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Roof Repairs
What do you do for a leaky roof is the question for a lot of
home owners, especially if they live in a harsh winter
environment where snow and ice can cause many roof leaks.
This is a common problem that if not repaired will cause
damage to the roofs under laments and structural damage.
Most roof construction is of plywood covered with asphalt or
fiberglass shingles. Most of the damage to roofs is a
shingle damage or shingle sealer failure, permitting waster
to creep under the shingles and penetrating the plywood.
Often the water will run under the plywood until it reveals
itself at some distant point from the leakage point. These
types of leaks are difficult to precisely locate.
Other likely leakage points are around chimneys and vent flashing. They
are usually easier to locate as the water will run down the
inside of the chimney or vent stack. These leaks are easy to
fix once they are exactly locate. If the leak is caused by a
damaged shingle it can be repaired by either replacing the
damaged shingle or applying roof cement (tar). Typically as
shingles age then curl at the downside edge breaking the
cement bonding. They can usually be repaired by heating the
shingle to restore its shape and apply cement to keep it in
place. If the shingle is severely damaged it should be
replaced.
If there are numerous curled shingles caused by
weathering it may be time for a complete roof shingle
replacement.
If complete replacement is necessary
consider a metal roof alternative.
Most metal roofs last more than a hundred years and are not
susceptible to leakage like asphalt and fiberglass singled
roofs. Metal roofs usually do not require roof repair.
If
you don’t elect to install metal roofing make certain that
the roofer used a generous amount of rain guard. It’s common
today to completely cover the roof with a rain guard
material rather than the first few feet.
If the leak is around flashing, simply remove any old
caulking or cement and generously apply new cement.
 Additional nailing may be necessary. Only use roofing nails
to attach shingles and flashing to the roof. The heads of
roofing nails are much larger than regular nails and are
galvanized to prevent corrosion.
A Weathered Roof
It may be necessary to use a water hose to exactly locate a
leak. Follow the water stain or other evidence up the roof
line until you locate the leak.
Apply water using the water hose to verify the leak. If the leak is
around a dormer simply re- cement at the leakage point. If
the leak is occurring in a valley repairing it can become
more troublesome.
If the bottom of the valley is constructed of
flashing it may be necessary to remove all the shingle of
the valley to locate the leak along the flashing. If this is
necessary re-cement the entire edge of the flashing and
replace the shingles.
If the bottom of the valley is constructed of overlapping
shingles rather than flashing, find the loose or unsealed
shingle and either replace it or re-cement it.
 
Roof With 100% Rain Guard
Shingle Cement
Tools for roof repair
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Pry bar (to lift damaged shingles
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Scraper
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Utility
knife (to cut shingles
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Galvanized roofing nails
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Asphalt
cement
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A small
trowel to apply cement
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Hammer
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A Great DIY Guide
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