It’s never good if you’re using pots and pans to catch water leaking in through the ceiling when it’s raining outside! In June, Sydney has the highest rainfall with 132mm of rain. Before the heavy rain season starts, its important to check your roof. There are areas on your roof that are prone to leak behind walls. It needs to be sealed and repaired. Proper roof maintenance can protect your building and save you money in the long term. Because a roof leak can lead to serious problems such as dry rot, mold and other damage, it’s important to deal with them as soon as you can.
Usually a leaking roof is a consequence of damaged, worn-out or missing shingles on the roof, and often the nails have come loose. Sometimes, water leaks in through parts of the roof where the flashing is not secure around chimneys, skylights, valleys where sections of the roof meet and other places. Once the water has gotten past the shingles of your leaking roof, it flows down the sheathing and follows the path of least resistance into your house as an unwelcome presence.
Finding Leaks
Try to in the daytime. Go into your attic with a flashlight and move to the point above the ceiling where the water is getting into the rooms below, being careful to step only on secure framing and not on insulation, or you could fall through the ceiling.
Once you’ve gotten to the correct spot, use your flashlight to look for water marks or moisture on the wood and follow them up as far as they go. Turn off your flashlight and look for where the daylight is coming through the roof, and you’ve found your leak! If it’s raining, put a bucket underneath the leak to catch the water before it gets even farther into your house.
If you can’t find your leak using this method, then it’s time to water-test, and you’ll need a second person to help. One person will take a garden hose onto the roof and, working from the eaves up, spray it onto the shingles. The other person will be inside the attic with a flashlight looking for where the water comes in. Once the leak is found, push a nail through the roof to mark the spot.
Fixing Leaks
Some leaks are easy fixes, while others may indicate that its time to replace the entire roof. You can often simply fix roof by replacing damaged shingles by nailing down new ones. If there’s a large hole, repair roof by sliding a 12-x-12 inches piece of sheet metal flashing under the damaged shingles as a temporary fix; you may have to pry up some nails to do this.
Getting Help
Working on a roof, especially a steep one, can be very dangerous. If you’re feeling like you’re taking a risk by trying to fix roof, then it’s time to call in a professional. Slate shingles in particular have their own issues that may need expert care to repair roof. Whatever types of roof and leaks you have, a good roofing company can assess your situation and advise how to proceed from there.