Why roof leaks are found too late
By the time a ceiling stains, water has been in the roof for a while. How leaks actually travel, why the source is rarely above the stain, and what an inspection should cover.
The assumption we're testing
“Wait-for-the-stain”
Water travels before it drips
Water that gets into a roof runs along the timber until it finds somewhere to drop. The stain on your ceiling is where it fell, not where it got in.
That is why hunting a leak from inside the house rarely works, and why a repair done right above the stain often fixes nothing at all.
The usual suspects aren't cracked tiles
Most leaks we find are where two parts of the roof meet. Rusted metal in the valleys. Lifted flashing where the roof meets a wall. Crumbling mortar along the ridge. Gaps around a vent or a flue.
Cracked tiles do happen, usually from someone walking on them. They are far less common than the internet makes out.
What a real inspection looks like
A proper look covers the whole roof, the valleys, every flashing, anything poking through, the gutters, and the underside from inside the roof space if we can get in there.
You should get photos and a clear cause. If all you get back is a price, nobody really looked.
This is The Roof Brigade territory.
See the brigade