Emergency roof make-safe after a bathroom leak — Nicholls, ACT
Suburb: Nicholls, ACT
Work type: Emergency roof plumbing — temporary make-safe
Completed: Temporary make-safe of failed lead flashing and minor upstairs wet-area gaps, with photos and a make-safe report.
Not completed in this job: Permanent flashing replacement. That was quoted separately and is not claimed here.
The problem
Water was showing on a ground-floor bathroom ceiling around the exhaust fan — staining, bubbling paint and elevated moisture. The house is double-storey, so the investigation ran from the wet ceiling up into the first-floor bathroom and then onto the roof above.
What we found
The main path was a deteriorated and fractured lead flashing at the first-floor roof-to-wall junction. Water marks under the flashing lined up with the ceiling stains. Smaller openings in the upstairs shower and above the bathtub were secondary entry points.
What was completed (temporary make-safe only)
This was a roofer make-safe, not a permanent rebuild:
- Cleaned and prepared the deteriorated lead flashing, then sealed it with neutral-cure roofing sealant.
- Temporarily sealed the upstairs shower and bathtub penetrations.
- Recorded before, during and after photos with the make-safe report.
The site was stabilised against further ingress. The fatigued lead still needs full replacement for a lasting repair.
Permanent options (separate — not claimed done)
A separate recommendations report set out permanent options. This story is only about the temporary make-safe. Do not read it as a full flashing rebuild.
Why it matters
An active bathroom leak does not always mean “replace the whole roof tomorrow”. A licensed team can prove the path, stop the water with a documented make-safe, then price a permanent fix separately — with evidence instead of guesswork.
Related: Emergency roof repair Canberra · Roof repair Canberra