How urgent is it? Triaging what you can see from the ground
Short answer: water coming inside is urgent, anything loose at height is urgent, and almost everything else is a this-season or next-clean job. Most of what worries homeowners about their roof is cosmetic or slow-moving, and knowing which is which saves a lot of unnecessary panic and money.
Use the three tiers below. Every check here is done from the ground or from a window. Do not climb up to investigate.
Deal with it now
- Water staining on a ceiling, damp patches on an upstairs wall, or a drip in the loft after rain.
- A tile, slate or ridge tile visibly loose, slipped or hanging, especially above a path, drive or doorway.
- Pieces of mortar or tile found on the ground after wind.
- A gutter pulling away from the fascia or hanging at an angle.
- A chimney pot sitting visibly out of upright.
Sort it this season
- Gutters overflowing during heavy rain, or plants growing out of them.
- Thick moss cushions along the ridge and in the valleys, particularly before winter, since frost breaks moss up and washes it into the gutters.
- Green or black staining spreading noticeably year on year.
- Damp streaking down an exterior wall below a gutter joint.
Fine to leave until the next clean
Light surface algae, a thin green tint on a north-facing pitch, small patches of lichen on otherwise sound tiles, and general dullness are all cosmetic. They are worth booking in, but nothing about them is time-critical and you should not be pressured into treating them as an emergency.
If you are not sure which tier you are in, send us a photo. We would rather tell you honestly that something can wait than sell you a job you do not need yet.
Send a photo and we will tell you honestly
Not sure whether it can wait? Send us a picture from the ground and we will give you a straight answer. Free, no obligation.
Sky Scrapers Ltd · info@sky-scrapers.co.uk
Our own photographs
Images from Sky Scrapers Ltd work showing the methods described on this page.
Where this applies locally
Towns where this comes up most often on our patch:
Questions we get asked
Is moss on a roof ever an emergency?
Very rarely. Moss is a slow problem. What makes it urgent is what it causes indirectly, such as blocked gutters overflowing or moss washing into valleys and holding water.
Should I go up and check myself?
No. Every check on this page is deliberately a ground-level or window check. Working at height without training and equipment is where most domestic roof accidents come from.
Can you tell how urgent it is from a photo?
Often, yes. A clear photo from a couple of angles is usually enough for us to say whether it needs looking at now or at your next clean.
Do you charge to look?
No. Quotes and advice are free and carry no obligation.
Summary
Water inside and anything loose at height need attention now. Overflowing gutters and heavy moss are this-season jobs. Light staining and algae can wait for the next scheduled clean.