Leaks usually appear as dampness or mould on the ceilings or walls of your home. It can often be difficult to trace the source of a leak, and indeed many leaks are the result of damage done to a roof several years prior to the leak actually appearing.

The first thing to note about roof leaks is that most of them are preventable by regular checks and maintenance on your roof. By keeping up maintenance checks on your roof - having your ridging checked, checking your gutters, checking your flashing - you can be quickly aware of any problems that might arise, and deal with them appropriately.

Interestingly, the majority of inquires to do with roof leaks are actually problems to do with flashing that has not been put in properly, or indeed is missing, and not with roof tiles . Flashing that is faulty or not there will cause leaks in the roof, as there are gaps for water to seep through. Your flashing should be checked and rectified by a competent roof plumber.

Tiles can often get damaged when someone is accessing the roof. The aerial person when he puts the aerial up, the person who installs insulation in a roof, or someone installing a burglar alarm may all lift tiles and or cut holes in sarking. If they put everything back the way they found it, then no problems, but sometimes this is not the case and leaks may appear. Whenever anybody accesses your roof it is worthwhile checking that they have left the roof in good order.

Of course, high winds and bad storms can also cause damage to your roof - tiles can be broken and ridging lifted. Even objects being thrown onto a roof, such as a football or cricket ball can crack the tiles. Cracked tiles should be replaced by a professional roof tiler as soon as possible.

As mentioned earlier, great care should be taken when walking on the roof because terracotta and concrete tiles can crack, allowing water to reach the sarking. Most tile roofs are constructed with a mortar ridging system. Damaging, these mortar strips may mean that they collect and hold water, which could then find its way through a nail hole and on to your ceiling. You should also be wary of solar panels, air conditioners and antenna tie-down bolts. Bolts through roofs are bad news when it comes to potential points where your roof might leak. Also, chimney shrouds or hoods can be a source of leakage.

The key to roof leaks is to take preventative action. By regularly maintaining and checking the condition of your roof and gutters you will go a long way towards never having to deal with any problems of unwanted water.