Roof leak diagnosis
Finding the entry point rather than the stain — usually flashings, valleys, penetrations or a lap that has lifted.
Leaks traced to where the water actually gets in, plus flashings, valleys, gutters and downpipes. Licensed roof plumbing, not a patch-up.
A roof leak almost never enters where it appears. Water gets in at a flashing, a valley or a lap, runs along a batten or a rafter, and drops through the ceiling somewhere else entirely. Chasing the stain rather than the entry point is how a roof gets sealed three times and still leaks.
Roof plumbing is licensed work in Queensland for good reason — it covers the roof drainage of the whole building, and getting the falls, overflow provision or flashing details wrong causes damage that shows up years later.
Detail
Finding the entry point rather than the stain — usually flashings, valleys, penetrations or a lap that has lifted.
Chimney, wall and parapet flashings, and the seals around vents, flues, skylights and solar mounts.
Rusted or blocked valley irons, which fill with leaf litter and then overflow under the sheets in heavy rain.
Repairs, re-falls, replacement and downpipe reconnection where water is not reaching the stormwater.
Loose, lifted or corroded sheeting, ridge capping and fixings.
Assessment and repair after a storm, including making a roof watertight ahead of a full repair.
Questions
Because the defect is usually a capacity or overflow problem, not a hole. Blocked valleys, undersized gutters and gutters without adequate overflow all cope in light rain and fail in a downpour — which is exactly when Brisbane gets its rain.
Often, yes. Most entry points are visible on inspection once you know what to look for, and where they are not, the roof can be tested with water in a controlled way.
Yes. Roof plumbing is licensed plumbing work covering roof drainage — gutters, downpipes, flashings and roof coverings that shed water. Brigs Plumbing holds QBCC licence 15161521.
The roof plumbing side, including sheeting, flashings and drainage. A full re-roof involving structural work is a different trade and you will be told if that is what the job needs.
Nearby
Describe the problem on the phone. If it can be sorted without a visit, it will be.
Licensed plumbing, drainage, pipe relining and roof plumbing across Brisbane and the surrounding councils — Redland, Logan, Moreton Bay and Ipswich. Based in Thorneside.
QBCC licence 15161521
Member, Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland
ABN 44 526 011 279