Repair Your Rooftops Leak In Simple Steps
Roof maintenance is at the top of any homeowner's to-do list, and it's subject to a lot of abuse. Fortunately, minor problems can be resolved without the assistance of a professional.
Jan 25, 202227 Shares1210 Views
Roof maintenance is at the top of any homeowner's to-do list, and it's subject to a lot of abuse. Fortunately, minor problems can be resolved without the assistance of a professional. Replace damaged shingles or shakes, patch tears in flat roll roofing, or seal any joint gaps once you've located the leak. While many repairs are simple, if you have extensive damage, signs of structural problems or your roof are more than 20 years old, you should call a roofer.
How To Minimize The Damage Of A Roof Leak
Roof leaks not only cause water to flow from your ceiling, but they also jeopardize your home's structural stability. As soon as you notice there's an issue, you should take steps to limit the harm.
If the ceiling drywall is sagging due to a roof leak, the best thing to do is poke a hole in the middle of the affected area with a pencil. Submerge a bucket in the hole and watch the water flow through it.
This will prevent the water from spreading over the ceiling and causing damage to the walls and décor, which might lead to the ceiling collapsing. Once you've got this figured out, it's time to figure out where the leak is coming from.
How To Fix A Roof Leak
Now that you've located the leak, it's time to fix it. Slate, tile, and galvalume (metal) roofs, for example, should be fixed by a roofing contractor who is familiar with that material. Roofing professionals also have the appropriate equipment (ladders, scaffolding, and fall protection) to handle very steep or difficult roof slopes, so if you're not sure, contact them.
Repair expenses for asphalt roofs range from less than $100 to $5,000 or more for slate, tile, or metal roofs.
Materials Needed
If you're doing the job yourself and need to replace asphalt shingles, you'll need the following materials:
- Flat bar
- Utility knife
- A caulk gun and a tube of roof sealant
- Hammers and roofing nails
- New shingles
If at all feasible, time your repairs to coincide with the outside temperature. Hot shingles break readily, whereas cold shingles become brittle.
- To remove an old shingle, first break the adhesive bond by pushing the flat bar's edge beneath the exposed edge.
- To discover the nails, move the bar farther beneath the shingle. (Each shingle normally has eight nails: four on the sides and immediately above the vertical tab slots, and four across the top of the shingle.)
- To press the nail head up, try to centre it in the notch of the flat bar and drive the bar beneath it with a hammer. Try not to tear the tiles around you. To release the nails at the very top of the shingle above, you'll have to repeat the technique.
- Remove the old shingle and replace it with the new one. Holding the shingle in place, nail it slightly over the black adhesive line.
- Apply a bead of sealant below the leading edges of any loosened surrounding shingles. There may also be areas, such as the ridge tops, where roofing nail heads are visible and might cause leaks.
- Apply a coat of sealant on the heads.
Can I Fix My Own Roof Leak?
Simply reseal seams with a caulk gun loaded with roofing cement to fix leaks caused by metal flashing around chimneys and dormers. If you discover damage to joints that were previously sealed with a line of roof cement, use a putty knife to apply a fresh new layer.
Conclusion
Roof vents might be more difficult to repair. If there is a leak around the roof vents, the damaged vents will most likely need to be replaced.
You can use caulk around the edges of the shingles near the vent and rubber-washed screws to replace broken or missing nails, but there's no practical replacement in the long run.
If you have damage around your roof vents, chimney, or other structures and locations that you believe will need more extensive repair than what you can handle yourself, check your insurance coverage and seek a price from a professional.
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