Water Leaking in Your House? Four Temporary Roofing Fixes
If you notice rain coming into your house, your roof is likely damaged. To stem the flow of water until the professionals can show up and help you, there are a range of easy ways you can temporarily patch a roof. To stop the water, check out these ideas:
1. Making a tarp patch
If water is pouring in and you need a fast and easy solution, cover the hole on your roof with a tarp. Do not climb onto your roof if any of it has caved in or if there are visible structural issues. Also, to avoid slipping, ideally, you should wait until the rain stops before getting on your roof.
To secure the tarp, pound nails through the metal grommets on the edges of the tarp. You can also use planks screwed to the roof to hold the tarp in place.
2. Patching your roof with tar and a roll of shingle-like material
For a more long-term solution, you can patch your roof. Roofing supply stores sell large sheets made of the same material as asphalt shingles. To patch your roof using these roofing sheets, climb onto the roof, find the spot that needs a patch and cut the sheeting into a patch slightly larger than the area.
Spread tar over the area, and then, slip the sides of the patch under the surrounding shingles as much as possible to create a tight, overlapping seal.
3. Nailing down loose roofing vents
In some cases, the water leaking through your roof does not come through a bare patch of roof where a shingle has been damaged. Instead, the leak can come through a loose ridge vent.
If your ridge vent has come loose, use new roofing nails to secure it back in place. Also, cover the area with roofing tar or sealant to create a waterproof seal around the vent.
4. Utilising duct tape when you don't have other supplies
Duct tape can be an essential item to fix a range of emergencies. In a pinch, if you don't have any roofing supplies or a tarp, you can use duct tape to hold down flapping shingles. Use several layers of slightly overlapping tape to get a good seal, but remember to call a professional as soon as possible, as duct tape is not a permanent solution.
You can also use duct tape around loose, bent or broken flashing. Position the flashing so that it is as close as possible to its original spot, and then, cover it with duct tape for a temporary repair.
If you need any supplies to help you make repairs, you may want to contact a local company like Combined Metal Industries.