How do I stop my roof from leaking?
When people do smaller jobs such as laying flat on a shed tend to ignore health and safety and start the work without carefully considering important things first that can help prevent any injuries that may happen. Even if you fall from a low height you can suffer severe serious injuries. To avoid these you must ensure that the ladder’s position is stable and safe to use. Also, you should wear protective clothing such as a hard hat, safety shoes, safety goggles and thick gloves.
One of the worst things that can happen to your home is when it gets damaged and natural elements begin to seep through. The worst of these is when your roof is damaged and water begins to leak into rooms of your home.
This is a serious issue that needs to be amended and repaired quickly and even if you believe your roof leak to only be a minor problem, even the small issues can build up into major problems which end up costing you large sums of money on repairs.
Fortunately, if you recognise these issues quickly and look to fix them with immediate effect you can reduce the impact of major repair works needing to be done to your roof by a qualified roofing company and instead only have to pay a small sum to get the minor leak repaired.
On top of this, you can reduce further damage to the structure of your property, the inside of the rooms and the belongings of your home. When water begins to get into your home, it can cause a lot of damage, very quickly so it is worthwhile that you get it amended quickly to avoid damage to your belongings and having to pay more money to repair not only your roof but the inside of your home.
Throughout this article, we will explore the different ways you can identify a leaking roof and how to fix a leaking roof until professional help can arrive.
How to stop your roof from leaking in heavy rain
A leaking roof can contribute to major safety risks not only for yourself but the other occupants within your building so by neglecting to repair your leaking roof, you are only causing further risk and harm.
Therefore, you must be proactive and take the initiative to identify these roof leaks and get a qualified roofing contractor out to be able to assist in repairing these major roofing issues.
However, if your roof is leaking in the middle of a big storm and you need a quick, short-term fix to stop water from coming into your home before the roofing company arrive to complete major works, you can use the following step-by-step guide to identify where your roof leak is originating from and integrate a short term, temporary fix.
It is important to stress, that you should only partake in this roofing fix if you are a qualified roofing expert and have had previous experience in the industry. If you are unsure about anything, please leave it to the experts to avoid further damage to your roof and belongings as well as mitigating any risk to your own safety. We stress this is a simple, short-term fix that will last a few hours before help from a professional roofing repair company arrives however if you are unsure about anything speak to a reputable, local roofing company before attempting anything.
Remove and collect the standing water
First and foremost, if you have a leaking roof, this means that water is getting into your home in some shape or form. In order to first fix this issue, we recommend first getting some paper towels and placing them over the splash zone.
At the same time, grab the largest plastic bucket you can find and
place it under where the leak is occurring. This will help to collect the water and at the same time stop your home and belongings from getting further damaged by the water.
We recommend that you then look to clear up any excess water and try to dry out any belongings which may have been dampened by the leaking roof.
Look for the leak
Once you have cleared up the leaking water situation and managed to regain
some sort of control so your house isn’t getting flooded by excess water getting in through the roof, you can now look for the cause of the issue; the leaking roof itself!
Although it may seem easy on paper, this can be a lot more difficult than you may think. The leaking roof will cause the water to travel down the rafters of your property and actually drop down somewhere further from the original source.
Therefore you need to follow the path of the water to the source and that is where you will find the leaky roof. This can be anything from a large hole to a small pinprick.
It is important to remember safety precautions at this step and not do anything that could lead to a hazard risk or dangerous situation when attempting to search for the leaky roof. If you are unsure and can’t identify the source of the leak we recommend getting in touch with a qualified roofer who will be able to help assist you and find the leak in no time.
Patch the leak
Once you have identified the source of the leak you can then begin to create a temporary fix that will hold for a few hours until a professional roofer is available to efficiently repair your roof once and for all.
We must stress that if you do not have previous roofing experience you must skip this step in order to avoid any potential damage to your roof, property and belongings. In addition to this, an inexperienced roof repair can cause hazards and risks to your health as well as the people who live on the property. If you are unsure we recommend contacting a professional roofing company and not attempting to patch the roof leak.
However, if you do have qualifications in the roofing industry, we recommend first waiting till the roof is dry. Next, once dry, grab a piece of chalk and outline a circle around where the leak appears. This will make it easier for the leaking roof repair team to come in and identify the source when it comes to a longer-term fix.
Next, you want to take a putty knife and apply a liberal layer of roofing tar to the part of the leaking roof which you identified earlier. After this, press a shingle into the tar and spread it around the edges. This will help to keep the layer in place and act as a temporary defence to water leaking into your home.
Speak with a qualified and reputable roofing company
Once you have temporarily fixed your roof or have identified the roof leak, get in contact with a qualified, local roofing company that will be able to fix your leaky roof. It is important that you don’t leave this temporary fix for more than a couple of days and look to get a long-term fix put in place that will last for decades to come.
A reputable local roofing company will get the job done efficiently so that you don’t have to worry about a leaky roof in the future.
Conclusion
Spotting water coming into your home and being proactive in organising a permanent and effective fix with a reputable, local roofing company is one of the most important factors to avoid further damage to the structure of your home and your belongings.
If you spot water coming into your home during a heavy storm or that your roof is leaking, it is important to do something about it quickly. We recommend you first get in touch with a local roofing company and organise a professional and long-lasting repair solution.
After this, you can continue by following our temporary solution which will last a few hours and be an easy way to combat any risks or hazards of water damage to your property until professional help can arrive and attempt to repair your issue efficiently.
If you are suffering from a leaking roof in the Bristol area, get in contact with a member of the team at Roofing Company Bristol on 0117 950 2610 and get your roof repaired quickly today!
