Roof Repairs in Birmingham

Roof Repairs in Birmingham

A roof leak rarely waits for a convenient time. A gale comes through off the West Midlands plain, a few tiles slip overnight and by morning there is a damp patch spreading across the landing ceiling. J Dowd & Sons have been keeping Birmingham homes dry since 1970, and a leak that is found and fixed quickly costs a fraction of one that is left to soak into plaster, insulation and joists.

What we are usually called out to

• Slipped or missing tiles and slates, the most common cause after high winds, where the nibs or nails have failed
• Failed flashings around chimneys, parapets and where a flat roof meets a wall, which is where a surprising number of leaks actually start
• Cracked or open ridge and hip mortar on older roofs where the bedding has weathered away
• Blocked or split valleys that overflow back under the tiles during heavy rain
• Storm damage, from a handful of dislodged tiles to a section of covering torn off entirely

We find the real source, not just the stain

Water rarely drips straight down. It tracks along battens and rafters and shows up on the ceiling well away from where it actually got in, which is why guesswork repairs so often fail. We carry out a proper inspection, photograph the fault and show you the evidence before we touch anything. You see exactly what is wrong and exactly what we propose, with a fixed price agreed up front and no call-out fee.

Fixed properly, not patched over

Once you give the go-ahead we do the job to last: matching tiles and slates from our stock of new and reclaimed stock so the repair blends in, ridges re-bedded in fresh mortar, flashings renewed in lead, valleys cleared or replaced. If the weather is closing in and the roof needs making safe immediately, we can fit a temporary cover the same day to stop the water, then return to complete the permanent repair. Every repair, large or small, carries our written workmanship guarantee.

Why a quick fix is the cheap option

People often hold off on a roof repair, worried about what it will cost. In reality the repair is almost always the small bill. The big bills come from waiting: water in a roof does not stay in the roof. It saturates the loft insulation so it stops working, rots the joists and roof timbers, blows the plaster on ceilings and walls, and given long enough reaches the wiring. A slipped tile that costs little to refix today can turn into a four-figure plastering and decorating job by spring. Catching it early is simply the cheapest way to own a roof.

Storm damage and insurance

If your roof has been hit by a storm and you are claiming, we make the process easier. We supply the dated photos, the written report and the itemised costings your insurer needs, and we liaise with them directly to speed approval. We are NFRC, TrustMark and Guild of Master Craftsmen accredited, which insurers recognise.