Roof Repair and Leak Detection

Why the stain is not the leak

Water gets through the roof surface, then runs. It follows the top of a rafter or the underside of the deck until it reaches somewhere it can drop, and that can be three metres from where it started. So the wet patch on your ceiling tells us where the water gave up, not where it came in.

This is the single most common reason a repair fails. Somebody sealed around the stain, the homeowner paid, and the next storm put the water back because nobody found the actual entry point. We get up there, work uphill from the evidence, and photograph what we find so you can see it yourself.

Where the water usually gets in

• Flashing at a wall. Step flashing missing, or a continuous piece with sealant instead of lapped pieces. Add a missing kick out flashing at the bottom and the water goes behind the siding instead of into the gutter.
• Chimneys. Caulked instead of flashed. Sealant on a chimney has a three to five year life here and then it lets go on one side.
• Valleys. The busiest water path on the roof. If the membrane underneath is missing or the shingles were cut tight to the centre, it will find a way through.
• Vent and pipe boots. The rubber collar hardens and splits, usually on the south-facing slope first, from UV.
• Skylights. Nearly always the flashing, nearly never the glass.
• Backed out nails. A nail that lifts pushes a small tent in the shingle above it and water runs down the shank.
• Nothing at all. Attic condensation from blocked soffit venting drips on the deck and looks exactly like a leak. We check for that before selling you a repair you do not need.

What a repair visit looks like

The inspection is free, every time, including if you are buying the house and it is not yours yet.

We get on the roof rather than looking from the driveway, check the attic where we can get into it, follow the water uphill from the stain, and take photos of every problem and of the things that are fine. Then you get a written quote by email with one price, what is included and what is not.

If the honest answer is that the roof is near the end and a repair is money you will not get back, we will tell you that and give you both numbers. Equally, if you have been told you need a whole new roof and you do not, we will tell you that too. It happens more than you would think.

Emergency and tarping

If water is coming in right now, call rather than fill in a form. We answer until 10 PM, seven days, and if we miss you we call back. Tarping and temporary weatherproofing typically run $500 to $2,500 depending on pitch and area, and the permanent repair is quoted separately once we can see the full scope in daylight.

Timing, deposit and warranty

Most repairs are one day on site. We quote the honest day rather than padding a one day job out to three.

On small jobs we take half up front, because on a repair the materials are most of the cost and they are bought before we arrive. The balance is due when you have walked it with us and you are happy.

Repairs carry the same 10 year labour warranty as our full roofs. We also keep a photo record of every job, so if you call us in five years we can look at what we actually did rather than guess.

Insurance and storm damage

If wind or a tree has done it, there is usually an insurance claim in it, and the documentation matters more than most people realise. Adjusters want proof the damage was weather caused rather than neglect, which means dated photos and a written assessment. We do that as part of the visit and you get a copy, whether or not you use us for the repair.