What To Do If My Roof Is Leaking?

A leaking roof is a problem. This is already obvious. However, most homeowners are still unaware of just how big a problem the sight of a leaking ceiling is. To put things into better perspective, there are 2 scenarios where you will find yourself when you start seeing your roof leak. The first scenario is more common. If you’ve owned your home for a while, you may have already been in this situation yourself.

Roof Leaking Situation 1: When It Is Raining

Heavy rains can likely start to cause some leaking. It is especially common in houses with older roofs. However, while it may start feeling normal, a leaking roof is anything but normal. Your roof is composed of several layers, and there is even a ceiling that separates the entire roof deck from the interior of your home. When leaking occurs during rain, this means that there is damage to the barrier that your roof is supposed to create. When this happens, these are the things you need to do.

Control The Leak

While you won’t be able to stop your roof from leaking, you can at least try to stop the water from damaging other parts of your home. If you have large pieces of furniture directly under where the water is dripping, place a plastic cover or a waterproof cover on top of your things. You already have a damaged roof; there is no need to further damage other home items.

If the water is dripping onto the floor, look for a basin or a container which you can place under the spot to collect the water. This will ensure that the leak does not create any puddles in your home. Puddles can be dangerous, especially if you have children or seniors in the home.

Identify the Leaking Spot

This can be difficult when you have high ceilings but with a bit of investigating and a keen eye, you should be able to identify directly where the water is dripping from. In some ceilings, this can be quite obvious since the water is likely to create stains. Spotting the exact location where the water is dripping is important if you want to be able to pinpoint the main cause of the leak.

Call A Roofer

You need someone to fix your roof. A leaking roof is not a roof that has only just been damaged. It is likely that the internal roof structure has already suffered for a while before the leak even started. The best way to fix a leak and prevent it from occurring again is to get a licensed roofer to check your property and fix the root cause of the leaking problem.

That is what you need to do if your roof starts leaking in the rain.

What if your roof starts leaking and it isn’t raining?

Roof Leaking Situation 2: When It Is Not Raining

When it is not raining and your roof starts leaking, you might be confused. However, this is not as uncommon as most people think. There are usually 2 main reasons why this can happen. The first cause is that rainwater may have started piling up and flooding the inside of your roof deck or pooling on top of your roof. Following heavy rains, the water that has pooled on your roof can start to seep into the structure and start causing a leak days after the actual downpour.

Another possibility is that the leak is not coming from the external environment. Instead, HVAC units or water pipes could also cause a leak. You’ll be able to identify the actual cause with a bit of observation and through the assessment of a licensed and professional roofer.

The things that you need to do when a leak occurs and its not raining are the exact same steps as the first case. However, when there is no rain, you can also do this:

Check Your Roof Exterior

Since it isn’t raining, you can go outside and check the condition of your roof. If you can identify areas where water is pooling on top of your property, then that standing water is probably the main culprit to the leak. Even when the leak is not occurring directly under the pooled water, there is still a tendency that the water seeps into the roof structure and, from the inside, slide down or move into another area above the ceiling.

Ultimately, the main thing that you need to do when your roof is leaking is to get it fixed as soon as possible. While it may seem like too much of a hassle, a leaky roof is no minor problem. If left untreated, it can potentially cause more damage from the inside of your roofing system and could even cause the structure to collapse. Some repairs, like adding some cover ups and taping the areas of the ceiling where leaking occurs are also not advisable since it only covers up the symptoms instead of actually fixing the root problem of your Roofer Franklin TN.

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