Roof Repairs in Edinburgh Leaks, Slipped Slates & Storm Damage
A leak or a slipped slate rarely fixes itself. Robert traces the actual source, repairs it with the right materials, and gives you a fixed price before he starts, so the same problem does not come back next winter.
22 years' experience · Fully insured · Workmanship guaranteed
- 22 Years' Experience
- Fully Insured
- Fixed-Price Quotes
- Workmanship Guaranteed
- Owner-Operated
Roof Repairs
What a proper roof repair involves
What it is
A roof repair is any targeted fix that restores a roof to watertight condition without replacing the whole covering. That covers replacing slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles, re-dressing or replacing lead flashings, repointing or rebedding ridges, sealing around chimneys and roof windows, and patching felt on flat sections. The difference between a repair that lasts and one that fails is diagnosis: water often enters the roof several feet away from where the stain appears on your ceiling.
Who it's for
Repairs suit homeowners and landlords whose roof is broadly sound but has a specific defect: a single leak, storm damage to one slope, a loose ridge or a tired flashing. They are equally relevant for Edinburgh tenements, Victorian and Edwardian villas, post-war semis and modern homes with concrete tiles.
When you need it
Call for a repair when you see damp patches or staining on ceilings, daylight in the loft, slates or tile fragments in the garden or gutter, a sagging or cracked ridge line, or water running down an inside wall after heavy rain. After any serious storm it is worth having the roof looked at even if nothing is obviously wrong.
Why experience matters
Roof work is at height, on fragile materials, and the wrong fix can cause more damage than the original fault. Walking on slate without knowing where to step breaks more slates. Sealant smeared over a failed flashing hides the problem for a season and traps water behind it. With 22 years on Edinburgh's roofs, Robert knows how these roofs are built and where they tend to fail.
Recent roof repairs work
The cost of waiting
What happens if a roof defect is left
A small roof defect is cheap to fix. The same defect left through an Edinburgh winter usually is not. Water that gets past the slates does not stay in one place; it follows timbers, soaks sarking boards and insulation, and finds its way into ceilings and walls.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the leak to get worse before calling, by which point timbers are often wet.
- Using sealant or tape as a permanent fix over a slipped slate or split lead.
- Assuming the leak is directly above the stain and repairing the wrong spot.
- Hiring someone without insurance to work at height on your property.
- Accepting a vague estimate that grows once the work starts.
Rot in sarking and timbers
Most Scottish slate roofs sit on timber sarking boards. Persistent damp softens those boards and the rafters beneath, turning a slate replacement into a structural repair.
Ceiling and plaster damage
Water pooling above a ceiling eventually stains, bows and can bring down plaster, adding decorating and plastering costs to the roofing bill.
Damp, mould and wet insulation
Wet insulation stops insulating. Damp lofts encourage mould that can spread to rooms below and affect the air quality in your home.
Wind finds a weak point
One loose slate gives the wind something to lift. In a storm, neighbouring slates can follow, turning a single repair into a slope of damage.
How Robert works
A clear process, from first look to finished roof
- 1
Inspection
Robert looks at the roof and the affected area inside, including the loft where accessible, to see the full picture rather than just the symptom.
- 2
Diagnosis
He identifies where water is actually getting in and why: a slipped slate, failed nail, cracked lead, open joint or blocked gutter.
- 3
Fixed-price quote
You get a clear, fixed price for the repair, and an honest view of whether a repair is the right answer or a larger job is due.
- 4
Repair
The defect is repaired using matching materials and proper methods: slates hung correctly, lead dressed, joints repointed.
- 5
Check and completion
The surrounding area is checked, debris is cleared, and the work is covered by Robert's workmanship guarantee.
What you get
The result of doing it properly
The leak stops at the source
Tracing water back to its entry point means you pay once for the right fix, not repeatedly for guesswork.
Smaller bills over time
Catching a defect early avoids the timber, plaster and insulation costs that follow when water is left to spread.
Matching materials
Repairs use slates, tiles and lead appropriate to your roof so the fix blends in and weathers the same way.
Safe work at height
Fully insured for public and employer's liability, with 22 years of experience working safely on steep and fragile roofs.
No price drift
A fixed price is agreed before work starts, so the cost you approve is the cost you pay.
One person accountable
Robert quotes, does the repair and stands behind it. There is no subcontractor to chase if you have a question.
In detail
Roof repairs Edinburgh homes most often need
Edinburgh has one of the most varied roofscapes in the UK, from Georgian and Victorian slate to post-war concrete tiles and modern felt extensions. Each fails in its own way, and each needs the right repair.
Slipped and broken slates
Natural slates are held by nails that corrode over decades. When a nail fails, the slate slides down and leaves a gap. Robert refixes slates using methods suited to the roof, such as copper or lead tingles where re-nailing is not possible, and replaces broken slates with matching sizes and thicknesses.
On older Scottish roofs, slates are often nailed directly to sarking boards. Replacing them properly requires care not to disturb the surrounding courses, which is where experience matters.
Flashings, valleys and abutments
Where a roof meets a wall, chimney or another slope, lead does the waterproofing. Lead that has split, lifted or been poorly repaired with mortar fillets is one of the most common sources of leaks. Robert re-dresses or replaces lead flashings, soakers and valleys so water is shed away from the joint.
Ridges and hips
Ridge tiles bedded in mortar loosen as the mortar ages and cracks. Loose ridges let water in and can be lifted by strong wind. Rebedding and repointing restores both the seal and the fixing. See also ridge repointing as part of general roofing.
Tile roofs and flat sections
Concrete and clay tile roofs suffer cracked tiles, failed underlay and loose verges. Flat roofs on extensions and dormers develop splits and blisters in the felt. Both can usually be repaired locally if the rest of the covering is sound.
Repair or replace?
Not every roof should be repaired. When slates are failing across a whole slope, nails are rusted throughout, or repairs have become an annual event, a re-roof can be the better investment. Robert will tell you plainly which applies to your roof, and why.
Roof Repairs across Edinburgh and its neighbourhoods
Edinburgh's housing stock changes street by street. Tenements and terraces in Leith and Stockbridge, Victorian and Edwardian villas in Morningside and Colinton, seafront homes in Portobello exposed to salt air, and post-war and modern housing in Corstorphine, Liberton and South Queensferry all present different challenges. Robert has worked across all of them over 22 years, so he knows how roofs in each part of the city were built and how they tend to wear.
Wherever you are in Edinburgh, the approach to roof repairs is the same. Robert looks at the job himself, explains what he has found in plain language, and gives you a clear, fixed-price quote so you know exactly what you are paying before any work starts. R Galloway Roofing Services is owner-operated and fully insured with public liability and employer's liability cover, and the workmanship is guaranteed. You deal with one person from the first phone call to the finished job.
To arrange a visit, call Robert on 07756 375223 (Mon-Fri, 8:00am-5:00pm) or send a request using the form below. You can also read more about Robert or return to the homepage.
Straight answers
Roof Repairs: questions answered
Something not covered here? Contact Robert or call directly.
Ask Robert: 07756 375223How much does a roof repair cost in Edinburgh?
It depends on what has failed, how much of the roof is affected and access. Robert gives a fixed-price quote after seeing the roof, so you know the exact cost before any work starts.
How long does a typical roof repair take?
Many straightforward repairs, like replacing a few slates or re-dressing a flashing, are completed in a single visit. Larger repairs take longer, and Robert will tell you the expected timeline when he quotes.
Can you find a leak that others have not fixed?
Recurring leaks usually mean the real entry point was missed. Robert inspects the roof and loft to trace where water is actually getting in rather than repairing only where the stain appears.
Is the repair guaranteed?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed. Robert will explain what applies to your specific job when he quotes.
Do you do emergency roof repairs?
Yes. For storm damage or an active leak, call Robert on 07756 375223 for emergency roof repairs across Edinburgh.
Will the new slates match my roof?
Robert uses slates and tiles appropriate to your roof so repairs blend in as closely as possible with the existing covering.
Are you insured to work on my roof?
Yes. R Galloway Roofing Services is fully insured with public liability and employer's liability cover.
Which areas do you cover for roof repairs?
Edinburgh and its neighbourhoods, including Leith, Portobello, Morningside, Corstorphine, Stockbridge, Colinton, Liberton and South Queensferry.
Stop the leak before it spreads
Tell Robert what you have noticed. He will look at the roof, find the cause and give you a fixed price to fix it. Fully insured, workmanship guaranteed.
Request a quote
Get a clear, fixed price
for your roof
Tell Robert what's going on with your roof. He'll come back to you personally to arrange a look and give you a fixed price.
07756 375223Mon-Fri, 8:00am-5:00pm