Do you find water stains on your ceilings or on the walls? Would you like to check whether your roof can be repaired yourself or need a professional roofer? Go through this article to know how to identify damages on your roof and how to repair minor damages yourself.
A roof is the uppermost part of a building which mostly acts as a shelter, from weather and other threats. A damage in the roof often leads to leakages, which in turn creates a stain in the ceiling or wall nearby the leakage. For a flat roof, the damage may be near the stain spots, but in case of a slanted roof, the leakages may appear at a considerable distance from the stains.
The easiest way to find a leaky roof is, to pour water on the roof using a hose in different parts and take help of another person to check the interior walls for stains. By this method, you can easily identify the leaking area and the reason for damage. If the damage is due to curled or missing shingle, then it can be repaired by straightening the curled ones and replacing the easily damaged shingles with new ones. At last, use an asphalt roof cement or compound to fix them in place.
If the stain on the wall is really small, the leak may be due to nuts that might have escaped from the roofing frame. These situations occur mostly due to the expansion or contraction of metal nails during extreme weathers. Make sure all the nuts are perfectly embedded into their frames. Another roof repairing technique is, mending the blisters in roof materials. Cut these swellings carefully with a knife without affecting other materials underneath and dry the area by squeezing water out of it.
Use asphalt cement to hold the cut material together and with a nail fix each side of the repaired blister. Final touch can be given, using the compound, to cover the cut and the nail heads as well. Damages can be detected at the connections like vents, chimneys, etc. also. If such damages are detected to be small, it can be repaired by applying new caulks. Old caulks at the damaged spot can be removed using a knife or any sharp object and dry the spot. Apply a fresh and thick amount of caulk to the crack, using an applicator, so that they bond properly and then leave it to dry.
If severe damages are detected at the connections or in the vent boots, it is advisable to replace it. Small holes in the roof, like nail holes or small cracks, may create severe damages or rot before we notice them. So it is better to close those small holes when detected, rather than wait for any visible damages. Flashing of cracks or holes is advised over caulking, as they are more lasting and it is considered to be a durable method.
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