In our experience, a significant proportion of the winter emergency calls we attend are preventable — the conditions that lead to an emergency were developing through the autumn, and would have been identified and addressed by a brief autumn inspection. This checklist is for homeowners in Tonbridge and across Kent who want to enter winter with confidence that their roof is in good order. Most of these checks can be done from the ground. Those that can't are flagged clearly.
What You Can Check from the Ground
Ridge and Verge Mortar
Look along the ridge from one end — ideally from a position slightly below the roofline, such as an upstairs window or the garden. You're looking for:
- Ridge tiles that appear to have shifted from their original position, or that sit noticeably higher or lower than adjacent tiles
- White mortar visible on the roof surface where it has been displaced and dried out of joints
- Visible gaps at verge mortar joints at the gable ends — daylight visible between the mortar line and the tile surface
Any of these warrants a professional inspection before the first frosts arrive. Ridge mortar saturated in winter and then frozen will expand and displace further, and a ridge tile that's loose by December is a greater emergency risk than one that's loose in September.
Tile Surface
From the ground, look for tiles that are visibly out of position — sitting lower than the course line, or with the tail raised above the adjacent tile. On concrete interlocking tile properties (Cage Green, Trench Wood, Higham Wood and similar estates), this is the most visible sign of nail sickness and merits immediate investigation. Missing tiles are obvious — but tiles that have slipped 20–30mm out of position without yet falling are a failure you can address before winter rather than after.
Gutters and Downpipes
Blocked gutters are not a roofing problem until they cause one — overflowing gutters saturate fascia boards, drive water back into the rafters and cause damp penetration into the property at the eaves. In October and November, Haysden Country Park and the Medway corridor woodland generate the highest leaf-fall volumes — if you're adjacent to significant tree cover, gutter clearance in early November is the priority task.
Check downpipes for blockage by running a hose from the top. Water that backs up and overflows at the gutter junction rather than running out at the bottom indicates a blocked downpipe — in winter, a blocked downpipe can freeze solid, causing the joint to crack and requiring replacement.
Free autumn inspection across Tonbridge and Kent. We'll check your roof, gutters and flashings — 0173 224 1138.
📞 0173 224 1138Flashings (Visible from Ground)
From the garden, look at the line where the roof meets the chimney stacks. Specifically you're looking for:
- Lead that is visibly lifted away from the tile or chimney face — a gap between the lead apron and the tiles is visible at distance on a steep-pitched property
- Dark staining on the chimney face below where the flashing meets the stack — this indicates water tracking down the face of the chimney, usually because the chase above the flashing has opened
- White efflorescence (mineral salts) on the chimney brickwork — this indicates sustained moisture in the stack, usually flashing-related
Flat Roofs on Extensions
If you have a flat roof on a rear extension, garage or outbuilding, autumn is the time to look at it closely. Surface blistering, open splits in the membrane, areas where the felt has lifted at a lap or join — all of these are winter vulnerabilities. A flat roof membrane that is deteriorating but still holding in September may fail completely under the first sustained heavy rainfall of November or December. Temporary repair of a split membrane is possible in autumn; emergency flat roof repair in December costs more and is logistically harder.
Gutter sizing standard: BS EN 12056-3:2000 (Gravity drainage systems inside buildings — Roof drainage, layout and calculation) specifies that gutter profiles must be sized to handle a rainfall intensity of at least 75mm/hour for conventional domestic applications in southern England. A blocked gutter effectively reduces to zero capacity. Source: BS EN 12056-3:2000, Roof Drainage Calculations
What Requires a Professional to Check
These elements cannot be assessed safely from the ground and are worth including in a professional autumn inspection:
- Valley condition — open or secret valleys carry significant water volumes and the valley boards and lead are not visible from the ground
- Felt and batten condition — visible through any accessible area of the loft space, but a professional can assess visible felt from the roof surface more comprehensively
- Chimney stack condition — pointing, chimney pot stability, flaunching (the mortar cap around the pots) — all require close-up inspection
- Nail sickness assessment — accurate assessment of how widespread nail sickness is on a concrete tile roof requires lifting individual tiles to inspect the fixings
The Cost of Autumn Maintenance vs Winter Emergency
A professional roof inspection costs £75–£150 and takes 1–2 hours. A winter emergency call-out — which may involve scaffold, temporary weatherproofing, and weekend premium rates — costs significantly more. The mathematics of preventive maintenance are consistently in favour of acting in autumn on any identified issue. Properties that receive periodic maintenance also tend to have longer intervals between major works — the compounding effect of addressed minor issues is that major failures are less frequent and less severe.
Call 0173 224 1138 in September or October to book an autumn inspection. We'll check the ridge, verge, tiles, flashings, gutters and flat roofs and give you a written report on anything that needs attention before winter.
A Practical Checklist
- ☐ Ridge tiles — inspect for movement, gaps, displaced mortar
- ☐ Verge mortar — check gable ends from ground or first-floor window
- ☐ Tile surface — look for slippage, displacement, nail sickness signs
- ☐ Gutters — clear all debris, run hose test on downpipes
- ☐ Downpipes — confirm clear outlet, no cracks in joints
- ☐ Chimney flashings — check for lifted lead, dark staining, efflorescence
- ☐ Flat roofs — inspect membrane surface for splits and blistering
- ☐ Loft space — check for daylight, moisture staining on rafters, felt condition
- ☐ Book professional inspection for anything unclear or requiring close access