A leaky roof? No, thank you!
Roof leakage can be a frustrating and annoying problem. Although we suggest, you take professional services if the leakage is too much, however, if you want to do the task yourself this article of for you.
In case of heavy rains, as a temporary solution to roof leakage, you can fix your roof by replacing it from the inside, and later you can fix it from the outside.
Your roof needs repairing if you identify the following:
- Broken, rotten, damaged shingles
- Gutters/downspouts with slow draining
- Clogged gutters
- Broken chimneys or vents
- Dark spots around your pipes
- Spots through which outside light passes through
- Sagging and wilting of pipes and drains
What Will You Need?
The items that you would be needed for fixing your roof are mentioned below, so if you don’t have any of the following, you can get them before getting started:
- Caulking
- Scraper
- Flashlight
- Utility Knife
- Rubber Gloves
- Nail
- Bucket
- Roof Patch (Roofing Tar)
Most of these would be available at your home if you are into DIYs and if not, then they are easily available at hardware stores near you.
1. Find The Access
Go to your attic so you can access the leaky part of the roof. Now you have to remove the insulated wall from the panel of drywall to remove the standing water. Look for the water and use sponges to clean it up properly.
In the ceiling, place a piece of plywood and have a bucket ready to get rid of the water. Be careful about placing your tools and buckets; avoid putting anything on a moist surface.
2. Tracing of the Leak
Now you have to find the leakage location to fix it from its origin. For this, you need to trace the path of water dropping from the roof and from it is entering the ceiling through the attic. Use a flashlight to make sure you can see properly.
It is possible the water might have travelled to a distance from the leakage point, so make sure to investigate thoroughly. To be sure, you can wait for a rainy day to see where the water is leaking.
Now you will have to divert the water, put a nail where the water is draining to make a hole. This will help in redirecting the water in one direction so you can gather all the water from the other side. Make sure the bucket is ready to catch the water.
3. Temporary Leak Patch
Make use of plywood or shingle and some roofing tar to create a make-do leak patch. While using chalk, mark the area that needs to be fixed so you can save up time trying to figure out the problem area.
With the help of a scrapper, cover the tar on the hole and on the roof’s inside area to create a seal. Now carefully place the shingle or plywood onto the tar that you’ve spread and seal it with more tar around the corners of this patch.
Moreover, use a scraper to cover the leaking area and surround it with evenly spread caulking.
4. Highlight The Problem Area
Now use a measuring tape to measure the area that you have just foxed and note it down somewhere. Once the rainy days are over, and the sun is out, put on some rubber shoes and use the measurement to find the leakage area on the outside of the roof. Use more tar to seal the roof and complete the temporary patch.
5. In Case You Don’t Have Access to the Leak
In case there is no access to an attic, or you cannot figure out the leak origin, you can cover it with the plastic roof covering. In that case, the following are the steps mentioned to fix your roof:
6. The Plastic covering
The first step is to get a roof plastic for your roof to get started. You will find rolls of polyethylene in 4 feet dimensions for the roofing plastic in any nearby hardware store. Get 8-foot 2×4’s of plastic to cover the roof fully and act as support for the roof.
- Lengthwise cutting of Plastic
Open the plastic rolls and cut the plastic in a way that it is enough for the ridge to the eave, giving an end-to-end coverage. Now cut it with a knife to length and make sure it is evenly cut. Cut the section in about feet width and make a section that should be enough to cover the roof.
- 2x4s attachment
With the help of a staple gun, attach 8 foot 2×4 to the wood. Take a second 2×4 piece and place the plastic between them, now put the 2×4’s together using a nail. Repeat the same procedure for the other part of the plastic roof covering to complete the covering process.
- Cover The Roof with Plastic
With the help of a ladder, climb to the top of your roof and place the cover on the roof. Set one pair of the 2×4’s over the top of the roof and then stretch the remaining to go down to the roof. Use rubber-soled shoes while going out in the rain. If the situation gets worse, try to call the emergency helplines for help.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that fixing a leak either from the inside or outside only gives temporary relief. Make sure to call professional services later on. These fixes can help you save cost for a short time and can also help from facing a bigger issue.
House maintenance is essential to your well-being and your safety. You must keep an eye on what needs to repair and fix. Regular maintenance and cleaning must be carried out throughout the house.
Services like Carpet Cleaning offer reasonable packages for cleaning and maintenance of carpets. Moreover, you must keep an eye on the plumbing to identify leaks and other issues before the situation escalates.
