During a major storm, long winter months, or even on a seemingly normal day, your roof can start to leak. Roof leaks should be dealt with immediately and steps need to be taken to prevent major damage. The causes of roof leaks can vary from home to home and may take the work of a professional to fully repair. Here are some steps you as the homeowner can take when your roof starts to leak.
Our roofing contractors with Kanga Roof can help improve your roof after the roof starts to leak. Our technicians are quick and effective and can often have your roof repaired in less than a day. Hesitating to call a roofing expert can lead to extensive damage to your home. Take action to save your home from further leaks with these steps.
1- Move Furniture Away From The Leak
When a leak or drip is noticed, the first step is to move all objects, furniture, and valuables away from the leak. Doing this will save these items from damage and make it easier for professionals to get to the leak.
If you have an attic, you will also want to check that items are clear from the site of the leak there as well. Coving up outlets or other electrical items will also help prevent electrical damage or shorts.
2- Contain The Moisture
From other people or seeing leaks in movies or media, your first reaction is often to place a bucket under the drip or leak from the roof or ceiling. This is good practice to help keep the water from seeping into flooring or other materials. Collecting the water can also help determine how big the leak is and safely remove the water and debris from your home.
3- Relieve Water Pressure
When your roof starts to leak and is beginning to spread and pool on your ceiling, you will need to poke a small hole in the material to drain the water. This allows you to drain and remove the water before it gets out of control. Pooling water can lead to roof or wall collapse, and damage to your floors or insulation, or lighting fixtures. Have a bucket or tub underneath the pooling water before you relieve the pressure to catch it.
4- Take Photos For Insurance
When any damage occurs to your home or when your roof starts to leak, you need to have documentation for your insurance. This will ensure that they can provide enough compensation for damages and make sure that the damage was not caused by negligence or done on purpose.
Taking photos of the leak or your roofing material will also be helpful for a roofing contractor. Remember to take photos from multiple angles so that the damage can be clearly assessed.
5- Call And Schedule Roof Repair
When your roof starts to leak, contacting a roofing contractor and repair company as soon as possible will help to get your roof back to functional order sooner rather than later. The sooner you call a repair company, the better off your home will be. If a repair team can not arrive for several hours or even days, you will want to place a tarp over your roof to help further damage from occurring.
Applying a tarp in bad weather is not ideal and should not be done until the severe weather has subsided. Apply a tarp and caulk the hole or tape down the tarp to prevent further moisture from entering. This is not a permanent fix and leaks do not go away on their own, so calling a professional is your best option.
6- Check And Clean Gutters
A large portion of roof leaks is caused by problems with your gutters. Gutters that do not properly slope, that are clogged, or that have become unattached from the roof will cause water to enter your roof or home. When your roof starts to leak, your gutters probably caused the problem. Cleaning your gutters and showing them some love will help prevent future leaks.
Kanga Roof offers gutter cleaning and repair services that can be performed simultaneously with roof repair.
7- Identify Where The Leak Originated
Identifying where the leak started or where moisture is coming from will help improve the timeliness of the repair. Finding the source will help you hire the right professional for the job. Some leaks may not occur from your roof, but rather from a leaky pipe, or unsealed window. Identifying where the leak is on your roof will help you stop it from spreading and leading to mold growth.
Dangers Of Waiting To Fix Your Roof
Waiting to repair your roof can lead to water damage spreading through your home. When your roof starts to leak fixing the problem will prevent mold growth, mildew, deteriorating walls, and floors, or animals from getting into your home. Fix roof leaks quickly in order to avoid more costly repairs down the road.
Roof Repairs With Kanga Roof
Don’t wait to solve roof leaks, contact Kanga Roof to handle the situation with care. Contact our skilled technicians today!
