You just noticed a hole in your roof. You don't want to wait for a contractor, and you know repairing the leak will take some time. You also have some tools and materials on hand to act fast. That's when you realize, "I can do this myself." As long as you follow these tips.
Stop The Moisture
The first thing
you want to do is to stop the leak. It means taking the shingles or roofing
material off of the area and placing a tarp over it. You then want to make sure
you have everything ready for your repair. With a shingle roof, you usually
need to replace the shingle with a hole in it and four or five adjoining
shingles. You may also want to consider spraying an adhesive or mastic on top
of these new shingles.
Repair Your Foundation
You may or may
not need to repair your foundation if it is the source of the leak. If you have
experienced a plumbing leak, then your plumbing needs to be repaired first. If
there is a crack in your foundation, then you need to repair that as well. You
might also consider putting a heavy plastic tarp or some tarps down to help
protect against any future leaks if the problem is ongoing instead of just an
isolated incident.
Patch The Hole In Your Roof
You will want to
use roofing cement for your repair. This material can be cut and shaped into a
patch that will help you repair the leak when doing roof repair. It should be allowed to dry before you put any weight on
it or cover it with any of your roofing materials.
Replace Your Roofing Materials
Once your patch
has dried, it's time to replace your shingles or other roofing material. You
will want to cut the shingles so that you can fit them together precisely. Be
sure that they are cut to a precise length and angle for a flush look with your
existing roof.
Seal The Joints
Once all your
shingles have been replaced, then the joints need to be sealed with a silicone
sealant of some kind. You will want to use a roofing-grade silicone sealant for
this project. Be sure that the area is dry before you begin applying this
material.
Replace The Shingles Or Roofing
Material For Repair
Once your roof
is repaired, you will want to replace your shingles or roofing material in
sections, from highest to lowest. It would help if you replaced your shingles
in the same direction as they were original. Any other direction will almost
certainly result in the warping of your new material and leakage down the road.
Secure The Materials
Once your roof
is repaired, you will want to secure your materials. It means placing them in
an overlapping fashion to ensure that they stay in place. Be sure that you
secure them with screws or nails and a pneumatic nail gun if possible. You will
also want to be sure that you don't drive any nails through the shingles
themselves when you're placing your nails about 1/2 inch below the surface of
the shingle material.
While you can
still, hire a professional to repair the hole in your roof, this article should
prove helpful if you find yourself in a situation where you need to fix the
leak yourself. As long as you follow these tips, you should be able to repair
your roof with relative ease. Be sure to wear protective clothing and safety
gear when repairing your roof and follow all of the tips outlined in this
article.
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