What to Do After Storm Damage to Your Roof

Stay Safe First - Do Not Go on the Roof Yourself

After a storm passes through Fakenham, the instinct is to get up there and check for damage straight away. Resist it. Wet tiles, broken fixings and weakened roof structures make post-storm roofs genuinely dangerous, even for experienced tradespeople. Stay on the ground and look from a safe distance.

From the garden or pavement, scan for missing or lifted tiles, damaged ridge caps, bent or blocked guttering, and any sections of felt or flashing that have peeled away. If you spot daylight through the roof from inside the loft, that is a priority call.

Assess the Damage From the Ground and Inside

Once it is safe, go into the loft with a torch. Look for wet patches on the rafters or sarking felt, sagging insulation, pooling water, or any debris that has come through. Even if nothing looks dramatic from the outside, the loft will often tell you more honestly whether water has got in.

North Norfolk properties face some of the UK's most persistent wind and driving rain. Fakenham sits inland but is close enough to the coast that strong north-westerly and north-easterly gales regularly strip ridge mortar, crack clay pantiles and dislodge lead flashings around chimneys and dormers. Victorian and Edwardian terraces in the town centre, and the many rendered bungalows in surrounding villages, each have their own typical weak spots.

Take clear photographs of everything you can see - tiles, gutters, soffits, flashings and any visible felt. These images matter when you speak to your insurer.

Contact Your Home Insurer Before Arranging Repairs

Storm damage is covered under most standard UK home insurance policies, but the process matters. Call your insurer before commissioning any work beyond emergency temporary repairs. Most insurers require you to report the claim and, in some cases, send their own assessor before a full repair is authorised.

Two practical points here: first, keep receipts for any emergency work you arrange to prevent further water ingress - a reputable roofer will give you a written record. Second, do not allow any contractor who knocks on your door after a storm to start work without you having spoken to your insurer. Unsolicited post-storm callers are a known source of poor-quality, overpriced repairs across Norfolk and the rest of the UK.

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors publishes guidance on choosing a trustworthy roofer and what to expect from the repair process, which is useful reading before you sign anything.

Temporary Measures to Limit Further Damage

If water is actively getting in, temporary measures can protect your home while a proper repair is arranged. A qualified roofer can fit a temporary cover or patch to prevent further ingress. This is not a substitute for a real repair, but it stops a manageable problem becoming a structural one.

Internally, move belongings away from the affected area, place bowls or buckets under any drips, and lay down towels or plastic sheeting to protect floors and ceilings. If a ceiling is visibly bulging with trapped water, carefully pierce it in one place to allow a controlled release rather than a sudden collapse.

Our team handles roof repairs across Fakenham and the surrounding villages, including emergency call-outs where water ingress is active. We can also assess whether storm damage has reached the point where a full roof replacement is more practical than repeated patching.

What Repairs Are Typically Needed After a Storm?

The most common storm repairs we see in this part of Norfolk include:

• Re-bedding or repointing ridge tiles - ridge mortar cracks and loosens over time, and storm winds finish the job. This is one of the most frequent post-storm callouts in Fakenham.
• Replacing cracked or missing clay and concrete tiles - pantiles are common on older Norfolk properties and can be fragile in sustained gales.
• Repairing or replacing lead flashings - particularly around chimneys and where roof slopes meet walls. Our lead work service covers these repairs to a proper standard.
• Clearing and repairing damaged guttering - blockages from debris and bent or detached sections are common after storms and lead to water running down walls if left.
• Chimney repairs - older brick chimneys are exposed at the highest point of the roof and often suffer cracked pots, damaged pointing or loose copings after high winds.

If a chimney has been seriously damaged, it may need partial or full rebuilding. In some cases where a chimney is no longer in use, removing it entirely is the most cost-effective long-term solution. We carry out both chimney rebuilds and full removals where that is the right call.

Planning permission is not usually required for like-for-like storm repairs, but if the work involves material changes to the roof shape or structure, it is worth checking. The UK Government's planning permission guidance sets out what does and does not require consent.

Get a Proper Assessment From a Local Roofer

A ground-level check is useful but it will not reveal every problem. Cracked tiles can look intact from below, and lifted flashing may only be visible from roof level. A qualified inspection gives you an accurate picture before you commit to any spending.

If your roof has taken storm damage, contact Fakenham Roofers for a free local survey. We will give you an honest assessment of what needs doing, a clear written quote, and straight advice on what to tell your insurer.

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