If a roof leak has gotten to the point that it has become noticeable, that means there is already enough water in your home to wreak severe damage. Roof leaks in heavy rain can cause serious damage to your home. You might need someone who knows how to fix a leaking roof from the inside.
While you definitely want to call All Phase Roofing & Construction, the expert roofing professionals in Lynchburg, VA, you will need to take immediate steps to mitigate the damage in the meantime. If you act quickly, you are much more likely to prevent serious damage — or further damage — to your property.
Whether its a metal roof leaking, or you’re in need of a flat roof leak repair, this guide discusses the steps you want to take as soon as you realize that you need roof leak repair.
1. Call A Roofing Professional
Even if you’re a genuine DIYer, roof leaks are something that you don’t want to take a chance on. As soon as you discover a leak, you should call a roofing contractor. This could help to avoid needing major work done like a roof replacement. The sooner you call, the sooner you will have your roof repaired.
Not only can roof leaks pose numerous safety and health concerns to you and your family, but it can also lead to problems selling your home later down the road. Since a roof is one of the most essential parts of a home’s structure, a damaged roof can bring down your home’s value significantly.
If a professional helps to repair your roof and there are more issues later on, you might need to think about having it replaced. A full roof replacement could get your home off the market faster at a price you’re happy with, but this work will likely cost between $8,500 and $16,500.
2. Get Your Belongings Out
After calling a roofing professional, look for items in your home that have been water-damaged or are at risk of being damaged. If possible, move these items to a different room or take advantage of a local storage unit facility. If you can’t transport them, cover them with a tarp or other type of heavy-duty, waterproof sheeting. This should be done as quickly as possible to prevent further damage.
3. How to Find Source of Roof Leak
Then, you want to address any water spots in the ceiling that you find. When you see these wet areas, it means that water is collecting quickly and it may only be a matter of time before your ceiling collapses. From inside your home, on the underside of the ceiling, poke or drill the center of the water spots to release the pressure and drain the water. Make sure there is a bucket underneath to catch the water. Once you’ve dealt with the underside of the ceiling, go into your attic and look for the same areas. From the other side of the ceiling, take a sponge and dry up as much of the water from the ceiling as you can.
4. Patch Roof leak from Inside
While you’re still in the attic, find the source of the roof leak. You can usually do this by tracing the water along a particular rafter or several rafters. Once you locate the leak, you will want to perform a temporary patch on the underside of the gap or hole.
Take a putty knife and apply roofing tar around the edges of the gap/hole. Then, place a piece of shingle or plywood (not too thick) to cover the area, and apply more tar to secure it. (Keep in mind you can buy all of this equipment without breaking the bank by shopping online from a home improvement store with a promo code or digital coupon.) Once it’s safe to access your roof, carefully find the source of the leak, and apply roofing tar over the area. It’s a good idea to do this with a partner and have them supervise for your safety.
Who to Call for a Roof Leak
Roof leaks require immediate action if you are to minimize damage. Start by calling a roofing professional such as All Phase Roofing to come out, and then get to work by getting any valuable belongings out of harm’s way, containing the leak, and putting a temporary patch in place. This will lower the chances that you will need a full roof replacement. Even if there is some damage done, you will know that you did all you could until the professionals can get there.