Have you noticed brown stains on your ceiling? Do you have moisture or bubbling paint along your interior walls? You most likely have a leak in your roof, which can be very frustrating and turn into a big issue.
Hopefully, you’ve caught the problem early enough where you can fix it yourself.
Keep reading to learn how to patch a leaky roof without pricey repair costs.
Read Also:
- Finding a Roof Leak: 5 Tips for Homeowners on Detecting Roof Damage
- 10 Tell-Tale Signs Your Roof Might Be in Need of Immediate Repair
- 5 Mistakes with Roof Repair to Avoid for New Homeowners
- Roofing Contractors Reveal the Top Roofing Materials
- What Happens When You Ignore a Roof Leak?
- Common Roofing Scams You Should Avoid
Once you have realized that you have a leak in your roof you will have to patch it. In order to do so, you have to figure out where the leak is originating from.
Your roof might not be leaking at the spot where the watermark is showing on your ceiling.
In order to find the leak, you should start by looking at the roof uphill from the stains. Start by looking for any penetrations made in the roofing material.
These can be from plumbing or roof vents, dormers, chimneys, or anything else that projects out through the roof.
If you have an attic you can also go up there and look for the stains on the interior side of the roof. Using a flashlight search for any water stains, mold, or black marks.
If you have found the source of your leak is due to a fixture that is penetrating your roofing material then it is time to update the fixture.
You might decide to try and place some caulking into the crack that is causing the leak but unfortunately, this won’t solve the problem for very long.
The caulking will eventually shrink and crack which exposes the roof to more leaks.
The best way to ensure that the leak is taken care of is to replace the cracked housing of your roof vent, the plumbing vent boots, or the flashing around your brick chimney if they are beginning to fail.
Leaks don’t always happen because of damaged shingles or tiles. Water can penetrate through cracks or holes around windows, between siding, corner boards, or from clogged gutters.
Often times these cracks have been created by caulking that has shrunken or cracked with age and exposed the roof underneath.
Even if the caulk looks like it’s in good shape it is possible that it is not forming a complete seal and is allowing water to escape in.
In order to determine if the caulk is good, dig around the area with a putty knife and see if it is still sealed.
For caulking that has failed, dig it out completely and replace it with a better high-quality caulk that is specifically made for the roof.
Make sure your gutters are cleaned out from any debris, clogged gutters can cause the water to seep up under the roofline and damage your walls.
If this isn’t the main source of the problem and they need replacing you might want to consider using a commercial gutter installation company.
These are some great tips to follow on how to patch a leaky roof. With some careful exploration, maintenance, and care, you should be able to find the leak and fix your roof in no time.
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