Roofing Repairs on Leaks

There are many reasons why your roofs develop a leak. Often, you will find the cause after you investigate it. Some of the best Roofing Pompton Plains NJ installers may have missed some little things which went wrong and developed into something serious after a time.

The leaks on the roof might be the result of the defect in the water’s flow progress as it travels from its original high point down, reaching the roof’s edge, to the gutter and finally to the ground.   

Finding the leak

Get to know first where the leak spot is. It may take a little sleuthing. Sometimes, the leak’s location on your ceiling can be misleading. Water sometimes run down on many things (rafters, trusses, etc.) and show up a good distance from its actual source.

The best way to locate the leak’s source is climbing the attic. Check the damage on the roof deck’s underside and get an idea of the leak’s actual location on the roof.  

Sometimes, the leak is simple and the repair process is just as simple. If there is no structural damage and both the roof and the decking need not be replaced, all you need is some tar, some flashing and some roofing nails and take care of it yourself.

Leaks in roof surface

If water is coming in through the surface of the deck, there might be some damage by the wind to the shingles. One may even be split with the impact. Also, they can also be caused by branches falling off trees or some such incidents. If you have extra shingles with the same color, simply replace the damaged shingles.

If you have no extra shingles around, take a small pry bar and carefully detach 3 or 4 Roofing Pompton Plains NJ nails holding the torn shingle. Be careful not to damage it more than it already is. Lift the tabs, apply some generous coating of tar under the tear and nail the shingle back to the deck. Next, lay a heavy application of tar directly over the tear and a spot on each of the nails’ head.

If you can’t use the old nail holes, be sure to cover them with tar as well. Putting another line of tar under the shingle that overlaps the damaged one can also hold off the ice from bucking up under the shingle in winter.

Leaks found in vents

If a leak comes in from around the chimney or a vent, it might be that the seam is where the flashing meets the chimney or a vent pipe developed a gap. This can happen if the caulk used had dried out, or the pipe had been hit or had shifted. A fresh coat of tar can solve the problem.

Sometimes, the flashing is punctured by a fallen tree branch and needs a replacement. You can buy rolls of aluminum flashing at improvement stores and cut them to size. Gently loosen the shingles covering the old flashing and take it out.

After tacking down the new flashing with roofing nails, make sure to seal the edges with a generous coat of tar. Put back the shingles like they were in the original way. Sometimes, roofing problems look intimidating but things can be solved eventually.