Roof Leak at Night: What Should You Do?

Start with the drip. Put a bucket, washing-up bowl or large tray under it, and lay a towel or folded bin liner in the bottom to cut the splashing. If water is running down a wall, a roll of towels at the skirting board slows it. A drip that hits a hard floor from height can be loud and keep you awake, so a cloth in the container helps.

Next, move what you can out of the way: furniture, bedding, electronics, rugs, anything that would stain or warp. A ceiling ballooning with trapped water can collapse. Keep away from it, and if you judge it safe, prick the sagging patch where it hangs lowest, using a screwdriver, so the water drains into a bucket in a controlled stream. Stand to one side as you do it, and stop if you are unsure.

If the ceiling is sagging badly, or water is coming through quickly, leave the room and close the door. A ceiling full of water is heavy, and it is not worth being underneath. Our answer on water coming through a ceiling covers that step in more detail.

Water and electricity do not mix, and a roof leak can run into light fittings, downlights, sockets and the wiring in the ceiling void. Where water is dripping out of a light or close to one, leave the switch alone and turn that circuit off at the fuse board, which is also called the consumer unit, provided the floor in front of it is dry. If you cannot, or if you see sparks or smell burning, leave the area and call 999.

Do not use any light or socket that has been wet until an electrician has checked it. You can use a torch or a phone light in the meantime. Our page on a roof leak near a light fitting sets out what to do about that in full.

In the loft, resist the urge to go up and look in the dark unless you can do it from the hatch with a good torch and you are certain the floor is safe. Boards can be slippery, insulation hides joists, and one wrong step can put a foot through the ceiling below. A look from the ladder at the hatch is enough to see whether water is running along a rafter.

Once the water is contained, take photos. Capture the ceiling, the walls, the floor and the container, with a wider view as well as close ones, and note the time the drip began and any rain or wind at the time. Pictures taken at the time are the best evidence of the damage, and a dated set is what an insurer will want to see.

If you are insured, check your policy and tell your insurer about the damage before you pay for a repair. Which? says most insurers keep an emergency helpline, so the number may be printed in your policy documents. Find out what they need from you, and whether they want to see the damage before work starts. A payout is never guaranteed, so do not assume it.

Make a note of the water's route. A stain that grows from one corner, a drip along a seam or water showing on a wall below the eaves tells a roofer where to look. Keep any damaged items until the claim is settled, and keep the receipts for buckets, dehumidifiers and temporary repairs, because they may be asked for later.

The urge to get on a ladder with a sheet of plastic is strong, but it is the most dangerous move you can make. Wet tiles, wind, darkness and a ladder on damp ground add up to a serious risk of a fall. A leak will get no worse for waiting a few hours, provided the water is contained and the power is safe.

In the morning, a roofer can see what is happening, from the ground, from a ladder or tower, and from the loft. Making the leak safe comes first for us, often with a temporary cover, and a proper repair is explained afterwards. Send photos of the stain, the loft and the outside, and tell us what the weather was doing, so we have a good idea of the fault before we arrive.

You can read what a make-safe covers in our guide to a roof make-safe, and the main emergency roof repairs page sets out how the work is organised. If you are choosing between roofers in a hurry, ask each one what happens when they first arrive and what the written price covers.