Everything about your roof, explained by the roofer himself

Ice in a gutter means there was water in it that could not drain away, usually because of a blockage or too little fall. A lot of ice and large icicles can also point to heat loss through the roof, which makes snow melt and then freeze again at the cold roof edge.

In late autumn, empty the gutters and downpipes, check the ridge and the bargeboards, inspect the lead work, go over the roof boarding in the attic and make sure the ventilation openings are clear. The gutter is the most important point.

After a storm, first check the ridge and the edges of the roof slope, then the gutter and the garden for debris, and then from inside in the attic whether daylight is coming through anywhere or there is moisture. Report damage quickly and photograph everything with the date.

During a roof inspection we go over the roof from top to bottom: ridge, roof surface, junctions, eaves and gutter, and then inside in the attic. With this list you can get a first impression yourself of where you stand.

A blockage in a downpipe is almost always at the top by the outlet or at the first bend. You can usually remove it by hand or with a flexible drain spring. If the water still does not drain after unblocking, the problem is in the sewer or in the ground connection.

A gutter grille keeps large leaves out of the gutter and so halves the work, but needles and fine sludge still get through. A leaf guard in the outlet mainly protects the downpipe against blockages. Neither one makes maintenance unnecessary.

A gutter overflows because of a blockage, too little or the wrong fall, a gutter that has sagged, or a downpipe that is too small for the roof area. Where the water comes over the edge tells you which of the four it is.