Getting your roof ready for North East winter storms

When Storm Arwen came through in November 2021, the North East took one of the worst batterings in the country. Trees came down, roofs lost slates and ridge tiles, and thousands of homes were left without power, some for over a week.

You can't stop a storm. But most storm damage starts at a weak point that was already there. An autumn check costs very little compared with an emergency repair in the middle of a gale.

The pre-winter checklist

• Slipped or cracked slates and tiles. Look from the street or the garden with binoculars. One loose slate becomes five in a storm.
• Ridge and hip tiles. Older ridges are bedded in mortar that cracks and washes out. Loose ridge tiles are one of the most common things we replace after high winds. A dry-fix ridge system is the longer-term answer.
• Chimney stacks. Look for leaning, missing pointing, and cracked flaunching (the mortar around the pots). Stacks on terraces are often shared, so talk to next door.
• Flashings. The lead where the roof meets a chimney or wall. If it's lifted or split, water gets in and wind gets under.
• Flat roofs. Blisters, splits and ponding water on felt roofs over offshots, garages and dormers.
• Gutters and downpipes. Clear them after the leaves drop. Overflowing gutters soak walls and cause damp.
• Aerials, satellite dishes and loose fixings. Anything that can catch the wind or come loose.

Why the coast and hills get it worse

Houses in exposed spots, along the coast from Hartlepool to South Shields and on high ground around Consett and Stanley, take stronger winds and more driving rain. Roofs there need better fixings, and small defects turn into leaks faster. If you're in an exposed spot, check more often.

If a storm does damage

• Stay safe. Don't go up on the roof or ladders in high winds. Keep clear of anything that might fall.
• Stop the water. Buckets, towels, and move valuables. Turn off electrics in affected rooms if water is near fittings.
• Take photos of the damage inside and out, with dates. Your insurer will want them.
• Call a roofer for a temporary repair. A tarp or temporary patch stops further damage. Insurers generally expect you to prevent things getting worse.
• Tell your insurer quickly. Keep receipts for emergency work.

Storm damage and insurance

Most home insurance covers storm damage, but read the small print. Insurers usually need evidence there were genuine storm conditions around the date, and they don't pay for wear and tear. If a roof was already in poor condition, a claim can be refused. That's another reason the autumn check pays for itself.

We can provide a written report and photos to support your claim, and we do insurance repair work across the region.

This is general guidance, not formal advice on your property. Rules change, so we check the current position at the free site visit and handle any applications as part of the job.

Useful links

• Ofgem: Storm Arwen review