Storm Damage Roof Repair

• Gaps in the slates or tiles, or a row that looks out of line. A slate on the ground came from somewhere.
• The ridge along the top: missing or tilted ridge tiles, or mortar lying in the gutter.
• The verges at the gable ends, where wind gets under the edge.
• The chimney: lead flashing lifted at the edge, a pot loose, or the stack itself leaning.
• Gutters and downpipes pulled away, sagging or blocked with debris.
• Inside: a damp patch on a ceiling, water in the attic, or daylight through the roof from the attic hatch.

Use binoculars or a phone zoom. Photograph everything you see, wide and close up, before anything is moved.

A slate or tile that's gone leaves the felt or the battens underneath open to rain, and the wind now has an edge to catch. Next time it blows, the slates either side go. Water runs down the felt and into the ceiling well below where the gap is, so the leak inside is often a metre or two from the damage outside.

That's why the first visit after a storm is usually a temporary repair: refix or replace what's off, or cover the area, then come back for the proper job in dry weather.

Storm damage is usually covered

Home insurance normally covers sudden storm damage, not wear and tear. Gutters, downpipes and a few slates or tiles are the typical minor storm claim; fences, gates and old felt roofs are often excluded. Check your own policy. Insurers usually pay for temporary repairs, so keep the receipts. For a slate or two, with an excess of €250 or so and the no-claims bonus at stake, it may not be worth claiming. The claim guide goes through it.