Roofing questions and answers

Question 1

Which parts of Dublin and the surrounding counties do you work in?

Accepted Answer

We work across Dublin city and county from our base on Cabra Road in Dublin 7, and in the parts of Kildare and Wicklow within roughly 50 km. Our areas we serve page lists the districts, with local pages for places such as Tallaght and Glasnevin.

Question 2

Do you take on commercial roofing as well as houses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We work for homeowners, landlords, property managers and businesses, from single houses to shops, offices and commercial units. Our roofing services page explains how we plan access and timing around a building that has to stay open.

Question 3

Do I need council permission to repair my roof?

Accepted Answer

A like-for-like repair on an ordinary house does not normally need planning permission. Protected structures, and changes such as a new dormer or a different roof covering, can need it, so check with your council before that kind of work. Our Dublin 15 roofers page covers this for Fingal, and our Terenure roofers page covers period houses.

Question 4

How do I know if my roof needs repairing?

Accepted Answer

Common signs include stains on ceilings or walls, slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles, loose ridge tiles, damp around a chimney, wet insulation or daylight in the attic, and gutters that overflow in moderate rain. Our guide to the signs your roof needs repair covers these in more detail.

Question 5

What happens during a roof inspection?

Accepted Answer

Where possible we check the attic first to see where water is tracking, then inspect the roof covering, ridge and hips, valleys, flashings around chimneys and walls, and the gutters and roofline. We then explain what we found, what needs doing now, and anything to keep an eye on.

Question 6

Why does the stain on my ceiling not line up with the leak?

Accepted Answer

Water that gets past a slate or a flashing often runs along the felt or a rafter for a metre or more before it drips, so the real entry point is usually higher up the slope than the stain. That is why we look in the attic first, as described on our roof repairs page.

Question 7

Why do older slate roofs keep losing slates every winter?

Accepted Answer

The original iron nails rust through after decades of damp weather, which roofers call nail sickness, and salt air near the coast speeds this up. A few slipped slates can be refixed, but slates moving all over the roof every winter usually mean the fixings have failed across the slope. Our Dún Laoghaire roofers page and our guide to slipped slates explain more.

Question 8

What usually causes a leak around a chimney?

Accepted Answer

Most chimney leaks come from cracked or lifted lead flashing where the stack meets the roof, or from broken mortar on top of the stack. Our Rathfarnham roofers page explains how we trace and repair them.

Question 9

My roof is over 50 years old. Does it have to be replaced?

Accepted Answer

Age alone does not decide it. Many original roofs on post-war estates can be kept in good order with tile replacement, ridge rebedding and gutter cleaning, while others have worn tiles and perished underlay that make replacement the better investment. Our Tallaght roofers page and our article on how long a roof lasts in Ireland explain how to tell the difference.

Question 10

Why do some period houses leak behind the front parapet?

Accepted Answer

Many Dublin terraces have a hidden gutter behind the parapet, or a butterfly roof that drains to a valley down the middle, and leaves and silt collect there out of sight. Once it blocks or the lining splits, water overflows into the roof space. Our Glasnevin and Rathmines pages explain both.

Question 11

What flat roof systems do you use?

Accepted Answer

We install and repair felt and torch-on flat roofs. A modern torch-on roof is usually built up in two layers, a base sheet and a mineral-finished cap sheet, bonded to a sound, dry deck. See our flat roofing page for more, and our guide to how long torch-on felt lasts for the detail on lifespan.

Question 12

Should I worry about puddles on my flat roof after rain?

Accepted Answer

Small puddles that dry within a day or two are not unusual. Water that stays longer usually points to a sagging deck, poor falls or a blocked outlet, and it shortens the life of the felt. Our flat roof repairs page and our guide to water pooling on a flat roof explain the fixes.

Question 13

Why does my extension roof leak where it meets the house?

Accepted Answer

That junction is sealed by a felt upstand with a flashing above it, and it is one of the most common leak points on extensions, porches and dormers. When either one cracks or pulls away, the fix is to cut out the failed detail and renew it, which our guide to an extension roof leaking where it meets the house explains.

Question 14

What decides whether a porch or garage roof is repaired or fully replaced?

Accepted Answer

Mostly the condition of the deck underneath. If the boards are sound and dry a repair can work, but a soft or rotten deck has to be replaced before new felt goes down. Our Stillorgan roofers page and our article on flat roof repair vs replacement go into this.

Question 15

Where do dormer windows usually let water in?

Accepted Answer

Usually through the flat roof on top, the joints where the dormer cheeks meet the main roof, or the flashing around the window itself. Our Dundrum roofers page explains how we check each of those.

Question 16

Are dormer roofs more likely to leak?

Accepted Answer

A dormer has more joints than a plain roof: a small flat roof on top, two cheeks where it meets the slates or tiles, and the window itself, and each joint depends on a flashing or upstand. Well maintained, it is no more trouble than any other roof, but most dormer leaks start at one of those junctions. Our guide to a leaking dormer roof goes through each one.

Question 17

What guttering do you fit?

Accepted Answer

We supply and fit uPVC gutters and downpipes in a range of profiles and colours, chosen to suit the size of your roof and match your roofline. See our guttering services page.

Question 18

Can you repair uPVC fascia rather than replace it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, where the damage is limited to one section, for example after a storm. Full replacement is usually recommended only where the boards are rotten or failing along most of the roofline.

Question 19

When is the best time of year to have gutters cleared?

Accepted Answer

Late autumn, once the leaves have fallen, suits most houses. Homes near large trees or with a lot of moss on the roof usually need a second clean in spring. Our gutter cleaning service includes clearing the outlets and checking the downpipes.

Question 20

My gutter drips at one joint. Do I need a whole new gutter?

Accepted Answer

Usually not. Most leaks are at a joint, an outlet or one cracked section and can be repaired, and replacement only makes sense when the system leaks in several places, has lost its fall or sits on rotten fascia. See our gutter repairs page and our guide to a gutter leaking at the joint.

Question 21

Why are fascia, soffits and gutters usually replaced in one job?

Accepted Answer

The gutters are fixed to the fascia and have to come down anyway, so doing them together avoids paying for access twice and means the new gutters go onto sound boards. Our fascia and soffits page explains the process, including what happens if the rafter ends behind the old boards are rotten.

Question 22

Birds or bats are getting into my roof. Can you still do the work?

Accepted Answer

Usually, but the timing matters. A wild bird's nest with eggs or young in it is protected under the Wildlife Act, so work on that part of the roof waits until the young have left, and bats and their roosts are protected all year, so tell us before we quote. Our article on birds and bats in the roof explains what the law says and how the gaps are closed afterwards.

Question 23

How is a quote prepared?

Accepted Answer

We talk through the problem with you, inspect the roof, and base the quote on what we actually find. The quote sets out the work we recommend and what is included, such as materials and access. If the scope changes later, for example because hidden damage is found, we agree that with you before doing anything extra.

Question 24

What affects the cost of roofing work?

Accepted Answer

The main factors are the type and extent of the work, the roof material, the size and height of the building, the access equipment or scaffolding needed, the condition of the timbers underneath, and the materials chosen. Our cost guides for roof repairs, flat roof repairs, gutter replacement and fascia and soffits explain these in more detail.

Question 25

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

Payment arrangements are discussed and agreed with your quote, before any work begins.

Question 26

Is a WhatsApp photo enough for a quote?

Accepted Answer

Photos help us judge how urgent a problem is, but the cause of a leak is often away from where the damage shows, so for almost every job we inspect the roof before quoting. Send photos by WhatsApp to 085 172 1435 and we will arrange a visit, as explained on our roof repairs page.

Question 27

What details should I send when asking for a quote?

Accepted Answer

Your address or Eircode, a short description of the problem, how long it has been happening and a few photos if you can take them safely from the ground or a window. Use the form on our contact page, call 085 172 1435 or send a WhatsApp.

Question 28

Is there any grant that helps pay for roof repairs?

Accepted Answer

For some homes, yes. The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, run by local councils, can cover necessary repairs such as roof work for people aged 66 or over, subject to a means test, and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant includes roof works on qualifying vacant homes. Our guide to roof repair grants in Ireland explains each scheme, and we can give you a free written quote to include with an application.

Question 29

What should I do if my roof is leaking during a storm?

Accepted Answer

Stay off the roof and away from any loose material. Move furniture and electrics away from the leak, put down buckets and towels, keep people out of rooms with a bulging ceiling, and if water is near light fittings or sockets, switch off the electricity at the main switch on the fuse board if you can reach it without touching water, then have an electrician check it before switching back on. Take photos and call us. Our guide on what to do in a roofing emergency has more detail.

Question 30

Can you fix storm damage straight away?

Accepted Answer

Where the weather and the damage allow, we carry out the repair on the first visit. Where the weather, the dark or the extent of the damage makes that unsafe, we make the roof as watertight and secure as possible, which may mean a temporary cover, and return to complete the permanent repair.

Question 31

Which roof problems count as an emergency?

Accepted Answer

Water coming in, a roof that is open to the weather, or anything loose that could fall. A small stain that is not growing, or one cracked tile with no water inside, can usually wait for a planned visit, as our emergency roof repairs page explains.

Question 32

Does the 24/7 emergency service cover the whole of Dublin?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our 24/7 emergency roof repair service covers our whole service area, North and South Dublin and the surrounding area within roughly 50 km. Call 085 172 1435 and tell us where you are, or see our areas we serve page.