How to Seal a Leaky Roof for Cheap
When a roof leaks, there are a few things a homeowner must worry about, including structural damage to the rafters, walls and wall frame, along with furniture, carpet and decor damage. This creates an expensive loss scenario, so sealing the leaky roof is a top priority. Instead of paying a contractor hundreds of dollars, you can purchase the materials for cheap and seal the leaky roof yourself, saving you lots of money in the process. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ladder
- Gloves
- Claw hammer
- Putty knife
- Roofing cement
- Caulk gun
- Roofing felt
- Tar
- Brush
- Shingles
- Nails
Instructions
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1
Walk from the interior wall to the leak in the ceiling, counting the paces. This will help you quickly locate the roof leak once on the roof. Climb up onto the roof then walk the same number of paces, starting above the same wall. Once you find the roof leak, do not step on it as it may have damaged the rafters, and you could fall through. Instead, test the roof's pliability by tapping it with your foot.
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2
Put on gloves and wedge the claw of claw hammer under the faulty shingle. Move the claw around until you locate the roofing nails holding the shingle in place. Then pull up slowly to dislodge each nail.
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3
Scrape around the leak and into the tar with a putty knife. Try to dislodge the tar to get to the leak itself. Apply roofing cement with a caulk gun onto the leak and surrounding area then let harden according to the manufacturer's directions.
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4
Cover the hardened roofing cement with roofing felt. Spread tar over the roofing felt with a brush then secure new shingles over the roofing felt and tar with roofing nails.
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