Repairing Your Leaky Roof

18 Jun Repairing Your Leaky Roof

After years of rain, snow, and other elements wearing away your roof, leaks appear and create unwanted stains, dripping and potential structural damage. Though tempting to simply grab a bucket and hope it stops soon, ignoring the problem only heightens the damage. If left unrepaired for over 24 hours, water damage and mold develops and eventually spread throughout the house. Following the right instructions mitigates the water and mold damage in your home.

First off, move all items, furniture and electronics around the leaky roof to a secure, dry place. If unable to move furniture, cover the entire furniture with plastic sheets. Place a bucket under the leak and pin a piece of string to the damaged area of the ceiling to let the water flow down the string and fall smoothly into the bucket, preventing splashes outside the bucket. Paint on the ceiling may bubble around the leak caused by water buildup within. Puncture any bubble on the ceiling you find with a small pin to release the water trapped in the ceiling.

Next, you want to locate the point of entry. If your home contains an attic, search inside it for water marks and stains on the wood. Look for the common causes of leaks in the roof: deteriorated shingles, damaged pipes, clogged gutters, downspouts and ice dams.

Leaky roofs require professional help, despite what any questionable DIY tutorial on YouTube tells you. Water and mold damage too risky to try to fight yourself, contact a professional immediately. Until they show up, temporary solutions prevent prolonged damage to your home. Available for purchase at any home improvement store, roofing cement, roofing tape and tarp help seal the cause of the leaks without creating further buildup. If using a tarp to control the leaking, cut the tarp to cover the damaged area with an extra four feet of tarp on each end. Then secure the tarp with 2×4 boards, and staple the tarp to the boards.

After all these steps, simply wait for the professional service you contacted. The longer you wait the worst the problem grows, so contact our 24 hour emergency helpline today.

For more information on repairing your leaky roof from the experts at Recovery Restoration, please contact us here or call us directly at 616.229.9545.