That Sinking Feeling: You’ve Found a Leak. Now What?

It’s a horrible feeling. You’ve spotted a damp patch on the ceiling or, worse, an actual drip. Your first instinct is to Google ‘repair roof leak near me’ and hope for a quick fix. I get it. I’ve been repairing roofs in Brighton, Hove, and Worthing for over 18 years, and that panicked call is one I get all the time. Before you do anything else, take a breath. Here’s my straight-talking advice on what to do next.

First things first: Contain the damage inside.

Your roof is already compromised; don’t let your ceiling and belongings get ruined too. Grab a bucket, an old washing-up bowl, anything to catch the drips. If the plaster on the ceiling is bulging, it’s holding water like a balloon. Be very careful, but it might be wise to pierce it with a screwdriver to release the water in a controlled way before it brings a huge chunk of your ceiling down. Move any furniture or electronics out of the way.

Can I Find the Source of the Leak Myself?

Honestly, it’s tricky. Water is a funny thing. The drip you see above your sofa is almost never directly below the hole in the roof. Water can travel along roof joists, insulation, and membranes before it finds a way through your plasterboard. Here’s what I typically find when I get up on a roof in Sussex:

  • On Pitched Roofs: The most common culprits are cracked or slipped tiles. You might be able to spot one from the ground, but often the issue is more subtle. It could be a failed mortar joint on a ridge tile or a problem with the underlying felt.
  • On Flat Roofs: I usually find failed seams on old felt roofs, splits in the membrane caused by sun damage, or areas where water is ‘ponding’ instead of draining away. These can be tiny but cause a lot of damage over time. You can read more about my approach to fixing flat roofs properly.
  • The Usual Suspects: Blocked gutters forcing water back under the roofline, or damaged flashing around chimneys and extensions. Faulty lead flashing is a massive source of leaks that people often overlook.

The Big Question: Can I Just DIY a Quick Patch?

You can, but you’re taking a big gamble. Look, if it’s an emergency and you need to stop the water *right now*, you can get products like Acropol or a roll of flashing tape from a DIY shop. You can climb up there, clean the area, and slap it on. It might even hold for a week, a month, or if you’re very lucky, a few months.

But here’s the hard truth: These are temporary band-aids. You’re not fixing the problem; you’re just covering it up. The original issue that caused the failure is still there. Worse, you can trap moisture underneath your ‘patch’, causing the roof deck to rot without you even knowing it. I’ve seen DIY patches turn a simple tile replacement into a major structural repair.

How Does a Professional Repair Differ from a DIY Patch?

When you call me, I’m not just looking for the drip. I’m looking for the cause. A proper repair isn’t about slapping silicone on a crack. It’s about understanding why it failed in the first place.

  1. Investigation: I trace the water ingress from the inside out, then get on the roof to find the exact point of failure. This means checking tiles, membranes, flashings, gutters – the entire system.
  2. The Right Fix: A professional repair means replacing the failed component. If a tile is cracked, I replace it, checking the battens and felt underneath. If a flat roof seam has failed, I’ll likely recommend heat-welding a new, robust patch or discussing a longer-term solution if the roof is old. It’s a different world from a pot of paint-on gunk. Many issues with terraced house pitched roofs stem from small, hard-to-spot problems that a quick patch will never solve.
  3. Guaranteed Work: A DIY patch comes with no guarantee. My repairs do. You get peace of mind that it’s done right.

The best way to know what you’re dealing with is to get an expert eye on it. That’s why I offer a free roof inspection to homeowners in the area.

I’m in Brighton and It’s an Emergency – How Fast Can You Help?

This is the ‘near me’ part that really matters. If water is actively coming into your home, you need a local roofer who can respond quickly. I’m based here, I work exclusively across Brighton, Hove, Worthing, and the surrounding Sussex area. I prioritise emergencies because I know how much damage water can do in a short space of time.

I have a dedicated service for exactly this situation. You can use my emergency roof leak booking page to get my attention fast. My goal is to get to you, make a safe and effective temporary repair to stop the water, and then provide a fixed-price quote for a permanent solution. No guesswork, just straightforward, honest roofing.