Do you think your roof is leaking? Well, there are certain signs that will indicate roof leakage such as:

• Water spots on your ceiling or walls
• Missing shingles
• Cracked or damaged shingles
• Extremely damaged flashing
• Visible water stains or wet roof decking in the attic area

A leaking roof is detrimental to the structure of your house. If your roof is leaking continuously, it can lead to mold formation, which in turn leads to potential health problems. Therefore, it’s important to get repairs done as soon as possible.

Thankfully there are effective ways to repair a leaking roof. 

How To Identify Roof Leaks

A leaky roof can produce wet stains that may extend all over your ceilings or travel down your walls. The process of roof repair includes an inspection of the entire area (in question) in order to identify leaks. What should you do?

  • Conduct a detailed inspection of the exterior roof, as well as observe the interior of the attic. This will help you in detecting the exact location of the leak.
  • Understand the flow of water and what course the water could take. Moreover, you can look for loose nails, examine roof tiles, and detect any opening(s) between your hardwoods.
  • Scrutinize the roof area to search for the exact cause of a roof leak. Look for holes or cracks.
  • Observe the ceiling of the home or its interior walls for watermarks and analyze the source from there.

Here are five different and effective ways to repair a leaking roof…

#1 Repair Roof Leaks By Using A Tarp: 

Making use of a tarp is a quick and temporary way to fix a leaking roof. Once you’ve located the area in the roof where the water is entering, you can cover this area with a tarp. It will protect the affected area by keeping moisture out. In order to effectively do this, you’ll want to make sure that you drape the top part of the tarp over the point of your roof– this way no water will be able to run under the tarp.

#2 Repair The Shingles Of Your Roof:  

Loose, curling, or broken shingles generally act as a catalyst for a roof leak. If you feel like you are skilled enough, then you may be up for the challenge of replacing shingles yourself. The first thing you would have to do is to remove the damaged shingle and then install a new one.

  • Remove Damaged Shingles: If your shingles are cracked–or missing altogether–you can install a few new ones to make the repair. Begin by removing any of the damaged shingles, lifting the edges of the surrounding shingles, removing the nails, and sliding it/them out. Scrape out any old roof cement and remove any additional nails that may have been left over when older shingles were blown away.
  • Trimming And Installing New Shingles: Use a utility knife to gently trim and round the back corners of each of the new shingles. This will help make them easier to install and slide beneath the rows of existing shingles.

#3 Fix The Plumbing Vent: 

Generally, the plumbing vent boots are available in two types– all plastic or plastic-metal. You must check the plastic bases for cracks and metal braces for seams. In addition, you must also inspect the rubber boots which might get rotten due to constant water leaks through the broken area. If your roof suffers from any of these problems, you must get a new vent boot to replace the old one. But if you think that the boot is in good shape and only the nails of the base are damaged or missing, you do not need to replace the entire boot vent– you just need to replace the nails.

#4 Fix The Step Flashing:

Step flashing is used to support the walls that are intersecting with the roof area. Step flashing is useful as it helps in channeling excess water down the drain. If step flashing is damaged (due to rust), there will be no control over the flow of water and then water collects over the shingles. You must immediately replace the damaged or rusted flashing. In such a scenario, hire professional roofers to perform the work. They will remove all the affected shingles and then remove the step flashing. 

#5 Fix Small Holes:

Tiny holes in shingles are sneaky because they can cause rot, as well as a leaky roof and other damage for years before you notice obvious signs of a leak. You might find holes left over from a satellite dish or antenna mounting brackets or just about anything. Exposed, misplaced roofing repair nails should be pulled and the holes patched. Small holes are simple to fix, but the fix isn’t to inject caulk in the hole. You’ll fix this leaky roof problem with flashing.

Summary:

When your roof is leaking, it is essential to get it fixed as soon as possible. Water infiltrating your home can do a lot of damage to ceilings, floors, and furnishings, as well as encourage the growth of mold and mildew. If you’ve determined that the water entering your home has come from your roof, try some of these aforementioned roof leak repair tips. If you think that you are unable to fix the roof leak problems yourself, then immediately contact professional roofing contractors who can help you get the repair(s) done with complete accuracy.