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Home Roofing Tips

Better Roof. Better Home

How to Fix a Leaking Roof by Yourself?

Do you know that you can stop roof leaks yourself with no experience required? Some of the leaks can be easily fixed and take only minutes to repair.

First and foremost, we need to identify the source of the leak. An experienced roofer will tell you to pay attention to how water flows. Water generally flows in through broken, worn or missing shingles. Nails could have loose or some other areas might have corroded. Check the plane intersections of the roof, skylights, vents, or chimneys for leaks.

It’s recommended to check for the roof leak during day time. Carry a bright flashlight with you before going into the attic. Never never step on the topside of ceiling or the insulation. Do remember to step on secure framing members only. Start the investigation from the spot where drip is happening and work you way uproof. Check for water marks, stains, wood discolorations or wetness. Turn off the light and see if you can find a hole where daylight shines through.

Say if you can’t find the leak from the attic by using your naked eyes, perform a water test during dry weather. Get your friend’s help, you can’t do it alone. Get your friend to climb up to the roof carrying a garden hose and you go into the attic carrying a bright flashlight and a bucket.

You then watch carefully and see if there is water seeping in. Tell your friend to start from the eaves and then slowly adjust the water flow uproof. Do it until you see water from the leak appears in the attic. Right after you identify the leak point, hammer a nail up on the spot you found the hole. Mark roof’s surface with a chalk or a permanent marker, so that we know exactly where the repair should go.

The exact roof repair methods very much depends upon the construction of the roof and the roofing material, but you might ask what if you have a roof leak emergency. Here’s how to handle the emergency

If you really firmed that your roof leak is caused by a hole. With a 12-by-12-inch galvanized sheet metal flashing, you can temporarily fix it. You can get this sheet metal easily at any hardware store. With one hand, lift up the damaged shingle. Push the sheet metal flashing up right under the shingle so that the hole can be covered by the sheet metal. You might need to pry up some of the roofing nails so that you can push the sheet metal further up.

Now you have read the article above, hope that you have a significantly better knowledge of how to repair a leaky roof. However, if you don’t have the right tools or confidence to have the roof repaired safely, you may want to consider hiring a professional to do the work.

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