Scared Your Roof is Leaking? 5 Tips to Prevent Leaks in Your Roof
Do you find yourself dealing with a leaking roof every year?
If so, you may want to start paying more attention to routine roof inspection and maintenance.
But for many homeowners, this is easier said than done. Inspecting a roof on your own can be scary, not to mention how tricky it can be to locate the source of leaks on a roof.
On the other hand, hiring an expert to inspect your roof and carry out regular maintenance can be costly.
Nevertheless, the National Roofing Contractors Association recommends biannual roof inspection and maintenance. So if your roof is leaking, chances are you’ve neglected this stipulation.
So, how can you deal with a leaking roof, especially during a storm?
More importantly, what can you do to prevent future leaks?
Read on to find out.
What to Do When Roof Leaks Strike During a Storm
Sometimes, your roof can start leaking in the middle of a storm. In this case, a roofing professional won’t be able to help you because they can’t repair it during bad weather.
As such, you’ll need to contain the leak on your own.
Here’s how to stop a leak from causing further damage:
1. Locate the Source of the Leak
If you don’t have a roof leak detector, you’ll need to manually locate the source of a leak.
Start by looking at the area around roof protrusions. It’s uncommon for leaks to occur in areas with uninterrupted shingles, even in roofs nearing the end of their lifespan.
Penetrations include things like chimneys, plumbing, dormers, roof vents, and any other thing that protrudes through the roofing material. In most cases, the leaks will be around these roof penetrations.
To find the exact location of the leak, look for water stains. If the leak has been there for a while, you might notice black marks or mold around the area. If it’s raining, look for water drips on your ceiling.
2. Contain the Leak to Prevent Further Damage
Once you locate the leak, it’s important that you take measures to prevent further damage on your property.
If you notice a bulge, a dark spot, or a leak in the ceiling, chances are it’s holding a pool of water on the other side. In this case, there’ll be a water drip, which you can contain by placing a bucket right below it.
And since the repetitive sound of water dripping into a bucket can be annoying, you’ll want to prop a board inside the bucket so the drips don’t directly hit the accumulated water.
Having contained the water drips, the next step is to ensure that your ceiling doesn’t cave in from the pressure of accumulated water.
To do this, you’ll need to punch a hole at the center of the water stain on your ceiling using a screwdriver. This will allow the water pool to drain smoothly and relieve pressure from your ceiling.
3. Consider a Temporary Fix
If you can safely access the source of the leak through the attic, consider covering the exterior surface with temporary roofing material.
There are several emergency roofing materials you can use on storm damaged roofs, but tarp comes highly recommended.
Tips to Prevent Future Leaks in Your Roof
To avoid future problems with your roof, consider the following tips:
1. Mind the Attic
Quite often, homeowners overlook the attic during routine roof inspection and maintenance. Yet, it’s a common culprit in roof leakages.
Common attic problems arise from improper plumbing, condensation of moisture in the attic spaces, poor ventilation, ill-fitted vent fans, faulty air conditioning, as well as bug or animal infestations.
If left unchecked, attic problems can escalate and cost you even more in roof repair. As such, it’s important to regularly inspect the attic to ensure optimal functionality.
Here’s what to look for:
- Mold
- Insulation that’s soaked even though it hasn’t rained recently
- Algae stains, particularly on interior plywood
- Overheating or accumulation of moisture in the attic due to poor ventilation
- Rust or black rings around nails
- Intake vents that are clogged with dust, paint, spider webs or insulation
Most of these issues will require a professional to take care of them.
2. Check Your Gutters for Blockages
Your gutters are responsible for directing rainwater away from your foundation. They also prevent water from backing up under the shingles and other roofing materials, which can lead to leaks.
For them to serve their all-important purpose, you need to ensure that your gutters are properly installed, tightly fastened, and adequately sloped to drain excess rainwater. You also need to make sure that they’re free of debris.
Routine gutter inspection and maintenance allows you to detect any issues with your gutter system so you can fix them before the rains kick in.
3. Replace Torn or Missing Shingles Immediately
Missing or torn shingles predispose the whole roof structure to rot and other forms of water damage. Worse still, the problem can spread to other shingles, causing them to be easily ripped off or blown away during storms.
As such, you need to inspect your shingles regularly so you can identify the ones that are missing and replace them immediately.
4. Update Your Roof’s Flashing
Flashing covers the joints in your roof system so water doesn’t seep into your building. Since it’s constantly exposed to weather elements, it can weaken over time and allow water to leak into your home.
That’s why you need to check and update your flashing at least twice a year.
5. Inspect Protruding Parts on Your Roof
Chimneys, skylights, dormers, roof vents, and any other thing that creates a hole on your roof should be checked frequently for leaks. The seals and flashing in these areas are usual culprits for letting water seep through the roof.
The Roof is Leaking, Now What?
Sometimes, there’s little you can do to prevent your roof from giving in to the strong winds and harsh weather of Arizona. If your roof is leaking, cracked or missing shingles or tiles, you’ll want to work with reliable, experienced professionals.
In this regard, you can’t go wrong with AZ Roofing Works. We offer top-notch roof repair and replacement for both commercial and residential buildings.
Contact us today to get a free quote!
Searching for a “roof repair company near me” to take care of your roof leak? We’re here to help! AZ Roofing Works is a top-rated roof repair company for Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale or any other Metro Phoenix location! Contact us online or call our office directly at (602) 283-3383.
