Step By Step: What to Do When Your Roof Leaks

Would you believe that water intrusion makes up for over 70% of construction litigation? What may not come as a surprise is the fact that roof leaks are often the culprit. Roof leaks, if not caught early, can cause water damage to your property, and even worse, lead to the growth and proliferation of mold and mildew.

What this means is that you need to catch roof leaks early and have them fixed immediately. That said, what should you do immediately after finding a leak? Before you can start researching for the best roofing contractor in your area for leak repair, how do you handle things?

This post covers a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will take you through exactly what to do when you notice a leak. Note that the most important thing you must do is not ignore it.

Minimize Interior Water Damage

One of the most important things you can do after finding roof leaks is minimizing interior water damage. This process involves rearranging any furniture close by, removing valuable items from that space, and covering your walls and floor with a waterproof material to keep them from soaking up the water.

Start by sucking up any standing water you find with a mop or a rug from the floor before you cover the area with a waterproof tarp. Then place a bucket underneath the leak to catch the rest of the water.

If you notice that the water is running down the wall, you can apply a plastic barrier as well to protect your wall from damage. The next step may seem counterproductive, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your ceiling.

You need to poke a small hole on the ceiling around the dipping area or bulging area. This will release all the standing water and prevent further damage to your ceiling and the surrounding drywall.

Investigate the Attic

If there’s one thing you need to understand about roof leaks is that they’re incredibly hard to find. Most of the time, they are not directly above where the water is dripping because water travels down trusses before it finally hits the ceiling. If you have flashing in your home, the water is more likely to find a weak spot and follow it before it gets into the ceiling.

Now, if you have an attic, the smart thing is to investigate whether you can track the roof leaks and prevent damages to any items you store there. Grab a flashlight and check whether you can follow the water flow to where the leak is coming from.

However, if you do, you can create another barrier to stop the water from flowing to the ceiling. You will also have a better chance of pinpointing where the water is entering from to the roofing contractor. If you do find a drip, place a container or a bucket depending on the amount of water coming through, or a rug that could soak up any water that runs on the walls.

Call the Pros

By this time, you have done a lot to cover the emergency steps, and you can go ahead to call in a professional roofing contractor.

The urgency of calling in a professional contractor will depend on the extent of your roof leaks and how much damage they stand to inflict on your home. You may have also realized that finding leaks is quite hard, and you still need a professional to locate and seal them to prevent further leaking.

There are so many things that could be causing roof leaks from clogged gutters, weak flashing, and cracked shingles, and the leaks could be anywhere on the roof. Unless you’re a handyman, it’s advisable not to get on the roof for safety purposes. Find a competent contractor to carry out the necessary roof repairs safely.

Examine From a Distance

What you can do is examine your roof from a distance and see whether you can identify where the leaks are possibly coming from. You may be able to spot potential problems like a fallen tree limb or a broken shingle.

Of course, this is only effective for sloped roofs because it would not work for a flat roof. Use binoculars if you have one to see if you can find the source of your roof leaks.

Take Closer Look for the Roof Leaks

If you are a handyman and you’re comfortable and confident climbing up your roof, you can do so to inspect the area and see whether you can find the roof leaks. It is only advisable to climb up the roof if it is relatively low on the ground, and you have the necessary equipment to maintain safety precautions.

Once you get on the roof, check for any aged and brittle roofing materials, damaged flashing, lifted or missing shingles, debris, blocked gutters, and pooling water if you have a flat roof. Clear away any leaves and debris piling up on the roof or blocking your gutters to ensure that any more waterfalls off the roof seamlessly.

If you do find any fallen tree limbs, remove them if you can and cover the area of the roof that was damaged before the professional roofing contractor arrives. If the tree limb is too heavy, it’s advisable to wait for the contractor to take it off safely while preventing further damage to the roof at the same time.

Hire a Professional Roofing Contractor

Now that you have prevented water damage and tried to find the roof leaks as much as you can, it’s imperative that you make sure you find a roofing contractor in your area. Even if you do manage to stop the leak at the moment, the only way to prevent further damage to your roof and any possible roof leaks in the future is to have a professional take care of the roof.

For professional services, including commercial roof installation and roof repair, please contact us today for a quotation.

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