Every March, our phones light up with the same call: "There is a leak." Every March we tell people the same thing: most roof leaks announce themselves months before, and almost all of them are preventable.
Here is the short pre-rains checklist — twenty minutes, a torch, and ideally a second person at ground level.
1. Clear the gutters
Dead leaves and grit block the downpipes and force water back under the roof edge. Clean them out completely; flush with a hose.
2. Walk the perimeter at ground level
Look up at the eaves. Sagging fascia, peeling paint, or visible rot all mean water has been getting in. Now is the time to replace boards, before the rains saturate them further.
3. Check ridge caps and ridge tiles
Lifted, cracked, or missing ridge caps are the single most common entry point for leaks. From ground level with binoculars, scan the entire ridge line.
4. Inspect flashing around chimneys, vents, and parapet joints
Rusted, lifted, or torn flashing is a guaranteed leak. If yours is more than 10 years old, plan to replace it.
5. Look at the gable ends from inside the ceiling space
A torch beam in the loft tells you everything. Stains on rafters, damp insulation, or daylight visible through joints all need attention before the rains.
6. Check valleys (where two roof slopes meet)
Debris collects here and water pools. Valleys are the second most common leak source after ridges.
When to call us
If you find anything on points 2, 3, or 4 — or you simply want a professional walk-around before the rains — we offer a paid roof inspection (KSh 3,500 within Kiambu/Nairobi, more for further afield). Money well spent compared to a KSh 200,000 ceiling repair in April.