Roofs and flat roofs
The underside of a valley is boarded over in the loft. Why can a stain on that boarding not be dated, and what lining was not seen?
A stain on the boarding cannot be dated because the boards hide when the mark was made and whether it is still active. The valley lining was not seen at all. Lead, felt or whatever else forms the channel sits above those boards, on the outside of the roof, and the loft view stopped at timber. The survey can record the boarded underside and the stain on it. It has not aged the mark, has not called the valley failed, and has not identified the lining material. Colour on a board is not a date and not a view of the metal or felt.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Valleys are often boarded so the lining has a bed, and that boarding is what you meet in the loft. A brown mark can be last month's leak, a leak from years ago that dried, or tannin and dust. Without the lining uncovered, and without knowing if the mark is damp now, the survey cannot put a time on it. The boards also mean daylight, holes and splits in the valley cannot be confirmed from below. The stain is a prompt for a proper look, not a history.
A roofer needs to see the valley from outside, with moss and coverings aside as required, to identify the lining and to say whether the stain still has a source. Tell the solicitor the report has not dated the mark and has not seen the lining. The survey has not specified a new valley. Do not rip the loft boards off on a viewing to hunt for the metal. If you want them opened, that is a planned exposure, not a conclusion already written in the note.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the stain on the boards only, with the valley lining out of sight?
- Could you tell whether the stain was damp on the day, or only discoloured?
- Have you left both the date and the lining material unstated?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the stain as undated and the valley lining as unseen.
- Have the valley inspected from outside so the lining can be identified.
- Do not condemn the valley from a mark on loft boards.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the boards are dry, can the valley be passed?
Dry boards on one day do not show the lining and do not date an old stain. The survey still has not seen the lead or felt, so the valley has not been passed from the loft. The home survey itself did not pursue this dryboard question any further than the visit.
Does a lead valley outside, seen from a ladder, match this note?
Only if that outside look actually identified the lining. This survey's loft note did not see it because of the boards. An outside inspection is the separate step that can name the material. No later decision about the outsidevalley was made, and this visit did not supply one.