Temporary Patch Roof Leak Repair Until Professional Help Arrives.
This year’s hurricane season is upon us and that means we’re about to get even more rain and storms in the days and weeks ahead. So, it’s critical to make sure your residential or commercial roof is in the best shape to make sure your families and property are all well protected against all that rain! If left unattended, a leak in your roof could easily make your home or business vulnerable to all kinds of damage, even major structural deterioration. Luckily, if you spot it in time while it’s still a minor drip, you can prevent it from becoming a major problem. The best thing to do in a situation like that, if appropriate, is attempt to temporarily control the damage until professional help shows up.
Remember safety always comes first even for minor emergency repairs. Here are some quick tips to avoid a leak causing disaster in your home! When dealing with an active leak, you need to move fast, start off by locating the room where the leak is. Once you find where the leak is coming from inside your home, make sure you remove any items that are of sentimental or monetary value, you don’t want to lose anything to water damage. Find another place to move any furniture from the area of the leak, since furniture like sofas, for example, can absorb the water coming in from the roof and it can rot and cause mold to start growing from the inside. If the leak is found in a carpeted area of your home, you may want to consider removing your floor carpeting and allow the underside to dry properly. If this situation isn’t dealt with properly it can lead to not only damage property but it can also lead to health concerns.Contain the leakNow let’s be practical. After calling your roofer to assist you in case of an emergency, you can try to contain the free-flowing water and minimize any further damage that it could cause. To control where the water goes and make sure nothing else gets damaged, get some kind of waterproof container, preferably a large one like a bucket, or pots for smaller areas. Be sure to place them underneath the area where the water is dripping from. Keep a vigilant eye on the container, so it doesn’t overflow. You want to avoid all possible water damage so always keep an eye out until the storm passes.
Finding the sourceWhen looking for where the leak is coming from, there are several methods that you can use to find it. If it’s raining, this will make it easier for you to find where the leak is, but if it isn’t, try using your hose on the roof while someone else is inside to help find the exact spot where the leak is. If you have safe access to your attic, once inside look for signs of mold, water stains, or lumps in the wood. These signs that can lead you directly to where the leak is coming from. Another thing to consider is that any kind of modification that has been done to the roof like a gable or a vent could be the area where the leak is coming from, as it is really common for leaks to form around these areas. Another approach is to start off inside your home, try to create a mental map of your home and map out the location of the leak, before grabbing a ladder and going up to the roof. One way this can be done is by counting the number of steps there are between where the roof may start to the location of the leak inside the house. By doing this, once you get up onto the roof you can safely count the number of steps it would be towards the leak and find the affected area. Be sure to take all preventive measures before climbing up to the roof. To ensure your own safety and call for medical assistance in case of an emergency, you should also let someone know what you are working on, and the amount of time that you are planning to be there. This buddy system is essential for your personal safety during home roof repairs! We recommend not getting on the roof while it’s raining. If you must, wait until the rain clears up before going up there, and call a professional. Safety is just like the ABC’s, Always Be Careful!
Seek Professional HelpAside from the physical risks, undertaking a DIY job of this type entails, lack of experience and detailed knowledge could lead you to overlook some other aspects of a thorough inspection a professional roofer could conduct. Aspects that could put you, your family, and your home or business at risk. For example, it could cause mold overgrowth inside the roof structure and easily circulate through the air to your family or people working inside your business which could cause a variety of health conditions. The high levels of humidity in Florida could contribute even more to this type of thing. Another consequence could be that your energy bill could drastically increase since a hole in a roof could easily allow more heat to enter a home or building and increase your air conditioning electricity consumption. It’s also important to take into account and identify any possible structural damage that the leak may have caused. With time it could easily start to rot some of the support beams found in the structure of your roof. By not properly fixing the leak you could easily have a fire hazard on your hands, the water could seep into an electrical socket or wiring leading it to spark and cause a fire. Once again, aside from the fact that you may have to work without the correct type of protective gear, the necessary tools, and the proper quality material, let’s not forget about the risks you’re taking when doing a DIY roof repair. These are some of the reasons why it’s best to leave it to the professionals and let them assess the situation. By hiring experienced roofers you’ll be taking a lot of stress off your back, saving time and money on your roof repair. If you ever have to deal with an emergency roof repair, without a doubt, contact Skylight Roofing at our 24/7 emergency number, 407-430-7663. With over 15 years of roofing contractor experience, we can guarantee excellent results, customer service, and commitment. Don’t hesitate, Roof with us™