When the weather gets real and the wind starts to blow you need to know what to do when you have a roof leak. Think of this like first aid for your roof. It’s not about final repairs or looking pretty. Your safety and the safety of your house should be your primary concerns when your roof first springs a leak.
Let Bad Weather Have Its Way
It’s easy to panic and put yourself into an unsafe situation trying to figure out where a leak is coming from, but the first step is to let the weather pass. Don’t go out into a thunderstorm and try to figure out where the leak is coming from. It’s not worth a slip and fall to try to get a tarp on the roof in the rain. So the first step is to hang tight and wait it out. Break out the buckets to catch the drips as much as you can. Stay patient until things dry out a bit.
Roof Leak Emergency Evaluation
Once it’s dry and safe, it’s time to inspect your roof! Look for any obvious damage such as loosened warped or torn shingles or damaged flashing. If it’s possible, it’s great to get a professional to take a look at your roof right away, but when there has been extreme weather we roofers can get pretty busy and you may need to patch things up as much as you can while you wait for the pros to arrive.
This initial assessment will give you the information you need to stop further damage to your roof and your home.
Get Ready for Roofing First Aid
Once you’ve figured out where the leak is coming from, then you’ll need to patch it up as best as you can. This isn’t meant to be pretty or permanent. It’s just to keep your home from becoming waterlogged. The longer you go with leaks soaking the inside of your house the more damage your home will take. The last thing you want is serious (and expensive) structural damage to your property.
There are lots of options for how to jerry-rig a temporary roofing solution, it only needs to last until the calvary comes.
- Tarps
- Patches
- Rubber sheets
- Sealants
- And in a pinch, duct tape
Safety First
As always, your safety comes first. Make sure you use your ladder correctly. Read the instructions, place it on solid, even, and flat ground. For every four feet of elevation your ladder should be one foot back from the roof. This means the taller the roof, the farther back the ladder should go. Set the ladder against a sturdy and flat part of your house. When you climb your ladder always use three points of contact. Only move one hand or foot at a time. If you have a safety harness, use it according to the directions that came with the harness.
If you don’t feel comfortable getting onto your roof, we can help. We always have the best state of the art equipment and training for all our roofers to make sure everyone stays safe and your roof gets fixed quickly and efficiently.
Roof Leak Repair Done Right
Do your best to limit further damage to your roof while you’re getting the temporary patch in place. If there’s any standing water on your roof, remove it so that it doesn’t make the leak problems worse or create more waterlogged structures. Once the roofers arrive, you can step back and let the pros take over. Let your roofer know where the leak was, what happened, and what you did to keep things from getting worse.
Once the emergency is over, you can settle back and relax knowing that you did your best to keep your home safe and dry. Minmizing damage help you save money too! Once your patch is in place, we can help fix whatever’s gone wrong and get you back to normal again.
About Weather Vane Roofing
We provide roofing, siding, insulation, windows, and gutters. Making your house beautiful and efficient is our main goal. We use the latest in technology and products to provide eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions for your home and business. With locations in Lansing, Owosso, and Brighton/Howell we are Mid-Michigan’s roofing experts. Let us transform your house into a home.
Always the right direction!
