First of all, having a leaky roof is never a fun experience. If it leaks in a spot where it shows damage to your ceiling you can usually catch it quickly, as there will be wavy or building areas of your drywall indicative of water damage. However if it is in an area where the water drips between walls or runs down the exterior wall you may not catch it in time to save yourself from a more costly home improvement or repair project, as this can lead to severe mold, rotting, flooring damage, and subfloor replacement, to just name a few of the repairs that might be needed after having a leaky roof repair.
While there are many types of roofing material, the most common is the shingled roof. These generally last for 15-20 years, however can certainly leak before that due to weathering, hail damage, falling branches, etc.
If you have a roof that is leaking water into your home first you need to find it. To do this, you will want to climb on to your roof and check for damage above where the water is coming in, as water always runs downhill. If your home has an attic you will want to check for water stains or mold before going outside. This will give you an idea of what part of your roofline may be leaking. Once you are on the roof you’ll want to inspect it for shingles which are curled or missing near and above where the water is coming in. You’ll want to reshape the misshapen shingles. This is usually easier to do when it is warmer outside or with a hair dryer if cold, however be careful as too much heat can ruin a roofing shingle.
You’ll also be needing some asphalt roof cement, which they sell at any home improvement store. Use copious quantities around the edges of the repaired shingle to make sure the patch holds.
For other types of damaged shingles, for instance if they simply break of while you’re inspecting them or just crumble into dust, you will want to completely replace these. When replacing them, make sure to use one and a quarter inch galvanized nails into each top corner, and also apply the roof cement to them.
If you aren’t able to locate the damage causing the roof leak it may be time to contact a professional roofer. Depending on your homeowners insurance, this could be covered, but worst case scenario they usually charge $500 or so for a roofing repair job. It’s also probably worth it to get quotes from 3 or 4 contractors before committing to one.
Once your leak is taken care of, it is time to inspect those areas which the water may have penetrated. This is absolutely essential, and is usually overlooked by most homeowners. It is easy to think that once water can no longer get into your home that you’re safe again, but mark my words, water and water damage that has occurred, if not remedied timely, can be very costly in time and money.
You’ll want to make sure to inspect all of the walls which look to have water stains, and if you find that they reach a 2x4 you’ll want to take off the base boards in the area of that 2x4 and check the flooring and sub-flooring for damage. If you have tile flooring you might luck out here, as water doesn’t detrimentally damage tile, however if you have carpet, hardwood, or laminate you may indeed have to replace the areas of flooring which were exposed to water damage.
If this is the case, there are several online tools you can use to determine how much it will cost to replace your flooring. In fact, InstallationCalculator.com, provides a variety of home improvement calculators including a Hardwood Flooring Cost Calculator, and a Laminate Flooring Calculator just to name a couple.
While there are many types of roofing material, the most common is the shingled roof. These generally last for 15-20 years, however can certainly leak before that due to weathering, hail damage, falling branches, etc.
If you have a roof that is leaking water into your home first you need to find it. To do this, you will want to climb on to your roof and check for damage above where the water is coming in, as water always runs downhill. If your home has an attic you will want to check for water stains or mold before going outside. This will give you an idea of what part of your roofline may be leaking. Once you are on the roof you’ll want to inspect it for shingles which are curled or missing near and above where the water is coming in. You’ll want to reshape the misshapen shingles. This is usually easier to do when it is warmer outside or with a hair dryer if cold, however be careful as too much heat can ruin a roofing shingle.
You’ll also be needing some asphalt roof cement, which they sell at any home improvement store. Use copious quantities around the edges of the repaired shingle to make sure the patch holds.
For other types of damaged shingles, for instance if they simply break of while you’re inspecting them or just crumble into dust, you will want to completely replace these. When replacing them, make sure to use one and a quarter inch galvanized nails into each top corner, and also apply the roof cement to them.
If you aren’t able to locate the damage causing the roof leak it may be time to contact a professional roofer. Depending on your homeowners insurance, this could be covered, but worst case scenario they usually charge $500 or so for a roofing repair job. It’s also probably worth it to get quotes from 3 or 4 contractors before committing to one.
Once your leak is taken care of, it is time to inspect those areas which the water may have penetrated. This is absolutely essential, and is usually overlooked by most homeowners. It is easy to think that once water can no longer get into your home that you’re safe again, but mark my words, water and water damage that has occurred, if not remedied timely, can be very costly in time and money.
You’ll want to make sure to inspect all of the walls which look to have water stains, and if you find that they reach a 2x4 you’ll want to take off the base boards in the area of that 2x4 and check the flooring and sub-flooring for damage. If you have tile flooring you might luck out here, as water doesn’t detrimentally damage tile, however if you have carpet, hardwood, or laminate you may indeed have to replace the areas of flooring which were exposed to water damage.
If this is the case, there are several online tools you can use to determine how much it will cost to replace your flooring. In fact, InstallationCalculator.com, provides a variety of home improvement calculators including a Hardwood Flooring Cost Calculator, and a Laminate Flooring Calculator just to name a couple.