GUIDE • ROOF DAMAGE
A Homeowner's Roof Damage Checklist for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan What to Look For, Safely
A ground-level checklist for spotting roof problems early, and what to do first if water starts getting in.
GENERAL ADVICE
LOOK FROM THE GROUND.
The safest way to check a roof is from ground level. Stay off ladders and the roof itself — roofs are slippery when wet or icy, and falls are the biggest risk in any roof inspection. Leave access equipment and climbing to professional roofers.
Walk around your property and look at each side of the roof. Different faces can age at different rates depending on how they face the weather. Binoculars are usually enough to spot obvious problems.
Signs worth looking for
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates or tiles
- Debris on the ground or caught in gutters after storms
- Sagging gutters, or gutters overflowing in ordinary rain
- Mortar or fragments around ridges and valleys
- Heavy moss build-up holding moisture against the roof
- Damp patches or stains on ceilings and upstairs walls
- On flat roofs: standing water that lingers, or visible splits and blisters
This checklist is general guidance, not an assessment of your roof. What any sign means for your property needs an inspection.
GENERAL ADVICE
IF WATER IS GETTING IN.
If water is coming through a ceiling, move furniture, rugs and electronics out of the way and put a container under the drip. If a light fitting or wiring is affected and it is safe to do so, turn the power off at the consumer unit before calling an electrician.
Do not go into the loft or climb onto the roof to investigate. If you can see daylight through the roof from inside, or a ceiling is bulging, keep the area below it clear.
If there is any immediate danger to people — structural damage, exposed wiring or a ceiling about to give way — contact the emergency services.
Worth doing while you wait for advice
- Take photos of the problem from ground level, inside and out
- Note when it started and whether it worsens in heavy rain
- Roughly where on the roof does the problem appear?
- Note whether anything nearby has changed, such as gutters or trees
ABOUT SLATEFORGE ROOFING
HOW WE CAN HELP.
Slateforge Roofing is a South Wales roofing brand with experienced roofers serving Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. We handle assessment and repair enquiries for damaged and ageing roofs, alongside pitched and flat roofing work.
Tell us what you have noticed, where on the roof it is, and whether the roof is pitched or flat — photos over WhatsApp are welcome. The work needed is confirmed after the roof has been assessed and your requirements have been discussed.
The checklists above are general homeowner advice, kept separate from how we work. Nothing here is a statement about your specific roof until it has been assessed.
ROOF REPAIRS AT SLATEFORGE ↗Where to go next
GET IN TOUCH
TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR ROOF.
Call, email or send a WhatsApp message to discuss your roofing enquiry.
07399 894032South Wales, United Kingdom
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