A leaking roof is one of the worst nightmares of any homeowner. Water damage to the roof can cause rotting and mould if the leak is not addressed. But there’s no reason to despair, it’s definitely something that you can get a handle on with the help of these tips.e roof
The first step to dealing with a leak is to find where it is. Sometimes it is relatively obvious, while in most cases it’s difficult to find where it is. One strategy is to have a second person go on top of the roof with a hose. Remember, especially if you’ve never done this before, that staying safe on a roof is very important because a fall could kill or permanently injure you.
The process is for you to stand underneath the roof while they hose over the roof. This means that when water starts dropping you’ve found the leak from both ends. If you don’t have a second person, you could always wait for it to rain and find the leak then.
Containing the damage
Now that you’ve found your leak, you need to make sure that you can contain any water damage while you work on sealing it. If the leak is in the open and dripping into a room, a simple bucket on a chair or stool placed under it will likely do in the short term. But ideally, to stop any water from getting into the roof at all, a waterproof tarp hung over where the leak is will provide maximum improvised protection.
Repairing the damage
But that tarp won’t do forever. How you fix a roof depends on two factors – what kind of roof it is, and what kind of damage has taken place. There are a couple of main tools that can be applied to different kinds of damage. One is lead flashing, essentially a thin sheet of lead. This can be tricky to install and expensive but very useful since it is waterproof. There are also non-lead lead alternatives that can be used in the same circumstances. Sometimes a leak is caused by issues with existing flashing in which case it is best to have that flashing replaced. This is best done by a professional roofer.
Roofing cement is a more middle-calibre solution for leaks and repairs. Like regular cement, this is mixed with water to make a paste before application. This is traditionally applied with a patching trowel or filling knife.
Then there is gap filler, a resinous acrylic substance that is traditionally applied using the caulking gun. This is better for small holes that don’t merit roofing cement as a repair solution.
A must-have product for roof repair is a waterproofing resin such as Cromapol. This is a substance similar to paint which can be applied with a workman’s brush – though the brush itself might not last after being used for this purpose. Cromapol can be used both for an emergency waterproofing of a temporary repair as well as a final layer of a permanent patching. The thing to remember with Cromapol is that you always need to remember to clean the area of dust, grime, and moss before applying a layer.
Pitched roofing
Pitched roofs have two main layers, the tiles and the roofing felt underneath. The tiles are usually made of ceramics or plastics, while the roofing felt is a membrane usually made of polyester and bitumen.
One of the main advantages of tiles is that you can replace a damaged one relatively easily. If the damage is relatively minor you can try just using a coat of Cromapol to fill in cracks, but sometimes the damage would be too severe to do this. After identifying what sort of tiles you have you simply need to order a new one, and wriggle the previous one free. The only exception is slate tiles, which are usually complex enough that they should be replaced by a professional roofer who specialises in slate.
However, if there has also been damage to the roofing felt, you must repair that too after removing the tile and before replacing it. For more significant damage you can repair felt by cutting a torn section out with a knife. After fitting in a new section of felt underneath the hole so that it overlaps by at least 10mm around the edges, you should apply sealant to the edges to make sure it’s totally waterproof.
However, sometimes a pitched roof might not have taken damage to the tiles. The leak might have occurred elsewhere. For instance, the leak might have occurred because of damage to an abutment where a pitched roof meets a wall, or perhaps a leak has sprung where a pipe penetrates the roof. These are areas where lead flashing is usually used to cover over the gaps to waterproof the join. In this case the flashing should be replaced.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs can have a wide variety of materials. Regardless of this however, there are a few common solutions to cracks and damage.
One way to repair large cracks is to use a combination of Cromapol and fibreglass GRP matting. Cut out a section of GRP that would cover the cracks, then use Cromapol to cover the cracks and apply the matting over it using the Cromapol as an adhesive. Then use more Cromapol to cover the GRP matting, making sure that no GRP matting is visible at all. This will protect the GRP matting from the sun.
If your entire roof covering is made of fibreglass then instead of using Cromapol it’s best to sand down the area around the crack first, then laminate a patch of GRP matting and then use a fibreglass topcoat as if you were installing a fibreglass roof for the first time. Remember to always take full safety precautions when dealing with fibreglass. If you’re unfamiliar with it it might be best to get in a professional roofer.
Smaller cracks are much easier to repair. If it’s sufficiently small you can just use Cromapol to seal them up, with no additional steps needed.
Just like with a pitched roof sometimes the leak will be around part of the roof that has had flashing. In this case, the flashing will need to be replaced. Again, this is best done by a professional roofer.