Don't Let Roof Leaks Dampen Your Spirits

Dealing with roof leaks is an annoyance at best and a disaster at worst. When you first find a leak, act quickly to allay any further damage.

• If water is dripping through your ceiling, place pots, pans, and buckets under the drips to collect the water. You are not collecting it for any esoteric purpose, it is to keep if from doing more damage as it descends.

• Move everything out from beneath the leak. Move electronic products not only out from the direct line of fire, but also away from any splishing or splashing.

• As soon as possible, go into the attic to locate the source of the leak. Look for water stains on the decking, wet spots on the insulation, or water tracks down the decking. Make a note of where the water is coming in and where it is attacking the ceiling panels or tiles – they may be two different locations.

• When the rain and the leaks have stopped, carefully inspect the roof for obvious signs of damage. Look for holes, cracks, low spots, broken shingles, flashing separating from the roof, and loose or damaged caulk. If the water appears to be entering around the eaves or drip edge, look for damaged fascia board, of places where the shingles may have pulled back from the edge of he roof.

• Unless you are an experienced roofer, do not go climbing around on your roof. Contact a roofing contractor or your insurance adjuster to come out a give the roof a thorough inspection. They will give you a detailed report of any damages and provide guidelines of what needs to be done to correct problems.

• If you have damage to your ceiling, have your insurance adjuster inspect this damage, or call in a remodeler. In either case, you will receive a detailed report as to the impact of the damage, and how it needs to be repaired.

• Once you know what roof repairs need to be done, begin contacting roofing contractors to solicit bids for the job. A reputable company will offer several options based on the condition of your roof, a fair price, and most likely a guarantee on the quality of their work as well as any warranties offered by the manufacturer of the roofing material used.

Once roof leaks begin, swift and decisive actions are needed to mitigate further damage. When the sun comes out and the leak stops, that does not mean the problem has gone away. It is just lying dormant.