What To Do If Your Roof Is Leaking Right Now
There’s nothing like the soft pitter-patter of rain, especially in San Diego, where rain showers are few and far between. Unless, of course, that rain is making its way through your roof and into your home.
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to assume that you already know that it is your roof leaking, and you’re looking to find out what to do to minimize the damage to your home during the rainstorm. If you’re not sure, click here to find out more.
1.) Call A Roofer
The first thing that you should do if your roof is leaking right now is to get on the phone with a licensed, insured roofer. You should get online and look up licensed, insured roofers in your area. Make sure to call a reputable company with excellent online reviews and the proper contractor’s license. Chances are if it’s raining, your local roofing teams will be working nonstop to tarp and seal other leaky roofs in your area. Unfortunately, this means that it might take some time before a roofer can make it out to your area and tarp or seal your roof. However, it’s important to get your name in line so that they can make it to your house as soon as possible. Make sure that the roofer you contact knows that you need an emergency repair and have water actively coming through your roof.
2.) Contain the water
The second thing you should do is start doing damage control. Get a bucket to put under the leak to collect water and prevent it from seeping into the flooring or under furniture, which can cause additional damage. Make sure that the area under the leak is dry, and make sure that the bucket is large enough to hold all of the water that is going to leak through the roof until the roofers arrive. Thankfully, most roofing leaks are relatively slow, with a low volume of water (as opposed to plumbing leaks, which can spew hundreds of gallons of water in a relatively short period). As a precaution, you should also have towels stationed nearby the leak to catch any water if it overflows, or if you need to empty the bucket at some point before the roofers arrive.
3.) Look for additional leaks
A stain on the ceiling which could indicate a roof leak
Next, you should do a thorough inspection of the rest of your house. One leak means that the roof has deteriorated past the point where it is fully waterproof – which means that there might be other roof leaks as well. It’s important to find and address the roof as a whole rather than the leaky section alone. This can be done by going through each room of the house and examining the ceiling for active leaks, stains, and discoloration, as well as looking at the floor for wet spots. Make sure to check inside closets, above and below appliances, and examine your carpets for wet areas. This will allow you to pinpoint the problem areas, and make you better prepared for when the roofers arrive. It’s important to note that this should be done from the inside of your home only. Going up on the roof during a rainstorm can be extremely dangerous and should only be done by licensed, insured, experienced, and properly trained professionals.
Mold and discoloration on the walls and ceiling, which could be a sign of excessive moisture caused by a roof leak
4.) Find the record of your last roof replacement
After that, you should look through your own records to determine how long it has been since your roof has been repaired or replaced. Roofs need to be replaced on average every 20 to 30 years. If you find the record of the last roof replacement you had, it can be helpful to have that on-hand when the roofers arrive, to let them know what they might encounter when they’re up on your roof. This will save them some time and make sure that they know what they’re looking for when they arrive at your house to tarp or seal your roof. Additionally, this should give you the information on whether or not your roof is covered under warranty. Even if your roof is older, it is always worth checking for this record, as warranties can cover up to fifty years.
5.) Schedule a follow-up appointment
It is always important to schedule a full repair for clear weather so that your roof can be ready for the next rain.
Roofers are usually so busy during rainstorms that they will not be able to do a deep inspection on your roof when they are there to install the tarp or sealant to stop the leak. They will usually schedule a follow-up appointment for after the rain has stopped in order to fully diagnose and fully repair your roof. Because roofers are so busy during and after rainstorms, it is important to get your name into their system as soon as possible. Emergency repairs such as tarping are not designed to hold out the rain forever – they will last for several weeks before they begin to wear down, and it’s important to have your roof fully repaired before that happens. Schedule a roof inspection with your roofer for after the storm is over so that they can get started on the necessary repairs or replacement as soon as possible.
Hopefully this blog helped you figure out what to do if your roof is leaking right now! At Resilient Roofing, we’re proud to have served the San Diego area for over 55 years. If you need our services, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’ll do everything we can to get your home watertight and dry so that you can enjoy the rain being back where it’s supposed to be – outside your home.