One of the most dreaded days in the life of a homeowner is the day when that brown patch or spot shows up on a ceiling or in the corner of a room. The first signs of a leaking roof are small, but you can’t miss them. And you know that when you first see it, it is a problem that will not go away by itself.
Many times the leaks in your roof are not directly above the spots where they show up on your ceiling. Fixing a leaking roof can sometimes take a good deal of detective work on your part. The water that leaks in under or through the shingles may run down rafters or your chimney and then show up in your ceiling at a different location. But before you start looking for the leak, decide whether or not it is time to replace all your shingles, or just fix the spot that is leaking.
Do You Need A New Roof?
If your asphalt shingles are getting to be more than 15 or 20 years old then it may be time to put on a new roof. If your shingles appear very worn and you see areas that are buckling or cracking, or if you see lots of granules from the shingles in your rain gutters and the shingles look old or threadbare, then it may be time to simply put on a new roof.
If your home is fairly new, you can put a new layer of shingles right on top of the old ones. If this is the case you can save a good deal of money on your roof replacement cost. On most homes, you can put as many as three layers of shingles on the roof before they have to be completely torn off.
If you already have two or three layers of shingles on the roof, then the job becomes more complicated since it will be necessary for you to tear off the old shingles completely before putting on the new ones. If this is the case, be sure to look for and repair any of the roofing materials or boards that show water damage or rotting before you put on the new roof.
If Your Existing Shingles Are Good, Here’s How to Fix the Leak:
If you can fix your leak you can save yourself the cost of a new roof. The first thing you need to do is determine where the water is getting through the roof. Go up in your attic with a good flashlight and try to determine where it is leaking. Look for signs of water; discoloration, dampness or moldy spots. Pay special attention to areas where there is flashing above you on the roof such as where your chimney or other plumbing vents go up through the roof.
Once you find the spot where the water is getting in, go outside and get up on the roof to find the spot from the outside. If the spot is hard to locate on the outside, you can pound a nail through the roof from the inside so you can find the area to fix.
If the leak is due to problems with loose flashing around a chimney or vent, use rust proof screws to tighten and secure the flashing. Then apply roofing tar over the area you have repaired. You can check out the roof repair products on this page if you need help getting the right materials.
If the problem is caused by a bad shingle or shingles, you can replace the ones that are bad. It is not necessary to completely redo the roof if you only need to replace a few shingles. If you find shingles that are damaged and cracked that you think are the cause of your leak, be sure to replace a somewhat larger area around them to make sure you have the problem fixed.
It is not a difficult job to lift up the top row of good shingles, and then cut out and replace the bad ones. If you need to leave any exposed nails, be sure to cover them well with roofing tar. Make sure that you don’t leave any areas where water can stand or pool.
Get Help If You Need It:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing roofing repairs yourself, call a roofing contractor for help. But if you take the time to figure out where your leak is, and what the extent of the problem may be, you’ll be better prepared to talk to them.
And once you find the leak and know the problem, you may want to take a stab at it yourself and save much of that new roof cost for yourself. And remember that if your project turns into a job where you generate a lot of rubbish or debris, check out our pages on how to save money by renting a roll off container or roll off dumpster to make a simple job of cleanup.
One of the most dreaded days in the life of a homeowner is the day when that brown patch or spot shows up on a ceiling or in the corner of a room. The first signs of a leaking roof are small, but you can’t miss them. And you know that when you first see it, it is a problem that will not go away by itself.
Many times the leaks in your roof are not directly above the spots where they show up on your ceiling. Fixing a leaking roof can sometimes take a good deal of detective work on your part. The water that leaks in under or through the shingles may run down rafters or your chimney and then show up in your ceiling at a different location. But before you start looking for the leak, decide whether or not it is time to replace all your shingles, or just fix the spot that is leaking.
Do You Need A New Roof?
If your asphalt shingles are getting to be more than 15 or 20 years old then it may be time to put on a new roof. If your shingles appear very worn and you see areas that are buckling or cracking, or if you see lots of granules from the shingles in your rain gutters and the shingles look old or threadbare, then it may be time to simply put on a new roof.
If your home is fairly new, you can put a new layer of shingles right on top of the old ones. If this is the case you can save a good deal of money on your roof replacement cost. On most homes, you can put as many as three layers of shingles on the roof before they have to be completely torn off.
If you already have two or three layers of shingles on the roof, then the job becomes more complicated since it will be necessary for you to tear off the old shingles completely before putting on the new ones. If this is the case, be sure to look for and repair any of the roofing materials or boards that show water damage or rotting before you put on the new roof.
If Your Existing Shingles Are Good, Here’s How to Fix the Leak:
If you can fix your leak you can save yourself the cost of a new roof. The first thing you need to do is determine where the water is getting through the roof. Go up in your attic with a good flashlight and try to determine where it is leaking. Look for signs of water; discoloration, dampness or moldy spots. Pay special attention to areas where there is flashing above you on the roof such as where your chimney or other plumbing vents go up through the roof.
Once you find the spot where the water is getting in, go outside and get up on the roof to find the spot from the outside. If the spot is hard to locate on the outside, you can pound a nail through the roof from the inside so you can find the area to fix.
If the leak is due to problems with loose flashing around a chimney or vent, use rust proof screws to tighten and secure the flashing. Then apply roofing tar over the area you have repaired.
If the problem is caused by a bad shingle or shingles, you can replace the ones that are bad. It is not necessary to completely redo the roof if you only need to replace a few shingles. If you find shingles that are damaged and cracked that you think are the cause of your leak, be sure to replace a somewhat larger area around them to make sure you have the problem fixed.
It is not a difficult job to lift up the top row of good shingles, and then cut out and replace the bad ones. If you need to leave any exposed nails, be sure to cover them well with roofing tar. Make sure that you don’t leave any areas where water can stand or pool.
Get Help If You Need It:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing roofing repairs yourself, call a roofing contractor for help. But if you take the time to figure out where your leak is, and what the extent of the problem may be, you’ll be better prepared to talk to them.
And once you find the leak and know the problem, you may want to take a stab at it yourself and save much of that new roof cost for yourself.