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I can't get access to the outside of the roof to see the issue but water is seeping onto the beam underneath. It's soaking down to the bottom and through the plaster into the upstairs hall. It's not a flood but dripping.
It's an old victorian house so not a traditional lay out and the roofer who has worked on it can't make it until mid week. The roof has 2 apexes and the leak is in the "valley".
No way of getting a bowl/bucket under it in the loft but is their anything else I can try?
loads of old towls/blankets etc. ad change it all in the morning
If you can’t get into roof space can you attach a cord from wet ceiling-to act as wick to control drip into bucket until roofer has a go?
I can get into the roof space. I can see the wet beam that's conducting the water down to the point above the ceiling.
Emergency cover with your insurance?
Leaking roofs are a maintenance issue not an insurance issue.
Yes checked that as well as emergency cover with bank account. Unless it's likely to damage further belongings or make the house unsafe, it's a maintenance issue. Just packed it out with old towels for the time being.
Conveniently the roofer was coming next weekend anyway to fit a velux so we could access the valley to keep it clean. Can't access it from the ground unless your spider man, which he is.
It is always the Valleys!
I have what might be a similar roof and have had some issues over the years which has driven some learnings that might be helpful
If you think logically the valleys are always going to be more of an issue than a regular bit of rook as the water has collected from a larger area to concentrate flow there - always check the valleys first
If the valleys have lead liners (like mine) then I think the best way to lay them is in lengths of around 6 feet with an overlap of 6". This is to allow some expansion and the upper layer to slide over the lower ones. My valleys are done in one long piece and I think that is why they leak. Expansion and contraction cause stresses which eventually crack and leak
If you are having the valley re-done it might be worth having this conversation
the issue I had with my valley's recently is the mortar at the edge of the tiles was breaking up and big holes had formed, so when it rained heavily water washed up the side and into the holes which caused damp inside the house. Never got a dripping leak, but just patches of damp mould appearing. All sorted now the motar was addressed.
It's where the roof at the "head" of the vally meets the roof on the "side" of the valley. That gulley that feeds down into the valley bottom is where the leak appears to be. It's soaking onto the beam underneath so I'm thinking some of the lead there has cracked.
All other wood under the valley appears to be bone dry thankfully!