There’s no good time to discover water coming through your ceiling, but it always seems to happen at the worst one – halfway through a storm, late on a Sunday night, or just after you’ve decorated. If your roof is leaking in heavy rain, the next hour matters more than you might think. Here’s exactly what to do right now, what not to do, and when it’s time to pick up the phone to an emergency roofer.
First: limit the damage inside
Before anyone gets on the roof, protect the inside of your home. Water spreads fast through plasterboard, insulation and electrics, and most of the lasting cost of a leak comes from what happens indoors.
- Catch the water. Buckets, basins, towels – anything. If the ceiling is bulging, place a container underneath and pierce a small hole in the centre of the bulge with a screwdriver. It feels wrong, but releasing the water in a controlled way prevents the whole ceiling coming down.
- Move what matters. Shift furniture, rugs and electronics out of the drip zone and cover anything you can’t move.
- Kill the power if water is near wiring. If water is tracking into light fittings or sockets, switch off the affected circuit at the consumer unit and leave it off until it’s been checked.
- Note where it’s coming in. A photo or video of where the water first appears is genuinely useful – both for your roofer and for any insurance claim later.
What you should never do
Every winter we get called to homes across Preston, Chorley and Leyland where a leak has turned into an injury risk or a bigger repair bill. Please don’t:
- Get on the roof yourself. Wet tiles, wind and height are a dangerous combination even for professionals – and we work from scaffolding or secured access for a reason.
- Throw a tarpaulin over it in a storm. An unsecured tarp becomes a sail. If temporary sheeting is needed, it should be fitted and fixed properly.
- Ignore a “small” leak once the rain stops. Water finds the same route in every time. A drip you saw once in January will quietly rot timbers, soak insulation and stain plaster until it becomes a much bigger job.
Why roofs leak in heavy rain (but not drizzle)
A roof that only leaks in driving or prolonged rain usually has a weakness that normal weather doesn’t find. The usual suspects we see across Lancashire are:
- Slipped, cracked or missing tiles and slates – often after wind, and sometimes invisible from the ground.
- Failed lead flashing around chimneys – one of the most common sources of leaks in older Preston and Chorley homes. If the water stain is near the chimney breast, this is the first place to look. Our chimney and lead work service deals with exactly this.
- Blocked or overflowing gutters – when gutters can’t cope, water backs up under the roof edge and into the fascia. If you spot water spilling over the gutter during rain, have a look at our guide to fascias, soffits and guttering.
- Perished felt or membrane – on older roofs the felt under the tiles becomes brittle and tears, so any water that gets past the tiles has a clear run into the loft.
- Ponding on flat roofs – heavy rain sits in low spots and works through seams and blisters. Flat roofs have their own failure modes, which is why we treat flat roofing as a specialism in its own right.
When is a leak a genuine emergency?
Call an emergency roofer straight away if:
- Water is coming in steadily, not just the odd drip
- The ceiling is sagging or bulging
- Tiles or ridge tiles have come off and more could follow
- Water is anywhere near electrics
- A storm has visibly damaged the roofline, chimney or flashing
In those cases the priority is making the roof safe and watertight fast – usually a secure temporary repair on the first visit, followed by a proper permanent fix once the weather allows. That’s exactly how our emergency roof repair service works: we make it safe first, then agree the full repair with you in daylight, with photos of everything we found.
If it’s a slow drip and the weather has passed, you don’t need an emergency call-out – but do get it inspected within days, not months. Our standard roof repair service covers everything from a single slipped slate to storm damage restoration, with free quotes and no pressure.
Will home insurance cover it?
Often, yes – most buildings insurance covers storm damage, though not gradual wear and tear. Insurers will want evidence, which is another reason those photos matter. We regularly provide written reports and photographs that homeowners across Preston, Chorley, Leyland and the surrounding areas have used to support claims. Document everything, report it promptly, and don’t bin damaged materials until the claim is settled.
Speak to a local roofer, day or night
MKY Roofing is a family-run team covering Preston, Chorley, Leyland and the wider Lancashire area. If water is coming into your home right now, call us on 01257 491 065 and we’ll talk you through it – or get in touch here for anything less urgent. It costs nothing to ask, and catching a leak early is always the cheapest version of the repair.
