Sometimes, roofing leaks happen whether you are prepared for them or not. However, not everyone knows how to respond to roof leaks before the professionals arrive to fix them. This could be a costly mistake if that small roofing leak gets worse and causes property damage before an experienced residential roofing contractor can arrive and repair roofing leaks.
As a licensed roofing repair company, we want to help you prevent these potentially expensive situations by providing tips on what to do when your roof leaks.
Minimize Ceiling Damage
Don’t be alarmed if you see your ceiling begin to bulge under the weight of the water. All water has the same goal—to flow down to the lowest point in the easiest way possible, which sometimes means flowing down to create leaks in your ceiling.
After several hours have passed, you might have multiple spots in your ceiling where water is trying to escape. If this is the case, you will want to poke a small hole where you see a bulge in the ceiling or where there seems to be the most moisture. Place a bucket underneath to catch the dripping. Doing this will minimize the damage to your ceilings and save you money in water damage repair.
Be Mindful of Electricity
If you notice water in your light fixture, immediately shut off your home’s electricity via the breaker box. Water and electricity create a dangerous combination, so you should not attempt to release the water from the light fixture yourself or even turn off the light switch. Contact an emergency electrician as soon as possible so that they can safely install a new light fixture.
Find the Leaks
No one wants to go into a dusty attic in the middle of a thunderstorm, but it’s what we’re advising you to do next. If you want to stop the leak, you’ll need to find it first. It’s not uncommon for the leak in the roof and the leak in your ceiling to not align. Don’t be discouraged. Keep looking.
If your roof was installed over a layer of plywood, the water would move from the outside point of entry in your roof to the nearest plywood joint. Also, be mindful of how water could travel along the unique slope of the roof. Finding the source of the leak is important for minimizing water damage to your home.
Do Temporary Roof Repairs
If you can locate where the water is coming into your home, you’re ready to move on to the next step. While you are waiting for the services of an emergency roofing repair contractor, you must do everything in your power to prevent further water damage.
As a homeowner, you have three options for temporary roofing repair. These options include using a tarp, roofing tape, or roofing cement, which can all be easily purchased at your local home improvement store.
Roofing cement or tape can be used on the roof decking inside your attic or on the roof itself. If you feel comfortable getting on your roof, you might also want to consider placing a tarp over the water-damaged area.
Leave an extra four feet of tarp on all sides of the damaged area so that you can be sure all vulnerable areas are sealed off from further rainfall. Use 2×4 boards to keep the tarp secured. You may also choose to staple or nail the tarp to your roof.
If you require our emergency roofing repair service, please get in touch with our Ada roofing contractors at 616-784-5700. At Professional Home Improvement, our experienced roofing contractors can help you identify the common causes of roof leaks and offer excellent roof repair services.