How to Find & Fix a Roof Leak In Your Home
ARTICLE BY MANYARA. J CHIURA
- Partially
unroll or unfold enough heavy (6-mil) polyethylene sheeting to cover the leaking section of roof, from eaves to
peak; add about 4 feet extra, and cut it with a utility knife. Wrap one end
around a 2 by 4 that is as long as the plastic’s width; staple the plastic
along the 2 by 4. Sandwich the assembly with a second 2 by 4, and nail the
boards together with three or four 3-inch or 3 1/4-inch common nails.
- Place the sandwiched end of the plastic along the eaves. Stretch the sheeting from eaves to ridge, running it over the top of the ridge and down the other side a few feet.
- Sandwich the top end of the sheeting with another pair of 2 by 4s so the wind will not carry it away. Do not nail any part of this assembly to the roof.
Fast Fix for a Roof Leak
If you know that a roof leak is being caused by a hole, sometimes you can temporarily fix it with a 12-by-12-inch piece of galvanized sheet metal flashing, available at almost any home improvement center or hardware store.
Lift the damaged shingle with one hand, and push the sheet metal flashing up underneath the shingle so the sheet metal covers the hole. It may be necessary to pry up one or more roofing nails in the row above the damaged shingle so you can push the flashing all the way up under the course of shingles above the leak so water will be shed over the metal.
About Do-It-Yourself Roof Repair
Working on top of a roof can be difficult and dangerous. Unless your roof’s pitch is relatively low and you have the necessary experience, tools, and confidence to get the job done safely, you should leave this work to a professional.