Roof leaks shouldn’t occur if your roof is installed correctly. However, roofs deteriorate over time if you don’t provide maintenance to them, which might also be why your roof leaks. A strong hail, storm, or other bad weather can expose or create a weakness in your roof, and leakage is just among the first signs that you need to take action.
You should get a roof repair at Clear Vision Construction, LLC. A roof leak can lead to extensive water damage if you don’t take action and repair it as soon as possible. Roof repairs are much more affordable than roof replacements. You might simply have to deal with a couple of missing shingles or other causes. Yet, unless you don’t do something about it, you might need more than a couple of roof replacements later.
All in all, what you do during a roof leak is equally important in both the long and short term. Here are five key things to do if your roof is leaking!
Move/Cover the Items Near the Leakage
Once a roof leak occurs, you might start to panic. However, there is nothing to fear unless the leakage occurs near power sockets or lightbulbs. If it occurs near these places, turn the power off and don’t turn it back on without a professional inspecting the damage.
It is important to move all your belongings away from the water leak so that it won’t damage them as well, but if you can’t move some items, you should at least try to cover them, including your floor. Don’t let your furniture or clothes get soaked.
Place Containers
Once everything is moved or covered from where the water leak occurred, bring some containers immediately. Anything from buckets to garbage cans or towels will do to reduce the impact.
Before the buckets start to fill, you should use this time to look around for other roof leaks or water stains on the ceiling. If there are other roof leaks, contain them as well. Be sure to regularly check your buckets so that they won’t spill once they are full.
Look for a Bulge
In many instances, a roof leak is just one sign of a bigger issue somewhere else. Inspect your ceiling and check to see if there is any sagging bulge hanging around. If there is, this is an area where water accumulates.
If bulges are present, then you need to take action right away. You need to poke the bulge with a screwdriver or something else to release the water. If you don’t do it, then the water accumulation could spread and cause even more damage to your ceiling in different areas.
Lastly, even if you don’t poke the bulge, it might erupt on its own, and if this occurs, it might create an even bigger mess in your home. Before you poke the bulge, be sure to remove any items underneath it and cover everything up.
When you poke the bulge, there’s no telling how much water will come out, and you should try to minimize the mess as best you can. You should also have a bucket on hand and place it beneath the bulge to catch the water. In some instances, you might need to puncture the bulge several times before it gives in. If you are using a knife, be careful not to make sudden moves when the bulge erupts, as you might hurt yourself.
Take Photos
If the damages you suffered during your roof leak are eligible for a home insurance claim, you should start taking photos and documenting everything after you have contained the leaks. This way, you can showcase the severity of your roof damage and other items that might have been compromised during the roof leak, such as your furniture, electronics, and other items.
In some instances, your insurance company should cover your roof damage and the affected items. Yet, be sure that your photos adequately capture the event and are clear.
Contact a Roofing Company
Roof leaks aren’t a big cause for concern in most instances. Yet, it is a clear sign that your roof needs maintenance. Your roof might need some repairs as the water leak occurred for some reason, such as missing shingles or other roof damage.
This is the best-case scenario. In other instances, your roof might be severely damaged, but you won’t have any way of knowing until you contact a professional roofing company. They will send in a team to help you out.
Don’t dismiss the water leak as a one-time event. It will happen again and again unless you take action. The longer you wait, the higher the chances that the damages will expand, and the costs will get even higher. You might face mold issues later or other unpleasant and expensive situations.
Final Thoughts
If the roofing company cannot help you right away, ask them for some tips on what you can do until they come. In some instances, you can tarp your roof and use fasteners to nail it down. This might be only a temporary solution depending on the damage that was already done.
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