It can be helpful to know how to carry out an emergency roof repair when you live in an environment where it rains heavily and often. However, repairing the roof or carrying out major roof repairs on your own is not advisable. A few quick tips on how to temporarily avoid leaks can be very useful until you can call in a professional.
Water can cause significant damage to your home’s structural integrity. It can cause havoc on electrical wiring and produce unnecessary and even harmful odors. Bearing that in mind, it is crucial to fix a leaky roof as soon as you are aware of the leak. It may take years to notice the effects of a leak and damage to your home may have already occurred. The following steps should guide you through the process of doing an emergency roof repair until you hire a professional for permanent repairs.
Locate the Source of the Leak
Undoubtedly, finding the source of the leak is the first thing to do when executing an emergency roof repair. This is often easier said than done. Check through every corner of your house for internal leak signs. This will give you a general idea of where the leak may have originated on the roof. Sadly, water follows the least resilient route. So, finding internal leak signs may not show you where the leak originates on your roof. If you have an attic, preferably to the point of origin, you can use a torch or flashing light to trace water damage. Nonetheless, you’ll get some idea of where to check on the roof by looking for water damage inside the building.
You will then have to check the roof methodically for signs of leaks. Breaks, cracks, and rot are clear signs of water damage in your roofing material. Certain imperfections on the roof layer may also result in leaks. Take a while to mark these trouble spots with a heavy object that the wind won’t easily blow away. Specific roofing elements such as skylights, chimneys, vents, and lighting may also be trouble spots, so be sure to check for signs of leaks such as cracked seals or raised shingles around these features.
Don’t Fail to Fix the Leaks during Emergency Roof Repair
Always repair your leaky roofs in dry weather for best repair results and to protect yourself against injury. Next, patch cracks around the edges of roofing. If possible, remove the roofing feature and remove old roofing tar and cement thoroughly. Remove dirt and debris and remove excess water carefully with a rag or mop. Reattach the roofing feature and apply roofing cement around the feature. To ensure a good seal, overlap the adhesive from the roof material to the roof feature with a few inches.
If you have a shingle roof, take out the broken shingles and repair them. Attach the shingles by using an abundant amount of roofing cement. Remove old nails and replace them with new ones. This ensures that they are filled with roofing concrete to prevent future leaks. If you have rubber sheathing on the roof, it can be repaired over the cracks or tears with a coat of roofing cement. After that, fill the gap with at least 2 inches of roofing cement. Then, put a piece of roofing cloth in the concrete and cover it with more roofing cement.
Check your roofing material and talk to a professional if you need more help. When you believe that the work is more complicated than just a few basic fixes, hiring a specialist is the best you can do. You can book an emergency roof repair or replacement with Universal Roofs Inc. now to fix any leak or roof damage.
