My Roof Is Leaking! What Should I Do?
Can you remember that moment when your longtime friends were visiting, and a strong storm hit causing rain leakages in the room? It must have been the most embarrassing moment as no one wants to see water leaking from the ceiling.
A well-built roof can last up to thirty years without any need for repair and replacement. However, poor roof installations can result in water leakages before the roof life span is over. Despite you are moving into a new house, it’s commendable you inspect it thoroughly to ensure roofing is in good condition. If you notice some leaking, it’s essential coming up with necessary mitigation measures to curb future damages to your home.
Effective Tips to prevent water damage
If you notice discoloration in your ceiling or water dripping from bulges, it means most likely there is water pooling on the other side of the dark spot. Let’s discuss together how to prevent this water damage.
1. Replace missing shingles immediately.
The shingles on your roof ought to be in good working condition to prevent a roof leak. If the shingles are bent or cracked, chances are high of leaking. So, if they are broken, you can repair them yourself using a roof sealant squeezed into the opening. However, when the shingles are completely damaged, contact a professional roofer near to fix it.
2. Fix ponding surfaces
Flat and low-sloped roofs are more prone to water leaking, as compared to other types of roofs. When it rains, and you notice pools of water, then you need to act immediately to prevent more significant rotting issues in your house. Ponding shortens the lifespan of the roof through susceptible to leaking. Besides, ponding leads to the collection of debris. When they dry up, and sun heats, they cause unnecessary strain on the roof membrane.
3. Clean your gutters regularly
In any home, gutters are fundamentally crucial in removing the runway water from roofs once it rains. Therefore, ensure no leaves and debris is accumulating in gutters to prevent leakages on your roof. Always check out whether there are some rusts or breakages in the channels.
4. Inspect any attic ceiling.
Ever be on the lookout for any moldy, damaged, strained, or rotting insulation. If you see any of the above signs, get a professional roofing contractor as this indicates you might have leaks lined up for you shortly.
What can a homeowner himself do to stop the leak?
A homeowner can fix any related roof leaks in the following ways:
1. Remove shingles that are free or comes out wholly loose from the roof.
Changes in the weather, high winds, and heavy rains are significant causes of the problem to your shingles. Periodically removing shingles and replacing them with new ones can protect your home from water damage. Thus, as a homeowner, ensure you fix the shingles properly, to avoid large projects later in reroofing.
2. Fill the joints with roof cement around your flashing.
This is to ensure they are correctly fastened from water leaking.
3. Affix the stoppers of unused shingle with flexible roof nails and cover the nail tops using roofing cement.
Administer some extra roof cement to any of the seams that appear to be damaged using a puffy knife.
4. Alleviate any curved shingles brittle with a gun to avoid destroying them.
5. Fix your gutters properly.
When you realize there is no water flowing down the gutters when raining, look out on the channels. They might be clogged by debris. It will help if you sweep away the debris to allow the water to flow out easily.
Is It Necessary To Hire A Roofing Professional?
You can fix some leaks, while others require professional roofer attention. However, it depends on several definite factors of roofing. Most homeowners do not have enough knowledge of roof maintenance. One small mistake is made in fixing the roof; it can lead to a bigger problem, which could be costly. Therefore, first, you need to detect the cause of a leak, and then decide the next cause of action in repairing the problem. It is not necessary to hire a professional roofer unless the extent of the damage requires multiple repairs. For instance, when the shingles are old and worn out, you need a permanent solution to the leak.
Most Prevalent Causes of Rain Leaking
Roof leaks can cause significant damages if the underlying causes are not identified and repaired promptly. It’s recommendable you always inspect causes of leaking on your roof to avoid both short term and long-term problems.
Here are some of the common causes of roof leaking.
1. Age of the Roofing Materials
Older roofing materials, which have surpassed their productivity age, have high chances of leaking. Roofing materials degrade with time and become inadequate at keeping water out. Changes in temperatures and atmospheric conditions cause roofing materials delicate, rot, and break with time. Direct sunlight contributes to the destruction of the shingles.
2. Roof vents
It is crucial to seal any perforation through the roof correctly. Often replace them using plastic seals as they are easily destroyed by the changes in weather and temperatures.
3. Debris
Accumulation of waste materials such as branchlets, pine needles or leaves, can trap the water against the roof. Clear away all debris to enable the water to run dry quickly.
4. Gutter backup
When gutters are covered with debris, they slow down the flow of water from the roof. Gutter covers prevent debris from the gutters by eliminating the possibility of chances of leaking.
5. Broken shingles
Black colored-patches on your ceilings are signs of broken or missing shingles. Shingles most times are destroyed by changes in the weather, high winds, and heavy rains.
Leaking roofs are foreseen signs of substantial problems. There is a probability of impending danger in the future of housing structural destruction if the underlying problem is not repaired on time. By choosing the most appropriate roofing contractor, you can be sure your roof will perform better for many years to come.
