Guides4Homeowners Useful Information & Guides
Have you got a leak in your roof that’s causing damage to your home? You’ll usually spot this as you’ll have water dripping down your wall coming from the roof, I’ve had an issue with a leaky roof before due to a missing roof tile & it hide itself behind wallpaper so we didn’t find the issue until later on, but if you notice something it’s best to get it fixed as soon as possible before it causes serious damage.
You can usually fix a roofing issue with no experience and even if that’s not the case you can get a tradesmen to supply you with a quote. In this guide you will find ways to find & fix a leaky roof issue.
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Finding a leak
The sounds of a roof leak are as you would expect, hearing the sound of dripping, but there are also other tell tale signs. You may be able to identify a leak by a room having a musty odor, water stains, spots on exterior walls, bulging patches or missing shingles in your roofing.
The easiest way to find a leak is by going to your attic / loft and looking round for any of the potential issues mentioned before, in order to get the best chance of finding the issue make sure you go after a heavy spell of rain. Any spots or issues you’ve identified you should try and track directly to the source, i.e if it’s in a particular place on the ceiling the likelihood is that it’s coming from straight above that spot in the loft. If you are still struggling to find the problem, go on the roof & using a garden hose try and cause your own leak to make it more obvious.
Fixing small leaks
Some small leaks you can fix on the underside of the roof. Referred to as a shiner, a small roof leak can be caused by a nail of the roofing shingle missing the framing member & on cold days these nails can cause condensation to build up on them and drip off when it gets a little bit warmer. The solution is simply, cut the nail.
Making DIY repairs
Depending upon the complexity of the leak, you may be able to fix it yourself. There are a few common methods you can use in order to fix a leaky roof, which include:
Roof Shingles – This is probably one of the most common causes of a roof leak, and something you should be able to fix yourself. If it’s particularly stormy or just through general wear and tear you can get issues with your roofing shingles. Remove the damaged shingle & any cement around it, and replace it with a new one shingle in which you should lay fresh cement around.
Caulk Vents, Chimneys & Windows – Check all of these particular elements as they can commonly have issues with the caulk around them used to seal & waterproof degrading. If you find any gaps, simply replace the caulk.
Plumbing Vent Boots – This could just be the case of replacing the screws around the boots of the plumbing vent which can keep water seeping through or you may need to completely replace the boot itself.
Get a quote from a professional roofer
If the issue persists, then it may be time to call a professional in. If left a roof leak can cause some serious damage, so time is of the essence. Fill in your details in our form below and you will be contacted by local tradesmen and companies who can all quote on the work to offer you a great basis for comparison.
