Valley irons and flashings
The most common real cause of a leaking tile roof in this part of Sydney, and usually the whole fix.
Free inspection · often the whole fix
Roofshelter · Parramatta & Western Sydney
Roof leak repairs in Parramatta
We find where the water gets in, not where the stain appears. Those are almost never the same place.
Free inspection · we show you the entry point
5.0
Google reviews
Based in Rosehill
Open 24 hours
What this actually is
The single most expensive mistake in roof repair is chasing the ceiling stain. Water that enters at a valley or a lifted cap runs down the sarking, along a batten or a rafter, and drops somewhere else entirely. We have found entry points four metres uphill and around a corner from the damage.
So we do not guess and we do not quote off a photo of your ceiling. We get on the roof, work out where it is actually getting in, and show you a photograph of it before anything is repaired. One of our Google reviews describes a leak other companies could not fix that was diagnosed and repaired in a single visit. That is the method, not luck.
What the job involves
- Get on the roof Ladder up and walk it. A leak cannot be diagnosed from the driveway or from a drone photo.
- Work uphill from the damage We start above the stain, not at it, because water travels down and sideways before it ever drops.
- Hose test where it is not obvious Controlled water, section by section, until the entry point shows itself. Slow but conclusive.
- Check the roof cavity From inside, with the lights off. Daylight through the roof and wet timber both tell you things the outside will not.
- Photograph it, then repair it You see the cause before we touch it, so you know what you paid to fix.
What a roof leak repair costs
Most leaks are one thing, and most of those are a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand. The expensive outcome is not the repair — it is being sold a whole new roof for a problem that was one rusted valley or a metre of cracked pointing.
We inspect free, show you a photograph of the actual entry point, and quote the repair. If it turns out to be small, we will tell you it is small.
What moves the price:
- What is actually leaking A cracked ridge cap, a rusted valley, a failed flashing and a broken tile are four different jobs at four different prices.
- How long it has been going A leak found this month is a roof repair. One that has been running for two winters can also be a ceiling, insulation and timber problem.
- Access Single storey, double storey, and steep pitches all change the setup.
- Whether it is one leak or a failing roof Sometimes the honest answer is that the roof has multiple entry points and patching them individually is throwing money away. We will say so.
How to tell
Signs you need this
Most of these you can check yourself from the ground, before you call anyone.
- A stain that grows after every rain A mark that appeared once and dried is historical. One that spreads is live and is doing damage between visits.
- Damp or musty smell in a room Water in a wall cavity or ceiling insulation often smells before it shows.
- Bubbling paint or sagging plaster The ceiling is holding water. This one is urgent.
- Daylight visible in the roof cavity Head through the manhole with the lights off. You should not be able to see sky.
Questions
Leak repairs, answered
Ask us anything that is not here. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Call 0434 115 094My roof is leaking right now. Can you come out?
Call us. The phone is answered around the clock including weekends and overnight, which is when roofs tend to announce themselves. For an active leak the first job is stopping the water and making it safe, not writing a quote.
What usually causes a leak on a tile roof around here?
In this part of Sydney, most often a rusted valley iron under otherwise sound tiles, or lifted ridge caps where the bedding has cracked. Both are repairs, not replacements. A lot of people are quoted a whole new roof for one of these.
Do you charge for the inspection if I do not go ahead?
No. The inspection and the photographs are free either way.
My roof is leaking in heavy rain but not light rain. Why?
That is the classic signature of wind-driven water getting under ridge capping or a flashing. Straight-down rain runs off the way the roof intends; wind pushes it sideways and uphill, under things that only overlap rather than seal. It is real, it is common, and it is usually repointing or a flashing rather than a new roof.
My roof is leaking — who do I call?
A roofer, not a plumber, unless the water is clearly coming from a burst pipe rather than the weather. If it is actively coming through the ceiling, ring us on 0434 115 094 rather than filling in a form. The phone is answered around the clock.
What do I do right now while it's leaking?
Put a bucket under it and move anything that matters. If the ceiling is bulging or sagging it is holding water — stay out from under it, because a plasterboard ceiling full of water lets go all at once. Do not get on the roof yourself in the wet.
Will insurance cover a roof leak?
Sudden damage from a storm is usually covered. Gradual deterioration and lack of maintenance usually are not, which is why the photographs and the dates matter so much. We document what we find in the format insurers expect, so a genuine storm claim is not knocked back over evidence.
Related
Often done at the same time
Ridge re-bedding and re-pointing
The most common repair on a Sydney tile roof, and very often the entire fix. From $800.
From $800
Storm damage and emergency repairs
Tarped and made safe first, paperwork second. This is what the 24 hour phone is for.
Someone answers, day or night
Find out what your roof actually needs.
Free inspection, photographs, and a straight answer about whether this is the job you need.
The phone is answered 24 hours, including weekends.