Leaky roofs can start off as a small problem, then quickly grow into something substantial. If you don’t spot a leak early on, it can end up causing mass amounts of water damage to your home. Before you know it, you’re paying for costly home repairs that leave you in debt.
Keeping that in mind, I’m going to explain the best ways to spot a leak in your roof, and what you should do if you find one!
How To Spot A Leak
There are two main ways to find a leak in your roof:
The beam of light approach
The first method is to go to your attic during the day. Ideally, it should be sunny outside. Here, block off any windows and ensure your attic is as dark as can be. Then, look for any beams of light. If there’s a leak in your roof, then there should be a hole somewhere. This hole will let light through it, so you can spot where it is. If there are no beams of light, then you might still have a leak, which is why you move onto method number two.
The post-rainshower check
Go to your attic after a rain shower. Check the floorboards and look for any signs of wetness. If you spot obvious signs of water, then there must be a leak. But, if you see a few little drops or damp bits on the floor, then this could mean there’s a small leak. There also may be water dripping through a hole or crack if you go up during the shower.
In summary; look for any beams of light that show there are holes or cracks in the roof. This is the best way to spot a leak before it rains! Alternatively, go to your attic when or after a shower to see if there are signs of wetness.
What To Do When You Have A Leak
Now, if you’ve spotted a leak in your roof, then you have to act fast. The longer you leave it, the more damage it becomes. A small crack turns into a big hole, and you soon need a new roof altogether!
Thankfully, dealing with this problem is very simple. Here’s what you need to do:
Call a roofing repair company
The first thing you should do is call a roofing repair company. Don’t be tempted to try and repair the leak yourself as you can make it worse. Plus, it could be dangerous as you’d need to get on top of your roof! Companies like America Roofing specialize in leak repairs, so trust the professionals to handle things for you.
Keep the leak under control
While you wait for the roofing company to come out and fix your roof, you should contain the leak. See if you can cover it up with some sort of heavy-duty tape – this works best on small cracks or holes. If you can’t do this, then place a bucket under the leak to catch the water and prevent any water damage.
That’s all you need to do, and you should have this problem solved within a couple of days. Like I said before, you don’t want a leaky roof to go on for ages. It can drain your bank balance and cause irreversible damage to your attic. Learn how to spot a leak, then get it fixed.