3 Things to Do Immediately After Detecting a Roof Leak

After the first sounds of water dripping into the house interrupt your peace of mind and confidence in your roof's ability to keep you dry, there are three important things that you should do.  The first step you need to take care of right away, while the other two steps will need to be done when there is a break in the downpour.  By having a plan in place to take care of your roof's leaks, you can help make sure that your home stays in good condition.

Step 1:  Collection and Clean Up
The first step is always the most anxiety ridden for homeowners.  The pitter patter of rain dripping through the roof is never a welcome sound, but the first thing you need to do is start collecting the water.  Quickly place an old, large towel on the ground and place a deep and wide bucket or bowl under the spot of the drip.  It is important to put the towel down first, because as the water begins to fill up in the container, it is likely to splash out.  Wipe down the area before you put the towel down to clean up any water that is currently on the floor.  When the rain is pouring down, it is not safe to go out onto your roof, so your only option is really just to collect the dripping water and clean up any water that may be there.

Step 2:  Assess the Problem
After the rain has stopped and the roof is dry, it may be safe for you to go out onto your roof.  If you are comfortable doing this and the roof is easily accessible, climb up and check out where the leak is coming from.  Often, it may be just a matter of re-sealing or re-caulking flashing or seams.  This can easily be done with roof caulk and sealant that is sold in most large home improvement stores.  If your roof is steep or you are not comfortable climbing out onto the surface, your next step is to call a roofing contractor to assess the problem for you.  Be prepared for your roofer to be busy after particularly heavy rains or storms, as that is when most people will see problems in their roof.

Step 3:  Repair the Problem
If you are able to repair the problem yourself, you will find that the cost to do so is much cheaper than hiring a roofing contractor.  However, do not let the lure of an inexpensive bill propel you to attempt roof repairs that you do not feel comfortable doing yourself.  If you already have a reputable roofing contractor that you use, have him come to repair the problem for you.  If not, referrals from friends and family will often yield much better results than random cold calling of roofers in the phone book.

While it may be tempting to let the problem go until it leaks again, it is best to get the problem taken care of right away.  It is better to spend money re-caulking flashing or repairing a seam, than it is to re-coat the roof and repair beam damage because you waited too long.