Home emergency and feel completely alone and vulnerable (which I hate to admit!). Can anyone help?

[Sunthew]

Basically I have a leak in the upstairs spare bedroom. I have tried to work out where it is coming from but access to our loft is difficult (we live in like a dormer style three bed).

I think it is basically coming from a joint in the corner of where the chimney meets the roofing. Whilst it’s not dripping the area is clearly damp and its got a patch around 30cm each side from the corner of the room where it is.

I have called round and finally found someone who sounds decent and reliable but they can’t come until Friday so essentially another week. Given I have only just noticed it I am now worried that this has been happening for a long time and god knows what damage is done inside the loft.

I am a lone parent with no family and whilst I have good friends obviously this is all on me and I am panicking. I have an emergency home policy which I will call tomorrow having noticed this today but it says only the immediate repair is done. My concerns are…

What happens if the loft is completely rotting?

What if wet rot or even dry rot has spread?

Will a builder check the loft as standard when looking at the leak or just go up to the roof and fix from outside?

How will I deal with the actual patch on the wall?

How much do you think this will cost if I don’t go via insurance?

I don’t have a lot of money to fix these sorts of things despite saving and I am so so worried as my little girl is only 2 and I feel like I have completely let her down. I should have kept on top of the house and literally did not notice this. Any advice really really welcome

And would you even claim on buildings insurance at all if it came to it? Are you allowed to get a quote for the more substantive work first and then notify insurer if you want to use them for substantive work? The home emergency fix apparently does not affect premium

I had a leak pouring through my ceiling from the flat upstairs, had to call the fire brigade, who ended up having to turn off the water in the street to stop it. It is something that they get called to look at regularly and they were really lovely and told me to stop apologising.

No one notices until they do, you haven't let anyone down.

Try to focus on this as a practical problem.

What does your house insurance say - are you supposed to talk to them now or later? Does the insurer offer help in this situation?

If it’s a join it sounds like the flashing (lead edging) might need replacing. That’s a job for a roofer rather than a plumber.

please don’t panic - water ingress isn’t great but it might not be a big issue. Get the roofer to climb up inside the loft to check if there is any other damage.

if not, get the leak fixed and let the area dry out thoroughly then repaint (or if necessary replaster the area, then let it dry out again, then repaint)

I would call your insurance company and see what they can do. We’re currently sorting out flood damage and the insurance company has arranged all the work, they’re in no hurry to actually get it fixed, but are able to coordinate damp people and flooring and kitchen and electrics and i wouldn’t know where to start!

Im also not sure why you’re beating yourself up about it, you’ve noticed an issue and found someone to look at it, what else were you supposed to do?

@concertinacornflake @wonderstuff @0ddsocks thank you. I have just sent pictures to the person coming on Friday and he said that it must have been there a while. So I’m now even more panicked as to the damage done to the loft/timbers etc. I literally do not have the money and feel terrified of claiming on the policy (I don’t mind using the emergency cover part for immediate fix to water ingress). Using the actual policy will massively increase the premium wont it. Ahhh times like this I just feel entirely on my own

Call insurers now! Most have 24/7 lines
Theyll advise you…leaks should be covered in terms of fixing root cause and repair od damage UNLESS they can show you’ve been negligent in preventing whatever it was that has caused it.
as you say most insurers have emergency call out - that’s not them being generous…it’s because it’s cheaper to fix quickly than to let it go a week and create more damage they have to cover.

ive had leak damage fixed and made good under insurance twice in my life…including bathroom having to be refitted, carpet replacement etc etc

Just to make you feel better, this happened to me in the last house, and it was a few hours' work by a roofer, and didn't cost much. There was no lasting damage. But like you, I had that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't know if you're the same, but I feel like a leaky roof is something that's very easy to obsess over, as if it makes us feel a bit unsafe in our homes. It will be sorted, and you will be okay!

Don’t let anyone fix it until you’ve spoken to insurers…might mitigate any claim if they don’t authorise the trader first.

@DontyMon thank you. Had yours been there a while? It’s the fact I am now unclear as to the extent of damage that’s making me v v stressed!

Claim on the insurance. That's what it's for. The premium won't go up as much as the cost of the work. It likely won't pay for the repair of the roof if it's wear and tear, although it might if it's storm damage, but it will pay for the repairs that the water has caused inside the house and loft.

Why are you paying insurance if you're not going to claim?

By all means contact your insurers first, but generally they class this as general household maintenance and not their responsibility.

just to warn you so you don’t panic if they say no.

Insurers generally won't pay for general roof maintenance, but they do usually have an "escape of water" clause that allows payment of anything inside the house the water has damaged, including ceilings and joists.

Where did you find this person who is coming out on Friday? Be very careful as there are a lot of rogue roofers, as I know from experience, including a nightmare with one I got from Checkatrade. So whatever this guy tells you on Friday, do not panic and do not just agree to his quote. You MUST get at least one other contractor out for comparison. Can you ask friends/neighbours if anyone can personally recommend a roofer?

Meanwhile, it is worth calling your insurer to see what they say. However, I’m not sure it will count as a home emergency unless it’s an active leak ie, you have water running into your home. A damp
patch is not necessarily going to indicate an emergency.

Has it rained a lot recently? If so, yes, there’s probably a roof repair needed. But if not, could it be a water tank in your loft?

Does one of your friends have a handy husband who’d be willing to climb up into your loft to have a look?

OP get a pencil and lightly draw round the outside of the damp patch. you will then easily be able to see if it is getting bigger over this week while you wait for the repair man. i did this with a few damp patches on walls and ceiling when i moved house last year. it reassured me that it wasn't an ongoing problem. x

You need to ring your insurance company - they'll organise someone to come out, have a look and then arrange whatever repairs are necessary. Don't just use some random off Facebook.

@Sunthew

Ring your insurers today, OP.

Ring your insurers now and see what they say. They may be able to get someone to you sooner. Your premium won't massively increase from one claim.

If you wait until Friday before speaking to them or getting someone out, I believe they may be able to consider you partially responsible for any more damage that happens between now and then.

You rang an unknown person . You ask for recommendations for tradesmen. Friends or a local neighbourhood group.

Could it be the lead flashing round the chimney has gone a bit and it's causing water to come in

We had a leak in our roof a couple of years ago. Found a roofer on Facebook, came recommended. He fixed the problem quickly, water was literally pouring through the roof when it rained. I didn’t do anything else. Assumed whatever was wet would dry out eventually. Nothing bad has happened since. Cost like £200 to fix

It sounds like the apron to the chimney might need replacing. Not a big job.

It is very unlikely to have done lasting damage to the roof timbers.
The roof space (loft) is usually well ventilated and is designed to dry out large volumes of moisture from condensation so it should just dry out any leak quickly.

If you have access to a dehumidifier, put that on to help dry any damp plaster. Again, once this is dry it's easy to get stain covering paint and just paint it over.

Get a quote in writing before he does the work. Don't give him any money up front. Agree when payment is due first, before the work. If you are in doubt, send him away and ring trading standards or go on your council site for a recommended roofer.

Forget the bloke on Friday and ring your insurers now.

They'll talk you through it.

This. If at all possible, ask neighbours or friends for a recommendation. You need someone you can trust with the work and the associated costs.

OP. I’m alone too and had an obvious leak coming through the attic bedroom ceiling. I was horrified and terrified the ceiling would fall in each time it rained. Unfortunately I buried my head in the sand and by the time I contacted the insurance company they ( quite rightly) said it had been happening for some time and was now considered wear and tear. I tried desperately to get roofers to look with little success. Happily a neighbour had scaffolding put up and their roofer agreed to take a look and remedy. It was actually a very small job and only cost around £100. Im
glad you’re speaking to your insurance company now and not doing what I did