How to Repair and Patch a Roof

Repair and patch your own roof.

If your roof has sprung a leak, you might consider patching the leak yourself if you have a roof that's not dangerously steep. If your roof has a steep pitch and a serious leak, hire a contractor to handle the job. Sometimes roof shingles fall off during a storm or begin to curl from age, which can cause a roof to leak. Although patching a roof fixes the problem, aged shingles and leaking indicate that a roof needs to be replaced in the near future. Under normal circumstances, completing a roof repair yourself does not require a lot of time or skill to complete.

Things You'll Need

• Replacement roof shingles
• Roofing nails
• Hammer
• Caulk gun
• Roofing sealant

Instructions

1. Locate the exact area on the roof in need of repair. If you have a leak inside the home, visually inspect the roof directly above the leak to locate the cause of the problem.

2. Remove any curled or broken shingles by prying them off. If necessary, remove the surrounding shingles for easier access to the shingles in need of replacement.

3. Remove the old roofing nails beneath the shingles using a hammer. With a caulk gun filled with roofing sealant, squirt the sealant into the old nail holes.

4. Nail new shingles to the roof in place of the old ones. Use roofing nails to install the shingles. Apply roofing sealant to the nail holes after installation.

5. Squirt roof sealant onto the entire bottom-side of any loose shingles. Push down on the shingle for a couple of minutes. Install another shingle if necessary.

6. Tighten roof flashing using roofing nails, followed by roofing sealant. Replace severely bent or damaged roof flashing.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have new shingles, patch the roof with heavy-duty plastic as a temporary solution.

• Do not ignore a roof in poor condition. Aged shingles and leaking problems indicate that the roof needs to be replaced.

References

• DIY Advice: How to Repair Any Roof