At some point in everyone's life they will have to contend with a leaky roof. In the worst situation the damage caused by the ingress of water may lead to an expensive repair or an insurance claim.
If however you check the integrity of your roof occasionally, you should be able to spot any minor problems and fix them before they become a major issue.
One of the simplest checks you can do is to get into the loft and simply have a look at the inside of your roof. If you can get access to your loft space, it's really easy to check for leaks. If your roof has no insulation or damp proof membrane under the tiles, you can simply look for any daylight coming through the roof. If there is any daylight, these points will need to be checked carefully. Looking at the under surface of the tiles can also help here. Check for any staining on joist and battens. Stain marks on the surface of the wood are indicative of a leak. If you do have a damp proof membrane, check if it is sagging in any areas. Sagging can be associated with a leak. In some situations the leak may have been so persistent it may have damaged the membrane, which is another easy spot.
If you can't see anything on the inside of your loft, have a look from the outside of the roof using a pair of binoculars. Check for slipped tiles or broken tiles and have a look at the pointing around your chimney and on the ridge tiles. You can usually get an idea on the overall condition of your roof this way.
