What might be causing leaks in my roof and ceiling?

Question

We had a new roof put onto our kitchen extension because water marks were appearing on the ceiling. For a year, this seemed to stop any further water coming through. in the past week or so more water has been coming through and has actually caused rips in the paper covering the ceiling and also you can see a grid of where the water seems to be running down the joists - quite extensive and worrying especially with more rain to come.

We are trying to get hold of the roof people as it is under guarantee, but I think we need to address the potential problems being caused with wet joists as this seems to be getting worse each day with more wet patches and more worryingly is now going underneath one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Does anyone know what I should have looked at in the first instance? I don't think the roofers do internal stuff so may not be much help. I feel I will need to call someone else out and quickly as I don't want some serious damage to occur - I've not had to deal with this kind of issue before.

Thanks

Answer 1

In the end, the roofing company had ceased to exist which was why it was difficult to get hold of them.

I got a reputable building company to sort out the cracks in the walls and weatherproof the render - they did an amazing job and they even found a fault in the way the new roof was fitted... and fixed it for free. The fault was that the new roof was just a new covering (although well fitted and looked good to the untrained eye), but it required some lead flashing (like a skirt) to force water run-off from the walls to run onto the roof and towards the drain/drainpipe. Without the flashing the water was allowed to run between the roof covering and the wall itself, hence leaking underneath in particularly wet weather. The issue never returned.

Answer 2

Certainly the roofers should take care of the originating problem if you have a guarantee.

Also, be aware that most any kind of do-it-yourself fixes could be construed as voiding the guarantee.

The OP says you are "trying" to contact the roofers. I don't really get that part. Certainly there must be a way to contact them quickly, as it is in their best interests to respond quickly to prevent further damage that they may be liable for.

The OP says you "think" they might not cover internal issues. The only way to be sure of that is to read the insurance repairs.

Generally, if you took them to court and it was obvious that their installation caused the internal damage, you would have a strong case that it is their responsibility.