How To Repair A Leaking Roof?

How To Repair A Leaking Roof? Are you experiencing leaks from your roof? Do you want to repair it without hiring professionals? You might repair a leaking roof when the damage is minimal.

However, when the damage is more, and the leakage is severe, you will have to hire professionals. You can also avoid roof leakage with a regular inspection. Whenever you notice damage, you can fix it immediately to prevent further deterioration.

If you notice any leakage, first, you will have to find out the location. It might not be easier when you are inexperienced. You can check for water stains, mold, or any black spot. If your roof has any of these signs, then the water might be leaking from there.

When your roof will not have a good slope, you can also experience water leakage. You can search for all the possible causes. Let’s cover more details.

How to Locate Roof Leaking

As stated earlier, you will have to inspect for the damages. You can use a ladder and take a flashlight to follow the leaking line. The leak might be somewhere up the roofline just towards your roof’s ridge. You might find the black or white stain.

It might be mildew and mold as well. It is worth mentioning that roof vents are one of the major causes of roof leaking. When it comes to roof vents, it will include turbines, attic fans, stack pipes, and plumbing. Also, the broken plywood roof decking might be the culprit.

Check the Vents

When you realize that the water leaking is happening due to roof vents, access the top of your roof to observe the condition of the vents. Check if vents get dislodged or housings have cracked. Observe for any missing nails. All these conditions will lead to roof leakage.

If you find something is damaged, you will have to remove it to repair the leaking roof.

For removing damaged vents, you will need a pry bar. Use it to pull out those nails that hold shingles to vents. After this, pull back the covering of shingles. While doing so, you will have to make sure that you are not removing shingles.

Finally, you will have to remove all those nails used to hold the vents to the deck of the roof. You can replace damaged vents with new ones.

Observe Plumbing Vent Boots

The plumbing vent boots might cause roof leakage. These vent boots can be plastic or metal. They also come as a two-peace metal unit. You will have to check the metal bases for any broken seam. After this, you can check the rubber boot that surrounds the pipe.

Any damage in the rubber boot can allow water to find its way to your home through the pipe. If the problem is with the vent boot, you will have to replace it. Even the missed nails can cause leaks. If the nails are missing, you can replace them with rubber-washers screws.

Inspect Dormers and Walls

You might not be aware that dormers and walls can cause roof leakage as well. Sometimes, the wind-driven rain might enter your home through windows, siding, and even through cracks.

Dormer walls can cause water leakage since they come with many spots where rainwater can enter the roof. Old and cracked caulk can cause water leakage. Any crack in the corner boards, siding, and window edges can allow water to enter inside.

In some conditions, caulks appear intact. However, they might not be fitted against adjoining surfaces properly. You can use a putty knife to dig around the area and check caulks are correctly sealed or not.

In addition to this, you will have to inspect the siding just above the step flashing. If you find any rotted, missing, or cracked siding, you can replace them with new ones.

How To Repair A Leaking Roof? – Conclusion

Finding roof leakage might not be easy for many of us. However, we can do it with a proper inspection. You can repair the leaking roof if the issue is minor. First, inspect the roof and find out the cause. Try to fix it if you know how to do it.

If you are unable to repair it, you can consider hiring a professional. You will have to fix the issue as soon as possible. Otherwise, it might impact the foundation.