Is my roof leaking??

[dgm1592]

I went up into my loft today to get the xmas decorations down and discovered that my roofing felt was damp to the touch and wet in places. If I touched it my fingers were wet. I also noticed it had been dripping water all over the stuff I have stored in the loft. Although we have had significant rain it has not been too bad for several days. I have contacted my insurers but they will not be able to do anything until next week.

I am not sure if my roof is actually leaking through a split ridge tile allowing water in or if this is some sort of condensation problem??
The felt is wet pretty much all over the roof area not confined to one specific area.

My house is around 25 yrs old, has a pitched roof with tiles.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what this can be??

Thanks

 

[noseall]

it is nothing more sinister than condensation.

you need more ventilation in the loft.

 

[dgm1592]

Thanks for the reply.....if that is the case then its a big relief!!
I have spent an hour covering all my stuff over with plastic sheeting as it is forecast to rain!!
I have never noticed this before is it likely that this has been caused by the very cold weather and having the central heating on a lot of the time??
Is there anyway of being totally sure this isnt a leak or is this quite common with identical symptoms?
What is the best way to ventilate the loft?

 

[wsdconst]

best way to check for leaks is to get on the roof with your hose pipe and get your missus up in the loft to see if any water comes in easiest way to vent is using vent tiles

 

[mebob]

even better, get your missus up on the roof with the hose and you wait in the loft looking for drips, maybe with a nice cup of tea.

 

[chappers]

the easiest way is to wait until it rains then get up in the loft. remember what happened to Rod Hull

 

[wsdconst]

that was down to emu hes now serving life but it was all kept quiet

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

the easiest way is to wait until it rains then get up in the loft. remember what happened to Rod Hull

Was that really such a bad thing?

 

[JohnD]

Does this help?

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1080717#1080717

Comments please

 

[mebob]

Good point, Johnd, but I think the reason for the humour is that the help you mention has already been given. dgm1592 has a wet loft so unless he's fitted a lawn sprinkler up there, and why would anyone do that, then it can only be a leak or condensation. If it's a leak, find the broken tile or flashing and fix it, if it's condy then vent the loftspace, job done. It's the way in the building trade, sort the job then have a laugh...it's inevitable, and healthy, and I do hope, dgm1592, that you are now sorted.

Already here we have dgm1592 balancing precariously at the ridge of his house, gripping the roof ladder, for dear life, with one hand (just look at how white his knuckles are, I bet if it was dark they would glow) and in the other hand he's holding the hose, with the weight of the water wanting to drag it back down to ground level, like a tree snake with vertigo. He's trying to soak every square inch of his roof to find the leak, rather than wait for it to rain, with his missus in the loft looking for drips. She's there balancing on a board he's placed over two ceiling joists, and been told not to move an inch because he doesn't want to spend tomorrow plastering the ceiling where she's put her foot through, and she's scared. She doesn't like heights, or the dark, or spiders, or cobwebs, or......what's that noise?
Her torch keeps flickering, she knows he should have bought that million candle one she saw at the shop last week, she told him, she did tell him.
Outside he can hear her shouting instructions, as they do, but luckily he can't make out a word she says, what with street noise from below, and who's that down there? Oh, it's Jimbo from three doors down, he's shouting up some advice, what's that?....something about a parachute. Pillock.

So you see JohnD, you've gotta have a laff.

Oh no... you've gone and done it now, you and your criticism. Now I've got this mental image of an emu in caricature with a big grin, prancing about on a roof with that funny walk they do, kicking the ladder away every time the bloke with straw hair and a big conk reaches the top.

I can't take any more, I'm off to the pub for some intelligent conversation. It's easy there, I'll just pose the question... is Hamilton an arrogant prat, or just a prat who happens to be arrogant?