What to do if your roof is leaking

In Indianapolis – and everywhere, really – a leaking roof is one of the last things anyone wants to experience in their home. That’s because there are problems both inside and outside the home that are costly to fix. However, steps can be taken to mitigate the damage before it gets too bad.

No matter how bad the overall damage, you should call a company that specializes in roof repairs in Indianapolis. You take care of any damage and make sure the integrity of your roof remains intact the next time there is a heavy downpour.

Protect the inside of your home

As is to be expected, everything that is under the leak is in immediate danger. Remove whatever is directly under the leak if you can. Water damage can be serious and difficult to fix. If an object is too heavy to move, place a bucket or similar waterproof container on the object to catch any water and empty it at regular intervals.

Perform preventive damage control

Find the largest and / or wettest part of your blanket or the part with the largest bulge and carefully insert a hole with a screwdriver or a pointed object of similar size. Why would you do that The reason for this is that the accumulation of the leaking water under the ceiling can cause a lot of potential problems: it could burst and cause a stream of water to leak out at once. The water sometimes finds different escape routes, creating multiple leaks.

Poking a hole in the ceiling will relieve the pressure from the pool water and give you control over where the leak occurs. Remember to have a bucket in standby when you make the leak. If you have a flat roof, pooling can be the result of standing water on the roof from previous rains. Standing water can cause many problems. So remove it after a heavy downpour.

Contain the situation as best you can

You want to prevent the leak from occurring altogether instead of just trying to manage it. You need a roof repair specialist to find a permanent solution, but you can offer a temporary solution in the meantime. You can do this from inside or outside the house, provided you have the right equipment.

For repairs in the house, Roof tape– a flashing tape – or roofing cement can be used to prevent any leaks. They can be placed on the inside of the roof when you go to the attic and identify the cause of the leak. They can also be attached to the outside of the roof, but using a tarp can be a more effective method. This is because a tarpaulin can cover both the leak and any roof damage around the leak.

Whichever method you choose, you should be careful getting on the roof and under no circumstances should you attempt to access the roof while the rain is still falling for your own safety.

Repair the leak ASAP!

As mentioned earlier, these solutions are only temporary fixes. You need a roofer to do a long-lasting repair. You can also assess the roof to determine if the damage is one-time or if there are underlying problems that could warrant a full roof replacement. Regardless of the outcome of the assessment, a roof repair specialist will ensure that leaks are a thing of the past, not the future.