A leaking roof is every homeowner’s nightmare. It can do extensive damage in a matter of minutes, is a direct threat to the very fabric of your home, and can rarely be fixed by yourself. If you have water leaking on your roof right now, don’t hesitate to call a roofing professional right away. However, once you’ve done that, I have some DIY tips to share with you to deal with the problem and hopefully minimize the impact.
This may sound crazy, but first and foremost, you’ll need to drill a hole in the ceiling. This is because you need to give the water the easiest path out of your attic and into a bucket; Otherwise, it will continue to accumulate where you can’t see it and seriously damage the stability of your ceiling and roof. If you have a leak, drill a hole right there or you’ll probably have several more in a few minutes.
Next, let’s minimize the damage to your actual living space. Thread a long piece of string from the hole you’ve drilled into a bucket. The rope will allow the water to escape from the ceiling without splashing onto the tables, the carpet, and, well, you. Now that you have that figured out, it’s time to do a little detective work before your roofing professional shows up.
If you can get into his attic, do so now and bring a flashlight. If there’s one silver lining to this situation, it’s that the source of the leak probably isn’t hard to find. The actual source of the problem is most likely higher up on the roof than the small pool that is forming on the roof.
If you don’t find it right away, start looking closer. Look along the many spots where water is most likely to find an entrance: anywhere damaged rafters, shingles, and insulation, the flashing around the edge of your chimney, or any seams in your roof.
Finally, a word about roof leak safety: make sure you have a stable foundation at all times in your attic. You already have a small stream running through the ceiling, the last thing it needs is your left foot joining the party. Above all, never climb on top of your roof when it’s raining or snowing. Remember, when in doubt, wait for a professional!
