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Does Your Shingle Roof Have A Leak? Find And Repair It On Your Own

Posted on: 26 October 2015

Roof leaks can happen well before your roof needs replacement, which is why it is so important to fix the problem immediately. Leaving the leak as is can cause damage to be localized in the area, creating a costly repair when you go to fix it later. Follow these tips for finding and repairing roof leaks on your roof.

Find The Leak

Many homeowners think that leaks are easy to find, because they envision water literally dripping from a spot in their attic to help pinpoint the problem. It is usually harder to find than that.

It will be easier to find the leak by going onto your roof. There may be obvious damage to the shingles that you'll immediately notice while on the roof, such as a missing shingle, but would never notice from the attic. If there is not obvious damage, investigate around vents, chimneys, and other areas that have flashing that could have failed. These are common places where roofs develop leaks.

If you can't find the problem, start taking a closer look at all your shingles. You want to look for issues such as ripping and curling. These problems can be enough to cause water to seep underneath the shingles and get to your roof deck.

Repair The Leak

Curling shingles are easy to repair. All you need is a little bit of roofing cement that you can stick on the backside of your shingle. Apply some firm pressure to the shingle for a couple minutes to get it to stick. In cold weather conditions, the shingle may be too stiff to bend it back down so it is flat against the roof. You can slightly heat the shingle using a torch to help get it flat once again, or replace the shingle completely.

Curling shingles can still be used because the shingle itself is still in one piece. Torn shingles will need replacement. You can nail a new shingle back in place, or use roofing cement if you wish. Just be careful to align the shingle with those surrounding it. Leaving a gap with the roof deck still exposed will not fix the leak at all.

Does all of this seem like more than you can handle? Contact a professional roof installation and repair contractor in your area to do the job for you. They can handle the inspecting and replacement of any missing or damaged shingles on your home.

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