Emergency roof repairs in Leatherhead, Surrey and South West London

A Roof That Cannot WaitUntil Monday.

The first visit is about stopping the damage. That might mean a temporary cover over a hole, re fixing what can be re fixed straight away, clearing a blocked outlet that is flooding a flat roof, or making a dangerous chimney safe. We do not do the permanent repair in the rain, because a repair done wet fails.

We carry the materials for a temporary repair on the van: tarpaulins, battens, sheeting and fixings for a pitched roof, and patching for felt and GRP. On the first visit the aim is a roof that keeps the next shower out and cannot hurt anyone below it.

Loose tiles, slates and lengths of ridge come down rather than being left to fall. A blocked outlet on a flat roof is cleared so the water can leave. A stack that has cracked is made safe or taken down to below the roofline if it has to be.

The temporary cover is a proper job in itself: a heavy tarpaulin battened down over the ridge and the eaves so it cannot lift, not a sheet weighted with tiles. Done well it keeps a roof dry for weeks if the permanent repair has to wait for the weather or an insurer.

Once it is dry we come back, survey it properly, and give you one written price for the permanent work. Sometimes the emergency fix turns out to be the fix. Often the storm has just exposed something that was already on its way.

The survey happens once the roof is dry and safe to work on. We photograph what the weather exposed, price the permanent repair as one itemised written quote, and tell you whether the rest of the roof is sound or whether the storm has simply found the weakest point of a roof that is on its way.

The permanent repair is done to the same standard as any other job: tiles and slates fixed to BS 5534, lead of the right code, mortar work where it belongs. An emergency does not mean a lesser repair, only a quicker first visit.

If you are claiming for storm damage we photograph everything on the first visit and give you a written report of what we found and what we did. Insurers want dates, pictures and a description from a roofer, and that is what you get.

Most storm damage policies ask for the same things: the date, photographs of the damage before anything was moved, a description of the cause from a roofer, and an itemised quote for the repair. Our first visit report covers all four, and we are used to speaking to loss adjusters where a claim needs it.

Storm damage is generally covered where the cause was the weather rather than wear; a roof that was already failing is usually treated differently, and the report says plainly which it was, because a claim built on the facts is the one that gets paid.