Roof Repair: Helpful Tips to Do It Yourself
Do you find water stains on your ceilings or walls? Would you like to see if your roof can be repaired yourself or do you need a professional roofer? Read this article to learn how to identify your roof damage and how to repair minor damage yourself.
A roof is the highest part of a building that primarily acts as a shelter from the weather and other threats. Roof damage often leads to leaks, which in turn creates a stain on the ceiling or wall near the leak. For a flat roof, the damage may be close to the stains, but for a sloped roof, the leaks may appear at a considerable distance from the stains.
The easiest way to find a leaky roof is to hose down the roof in different places and ask someone to help you check the interior walls for stains. With this method, you can easily identify the area of the leak and the reason for the damage. If the damage is due to a curved or missing shingle, then it can be repaired by straightening the curled ones and replacing the easily damaged shingles with new ones. Lastly, use a roofing cement or asphalt compound to fix them in place.
If the stain on the wall is very small, the leak may be due to nuts that could have escaped from the ceiling frame. These situations mainly occur due to the expansion or contraction of metal nails during extreme weather. Make sure all the nuts are perfectly embedded in their frames. Another roof repair technique is to repair blisters in roofing materials. Cut these swellings carefully with a knife without affecting other materials underneath, and pat the area dry by squeezing out the water.
Use asphalt cement to hold the cut material together and nail each side of the repaired blister. A finishing touch can be added, using the compound, to cover the cut as well as the nail heads. Damage to connections such as vents, chimneys, etc. can be detected. what’s more. If such damage is found to be small, it can be repaired by applying new caulks. Old putties in the damaged place can be removed with a knife or any sharp object and the place dried. Apply a new, thick amount of caulk to the crack, using an applicator, so that they adhere properly and then allow it to dry.
If severe damage is found to the connections or the ventilation boots, it is advisable to replace it. Small holes in the ceiling, such as nail holes or small cracks, can cause serious damage or rot before we know it. So it’s better to close those little holes when they are detected, rather than waiting for visible damage to appear. Plugging cracks or holes is recommended rather than caulking as they are more durable and considered a long-lasting method.