Leaky Roof Repair

It's always important to fix a leaking roof as quickly as possible.

A leaky roof is probably one of the most dreaded problems a homeowner may encounter. If you live in the same house for long, chances are you'll eventually have to deal with rain or melting snow leaking through your roof. Locating the spot where the roof is leaking is the most important task to do first. If the leak isn't too large, you can probably fix it yourself with help from a neighbor.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Hose
• Newspaper (optional)
• Polyurethane caulk
• Pry bar
• Claw hammer
• Roofing nails
• Roofing tar (in caulking tube)
• Utility knife

Instructions

Finding the Leak

1. Call a friend over to help you. Climb into the attic near where you think the roof might be leaking.

2. Instruct your friend to spray one section of the roof with a garden hose.

3. Observe where the water is coming in. If you don't see any drips, allow the roof to dry for several minutes before your friend waters another section. It's a good idea to use cell phones to communicate with your friend outside. If you're by yourself, you can place newspaper beneath the areas of the roof you think are leaking before spraying the roof. The leaking area will drip onto the paper and allow you to pinpoint the leak.

Repairing the Leak

1. Wait for the roof to dry. Pat the area dry where the water was leaking into the attic. Apply a thick coat of polyurethane caulk to the leak.

2. Go outside and climb onto the roof. Find the area that was leaking. Check the shingles in the area for damage. There is a very good chance that the leak resulted from damaged or missing shingles.

3. Pull up any damaged shingles around the leak area with a pry bar. Gently pull up on the edges of the undamaged shingles around the damaged area. Pull the damaged shingles out from under the good shingles. Remove any nails with a claw hammer.

4. Place new shingles along the bottom of the damaged area. Nail the new shingles in place. Work your way from the bottom of the leaky area to the top.

5. Cut 1 to 2 inches off the top of the last row of new shingles to install. These shingles must fit under the old ones, which will probably be brittle. It will be easier to slide them into place rather than pull up the old shingles and hammer nails into them.

6. Squirt a dab of roofing tar along the top and bottom of the shingles you just trimmed. Slide the shingles into place under the edges of the old shingles. Hold the shingles down for several seconds to make sure they're firmly in place.

References

• Leaking Roof Repair: Help On Finding Roof Leaks On Various Roof Types
• Mother Earth News: How to Repair a Leaking Roof
• Roof Help: Roof Repairs