If you have water stains that span ceilings and flow down walls, the source is most likely a leaking roof. The difficult aspect is locating the leak; repairing the roof leak is generally very simple. We will demonstrate some basic techniques for locating and fixing the majority of common kinds of leaking roofs. In this post we’ll take a look on ways to fix your leaky ceiling.
How To Fix Your Leaky Ceiling?
Stop the Leak
If you see water dripping from a bulge or discoloration in your ceiling, water is most likely collecting on the opposite side of the bulge or dark area. Place a bucket, garbage can, or other container under the drip or suspected leak. You could even try placing a board inside the container to direct drips away from the collected water. This will significantly reduce the sound of the repeated leaking.
Following that, using an old screwdriver, find the center of the bulge where water is collecting and pierce it directly in the center. While punching a hole in your ceiling to halt a leak may seem odd, the new hole will enable the water to flow easily and alleviate strain on the remainder of your ceiling. If water collects and pools on the ceiling, the whole structure may collapse.
If you are sure that you have identified the source of the leak and can safely reach it, cover the outside surface with a big tarp. Moreover, if you are unable to reach it or feel uncomfortable doing so, it is advisable to call a roofing expert immediately. Numerous reputable roofing contractors provide emergency tarping services. As you may well know, if your roof is currently leaking as a result of the weather, a roofing expert will be unable to fix the leak until the weather stops. Tarping will serve as a temporary remedy, minimizing damage to the inside of your house until your roofer can repair the issue.
1) Identify the source of the roof leak
If you notice that your roof is leaking—as indicated by water stains on the ceiling—mark the position of the leak and then go outside with a good pair of binoculars to locate the leak. Check for curled, cracked, or missing shingles. Leaks may develop either where the shingles butt or where the caulking and flashing are weakened. End caps, the tent-shaped tiles that cover the roof’s angular peaks, may potentially cause leaks, so inspect those as well.
2) Ensure that curled shingles are secure
Curled-back shingles, for example, may be re-secured by brushing on a layer of asphalt roofing cement or by purchasing a tube of its equivalent compound for use with a caulk gun (like Henry Rubberized Wet Patch, available in a 10.1-ounce cartridge at The Home Depot). When fixing a leaking roof, generously apply roofing cement to the bottom of the shingle to hold the edge and corners. Then firmly press to set.
3) Replace shingles that are broken or missing
If shingles are broken, missing, or rotting, you can replace them as another easy remedy for a leaking roof (provided you have the replacement shingles). To remove a broken shingle, raise the surrounding shingles and use a pry bar to gently remove nails. After removing the nails, the shingle should slip out. Scrape any remaining cement from the roof and level out or remove projecting nails.
Before attempting to install a new shingle, use a utility knife to round the rear corners. This will simplify the process of sliding the shingle under the one above and aligning it with the shingles on each side. Once in position, raise the overlapping shingles’ corners and secure the new replacement’s top with 6d galvanized roofing nails. Ensure that each corner is secured with nails.
Finally, use roof cement to cover the nail heads and smooth out the overlapping shingle edges.
4) Correct flashing
Simply reseal seams around chimneys and dormers to fix leaks caused by metal flashing. If you see damage to joints that were previously sealed with a line of roof cement. Use a putty knife to apply a fresh new layer. If a whole row of shingles has to be replaced, or shingles are lifting off the roof too readily. Itmay be time to bring in a professional roofer to examine the problem. Spot repairs will not prolong the life of a roof that has reached the end of its useful life.
Conclusion
I hope that you found this post on how to fix your leaky ceiling to be helpful. Make sure to check out a plethora of other tech reviews and helpful home tips only at Broke Tech Geeks!