Will My Roof Leak if Just One Tile Is Missing?

The main purpose of your roof is to keep the rain, wind and cold from getting into your home. It’s obvious enough that, if there are holes all over it, the roof won’t be doing that job, but is any amount of damage safe to ignore? Can just one missing tile cause a roof leak that could damage your home?

What Could Happen if My Roof Leaks?

So why should we worry about a leaking roof? After all, it’ll only leak into the roof space, won’t it? Most of us don’t use that area for much.

It’s not that simple, however, even if that’s true — which might not be the case, since it’s increasingly common to use the roof space for anything from storage to an extra bedroom. However, even an unused space shouldn’t be ignored.

Damp that gets through the roof can seep down into the main part of the house, potentially causing mould or mildew to develop on the walls or ceiling of the upper floor. It can also get into the timbers and create rot, and this could lead to requiring major structural work to be done.

What Can Cause Leaks in the Roof?

Leaks can be the result of a number of faults in the roof, such as faulty flashing, but the most common reason is that tiles are cracked or missing. This is usually caused by heavy rain, wind or ice, but it could just be that old tiles have worn and cracked.

This allows rain to seep in through the hole, even if the tile is only cracked, rather than missing. Most modern roofs have a waterproof underlay which will prevent the moisture getting in right away. However, this is only meant to be a back-up, and sooner or later it will leak into your roof space.

How Bad Can a Single Missing Tile Be?

A single hole in your roof is still a hole. Though the water won’t get into your home as quickly as if you had multiple tiles missing, it will get through. The underlay will give you a breathing space, but that should be used to fix the problem before serious damage is done.

The urgency can vary depending on where the tile is missing from. If it’s low down, near the eaves, the leak is likely to be worse, but there’s no safe leak. Ignoring a missing tile could lead, at the very least, to having to redecorate discoloured walls and ceilings. At worst, it could mean major structural work.

Replacing tiles is a potentially dangerous job that should be left to professionals, and if you’re getting in a roofing company, you’d be advised to have the rest of your roof checked at the same time. Give us a call to find out how we can help.

Read our previous blog post here.