the report.
Read the guide →Roof Survey vs RICS Level 2 and Level 3 Surveys
How a specialist roof survey compares with a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 home survey: what each one inspects, what each misses and when you need both.
Read the guide →What Does a Roof Survey Include?
Every part of the roof a survey looks at, from slates and flashings to gutters and the loft, plus what a good report contains and what it can't see.
Read the guide →Why Roof Leaks Are So Hard to Find
Why the stain on your ceiling is rarely under the hole, the most common leak points on pitched and flat roofs, and how a leak is traced properly.
Read the guide →Drone Roof Surveys: What They Show and Miss
What a drone roof survey can and can't show, when it beats a ladder, the rules near airports and in central London, and what you get back.
Read the guide →Flat Roof Problems: Ponding, Blisters and Splits
The common faults on felt, asphalt, EPDM, GRP and single-ply flat roofs, what causes them, and which ones need attention now.
Read the guide →How Long Does a Roof Last? Slate, Tile, Flat
How long slate, clay tile, concrete tile and flat roofs usually last, why fixings and underlay often fail first, and signs a roof is near the end.
Read the guide →Using a Roof Report to Renegotiate a House Price
How buyers use a roof survey report to ask for repairs, a price reduction or a retention, and how to present the findings to the seller.
Read the guide →Storm Damage to Your Roof: Evidence for a Claim
What to do after storm damage to a roof, what insurers look for, why wear and tear claims are turned down and how an independent report helps.
Read the guide →More advice
Victorian Terrace Roofs in London: Common Defects
Slate, butterfly roofs, parapet gutters and shared chimneys: the roof problems we see most on London's Victorian and Edwardian terraces.
Read the guide →Butterfly Roofs and Valley Gutters Explained
How London's butterfly roofs and valley gutters work, why they leak, and what to check before buying a house with one.
Read the guide →Mansard Roof Problems and What to Check
Common defects on mansard roofs and mansard loft extensions, from slate and lead to flat tops and dormers, and what a survey looks at.
Read the guide →Chimney Stack Defects: Flaunching, Pots, Leans
The chimney problems that let water in or make a stack unsafe, the signs you can spot from the ground, and when a stack needs a closer look.
Read the guide →Lead Flashing Problems on Older Roofs
Why lead flashings, valleys and soakers fail on older roofs, what lead theft looks like, and how flashing faults show up inside the house.
Read the guide →Slipped Slates and Nail Fatigue Explained
Why slates slip as their nails corrode, when a few slipped slates are a warning about the whole roof, and what a survey checks.
Read the guide →Clay Tiles, Kent Peg Tiles and Tile-Hanging
Handmade clay tiles, Kent peg tiles and tile-hung walls in Kent, Sussex and Surrey: how they age, common faults and what to check.
Read the guide →Concrete Tile Roofs: Lifespan and Common Faults
How concrete interlocking tiles age on post-war and newer homes, the faults we see, and how to tell a tired roof from a failing one.
Read the guide →Thermal Imaging on Roofs: What It Can Show
What a thermal camera can and can't show on a roof, why conditions matter, and how thermal images are checked before conclusions are drawn.
Read the guide →How Electronic Leak Detection Works
How electronic leak detection finds holes in flat roof membranes, which roofs it suits and how it compares with flood testing.
Read the guide →Condensation or a Roof Leak? How to Tell
How to tell condensation in the loft or on a flat roof ceiling from a real roof leak, with simple checks you can do first.
Read the guide →Gutter and Downpipe Problems That Cause Damp
How blocked, sagging and leaking gutters and downpipes cause damp, which gutters cause the worst damage, and what to check.
Read the guide →Asbestos Cement Roofs, Garages and Soffits
Where asbestos cement turns up on older roofs, garages and soffits, why it shouldn't be disturbed, and who can test it.
Read the guide →Roof Surveys for Landlords and Block Managers
Why landlords, managing agents and freeholders use roof surveys, what a condition report covers and how it helps plan maintenance.
Read the guide →Leasehold Flats: Who Pays for Roof Repairs?
How roof repairs usually work for leasehold flats, why the lease decides who pays, and how a roof report helps everyone agree the facts.
Read the guide →New Roof Snagging Checklist
What to check on a new or replacement roof before final payment: coverings, ridges, flashings, ventilation, gutters and tidy-up.
Read the guide →Roof Checks Before a Loft Conversion
What to check on the roof before planning a loft conversion or dormer, and why the condition of the existing roof matters.
Read the guide →Spray Foam Insulation and Your Roof
Why spray foam under roof slates or tiles worries lenders and surveyors, what it can hide, and what a roof survey can and can't see.
Read the guide →Solar Panels on an Older Roof: Check First
Why it pays to check an older roof before fitting solar panels, and what to look at so the roof outlasts the panels.
Read the guide →Coastal Roofs: Salt, Wind and Driving Rain
How sea air and wind affect roofs near the coast in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Essex and the Isle of Wight, and what to check more often.
Read the guide →Roofs on Listed Buildings and in Conservation Areas
What to know before roof work on a listed building or in a conservation area, and how to check what permission you need.
Read the guide →Drone Surveys Near Airports and in Central London
How flight restriction zones around Heathrow, Gatwick, City and other airports affect drone roof surveys, and what happens in central London.
Read the guide →Winter Roof Checklist for Homeowners
Simple checks you can do from the ground before winter, the warning signs after a storm, and when to get the roof looked at.
Read the guide →Comparing Roofer Quotes: What to Check
How to compare roofing quotes properly, the warning signs of a doorstep roofer, and how an independent report helps you brief roofers.
Read the guide →Green Roofs and Blue Roofs: Inspection Needs
How green and blue roofs work, the parts that need regular checks, and why leaks under planting are hard to trace.
Read the guide →Commercial Roof Surveys: Rooflights and Sheeting
What a commercial roof survey covers on offices, shops and units: flat roofs, metal sheeting, fragile rooflights, gutters and access.
Read the guide →Moss on Roofs: Harmless or a Problem?
When moss on a roof is just cosmetic, when it blocks gutters and lifts tiles, and why aggressive cleaning can do more harm than good.
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