A leak roof can be a serious problem for any homeowner at any time of the year, but if you have a leaky roof during a hurricane or thunderstorm, it can quickly turn it into a roofing nightmare. By the time you notice any water seeping into your home, the crucial components of your home like drywall may already be damaged, and your home will soon start experiencing structural issues if you do not address your roof leaks immediately.
Fortunately, there are some highly effective steps you can take to avoid any further roofing damage and expensive repairs or replacement. You can simply contact our roofing experts to assess your roof thoroughly and let us devise an effective plan to fix it once and for all.
Firstly, you have to make sure that the interior of the home has not sustained any damage. You can do this by moving your fabrics, furniture, and other household items away from the damage-prone areas. In case you notice any bulging spots in your ceilings, grab a screwdriver and make a small hole in the bulge. It will allow the water to drain.
1. Locate the Source of Roof Leak
Grab a flashlight and a bucket. Make sure that you have proper protective gear before entering your attic. Now try to find the spot of roof leaks, specifically the saturated parts of the ceiling. Most likely, you would observe some visible wet spots in these areas.
2. Trace Roof Leak to Its Source
Once you have successfully located the source of leakage, get a small piece of scrap wood or plywood to place your bucket on the ceiling joists. Doing this would be usually enough to collect the leak water. Never place the container or bucket directly on drywall or ceiling tiles as they can add extra weight to it as it starts filling up with water.
Further, check your roof for anywhere daylight is visible from the inside and insert something like a straw or dowel in it. Doing this would help in spotting the hole from the exterior.
3. Patch the Roof Hole
Once you’ve placed the bucket, you can trypatching the hole with some scrap materials or roofing tar. This can be done with a putty knife. Simply fill the crack or the hole with tar. Then, press a piece of plywood or a spare small piece against the freshly sealed hole.
Make sure to apply extra tar around the plywood or shingle outside to properly protect the patch from water infiltration. When the roof is dry after a storm, you can use even more tar underneath the shingles in the affected areas using straws and dowels.
In some cases, homeowners couldn’t find any visible cracks or holes in their roofs. In such cases, the water could be seeping through the flashing. Mississippi roofers usually fix these issues by covering the affected roofing area with a tarp.
4. Cover the Affected Area with A Tarp
If you aren’t able to find any visible holes or cracks in the roof, the water could be getting through the flashing that can be addressed by covering a section of the roof with a tarp.
To efficiently cover damaged areas of the roof with a tarp, find the distance between the leak source and the ridge of your roof. The source of leaks can be identified with the position of dowels that are placed earlier). Use a knife to cut the tarp, allowing a few extra feet on every side for proper coverage.
To properly secure the tarp, place sandbags on the opposite ends. Make sure to properly cover the roof’s ridge.
As always, you can get in touch with Matlock Roofing at 601-299-4048 to schedule a free consultation or to get a FREE estimate in Hattiesburg, MS.