When your roof is leaking it can be hard to think straight. However, the way that you respond in this instance can affect your final cost.
Don’t just wait for your trusted roof contractors to arrive. Instead, here are four things that you can do right away to minimize the total damage.
Step 1: Redirect the Leak
Most people begin to notice that their roof is leaking when a bubble starts appearing on their ceiling. This bubble is full of water. It will continue to grow and expand until it finds an entry point.
That entry point can be a hole in the ceiling sealcoat, light fixtures or railings. The bigger your bubble grows the more damaged your ceiling will become. The best thing to do is to poke a hole in the bubble and drain the water.
The water will continue to pass through this hole until the water supply dries out, so be sure to leave a bucket underneath to catch the remaining drops.
Step 2: Find the Problem Point
After ensuring that the leak is being collected, it’s time to figure out where it’s coming from. This can be tricky sometimes because where the water started pooling up on the ceiling isn’t necessarily where it originated.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t find the leak, sometimes it’s the size of a nail. That’s where having a trusted roofing contractor comes in handy. We’ve been trained to find even the smallest entry points.
Step 3: Stop More Water From Entering
If you have a pretty good idea of where the leak is, the next step is to stop more water from entering. This can be completed in a couple of ways.
First, you can put a tarp over the problem spot on your roof. If you decide to do this option, be careful. Roofs are very slick when they are wet. Only attempt this if you feel comfortable.
The second option is to put a patch on the inside of your attic. An effective patch uses tar and extra roof shingles.
Both of these cover-up options are temporary and should only be used while you’re waiting for the contractor to arrive.
Step 4: Dry the Wet Area
Once you’ve contained the problem you can start focusing on fixing your home. Set up a fan to dry the areas that were exposed to the water.
If you skip this step you may end up with mold or permanent water damage.
Call Us When Your Roof Is Leaking
When your roof is leaking you need someone you can trust. Here at Roof Doctor, our team is skilled in finding and repairing leaks before too much damage can occur.
We offer emergency service both on the weekend and when it’s late. You don’t have to wait. Call us anytime to schedule your repair.