What to Do with a Leaking Roof Until Help Arrives

Rain is a beautiful thing during the summer month—that is, until you realize there is a leak in your roof. A leaky roof can cause some serious damage to your home. Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything but fix the roof once you discover the problem. Once you find the leak, you know the first step is contacting a professional roofer in New Bern, NC to provide the necessary repairs. But what can you do to stop the damage from the leak while you wait for them to arrive?

Here are three quick, temporary fixes that will help prevent any further water damage until the roofing contractor arrives:

• Prevent further damage: The first step is to cut the leak off so it doesn’t get worse. Most leaks will slowly pool at the ceiling until it finds an escape route. This is most commonly some kind of penetration point, such as a light fixture. Eventually, the leak will find lots of different escape routes. It’s difficult to control the damage once it has spread. Your best option is to locate the area that appears to be the wettest before poking a small hole in the middle of it. Then, place a bucket underneath to collect the draining water. This will help keep further ceiling damage under control while you wait for your roofer in New Bern, NC to come fix the problem.
• Find the point of entry: Inspect the upper areas of your home to find the spot where the water is coming into your home. Start with the attic and keep looking until you find the water’s origin. Remember, the line of water might not be a direct path to the actual leak, as water does not always follow a straight path. The slope of the roof may also have an effect. Examine the interior ceiling thoroughly until you can find the origin.
• Maintain until help arrives: Once you find the starting point, try to maintain the leak until the contractor arrives. While you can’t repair the roof while it’s raining, you can take temporary steps to keep it from wreaking more havoc on your home. Cover the leaking area with a waterproof tarp, either on the roof itself or inside the attic. Make sure the tarp fully covers the leaking area and the space around it to prevent any further water from entering, and then secure it with boards and nails. If the leak is caused by damaged flashing, you can use roofing cement to fill the gap until it can be sufficiently repaired.

These steps should help you stop the leak until a professional roofer in New Bern, NC can fix it. While they will help for a short period of time, they aren’t permanent solutions to a leak. The only way to prevent the damage from becoming worse is to have it professionally repaired. Failing to do so could seriously compromise the structural integrity of your home. Call Dallas Cherry Remodeling & Construction today to schedule a roof inspection and take care of any necessary repairs before the rain starts.

Categorised in: Roofer

This post was written by Writer