How to Repair a Leaking Roof on a Screened Porch

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Things You'll Need

  • Hammer

  • Pry bar

  • Nails

  • Shingles

  • Ladder

  • Caulking

  • Roofing tar

  • Plywood

  • Measuring tape

  • Saw

A screened porch is an addition built onto a home. At times, it is possible for a leak to develop in the roof of a screened porch. Although the leak is outdoors it still needs to be fixed correctly in a timely manner in order to reduce the amount of damage. If a leak is left for a long time the wood in the roof of the porch will swell and begin to rot, which weakens the entire structure. The process of fixing a leaking roof is relatively straightforward for anyone who is used to completing home repairs.

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Step 1

Place the ladder up against the side of the screened porch. Carefully climb the ladder and get onto the roof in order to inspect the quality of the roof and locate the leak.

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Step 2

Walk over to the portion of the roof that is directly above or slightly higher than where the leak was noticed from underneath the porch roof. If there are any exposed or worn roof seams they can be fixed fairly quickly using a caulking gun to apply a fresh layer of sealer to the seam or seams.

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Step 3

Check to see if there are any shingles that are damaged, loose or missing. Locate the shingles that are causing the leak and use a pry bar to remove the shingles.

Step 4

Pull out any old nails that are still in the roof. Align the new set of shingles and nail them securely into place. Apply a layer of roofing tar to the underside of the shingle before pressing it firmly against the roof. Make sure that there are no other damaged shingles before descending from the top of the screened porch roof.

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Step 5

Go into the screened porch and carefully examine the inside of the roof for any permanent damage. The inside of the roof can be fixed once the source of the leak has been located and resolved. Use the claw of the hammer to remove all of the nails that are holding any damaged plywood in place.

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Step 6

Measure and cut the new plywood to fit into the ceiling of the screened porch. Nail the plywood in place to complete the screened porch roof repair. Check the roof periodically to make sure no new leaks or problems have developed.

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