Solving Roof Leaks

It’s a good idea to inspect and repair your roof in autumn, before the hard weather hits. Examine the roof again in spring to assess any winter damage. If you discover problems, make the necessary repairs.

Inspecting From Inside Begin an inspection in the attic, using a strong flashlight, a thin screwdriver; a knife, and a piece of chalk to examine the ridge beam, rafters, and sheathing. Look for water stains, dark-colored areas of wet wood, moisture, and soft spots that may indicate dry rot. Mark the wet spots with chalk so you can find them easily later on.

Be very careful when in the attic that you step only on ceiling joists or other surfaces that are strong enough to support you. If it’s necessary to remove insulation batts to examine the sheathing, be sure to wear gloves, goggles, a respirator for protection, and loose clothing to protect against skin irritation.

Next, turn off any lights. If you see any holes above you, drive nails or poke wire through them so they’ll be visible from the roof’s surface. (In a wood-shingle roof, shafts of light coming in at an angle indicate separations that may shut when the shingles are wet.)

Inspecting From Outside When you examine the roof from outdoors, evaluate the condition of the roof structure, surface material, flashing, eaves, and gutters.

To check the roof structure, stand back from the house and look at the lines of the ridge and rafters. The ridge line should be perfectly horizontal, and the line of the rafters, which you can assess by looking along the plane of each roof section, should be straight. If either sags, call in a contractor-your house may have a structural problem.

Next, inspect the roof’s surface. Before climbing up on your roof, be sure to read the safety tips. If you’re at all nervous about going up on the roof, make the inspection from a ladder; using a pair of binoculars. Don’t walk on the roof any more than is absolutely necessary; you can easily cause more damage.

Inspect the flashing for corrosion and broken seals along the edges. If you have metal gutters and downspouts, look for rust spots and holes. Then examine the roof surface for signs of wear; loose or broken nails, or curled, broken, or missing shingles.

Use a knife and screwdriver to test the boards along the eaves and rakes. If you encounter damage caused by dry rot, replace the boards and finish them to match the existing areas.

Roof leaks usually appear during storms when you can’t make permanent repairs. But you can take steps to temporarily divert or halt the flow of water; as shown in the illustrations on facing page.

Generally, leaks begin at a roof’s most vulnerable spots­ at flashing, where shingles are damaged, in valleys, or at eaves. The water may show up far from its point of origin after working its way through layers of roofing materials and down rafters to collect in a puddle in the attic or other areas of the house.

During a storm, trace the course of water to find where it’s coming through the roof. If you can find a hole or leak, drive a nail or wire through the hole so you can find it later when you get up on top of the roof. Once the roof is dry enough, look for spots that indicate the source of the leak. Remember; the point where a nail or wire is poking through may not be below the actual source.

How Leaks Travel

Leaks rarely appear directly below where they originate. A spreading water stain on the ceiling indicates puddling water. Drive a nail or poke a wire up through the leaking area to drain some of the water into a bucket directly below.

Temporary Repairs For Roof Leaks

Emergency Patch

Using a putty knife or caulking gun, apply plastic roofing cement liberally to the hole from inside. Work the compound in thoroughly so it adheres.

Solving Roof Leaks

When the roof is dry, slide a 2-foot square of galvanized sheet metal under the row of shingles above the missing or damaged shingle.