There are times when a roof or eavestrough leak develops and a professional can’t repair it right away. Perhaps the repair man is busy with something else, or it is a holiday or a weekend, or you don’t have the money to pay a hired hand. However, you need to have the roof or eavestrough leak repaired at once since not doing so will lead to more serious problems. Don’t worry, a temporary fix to roof or eavestrough leak can be done while you’re waiting for the professional. Here are some tips in this regard.
Deal With The Effects Of The Leak Inside The House
When there is a leak, you will notice it first by its effects on the things inside your house. Perhaps there will be some water dripping from your ceiling that is falling on your floor or on your furniture or cascading on your walls. To prevent further damage, try to locate the wettest or the most obvious spot where the leak is coming from and plug the hole with a piece of cloth, rubber or anything that will stop the leak. Then put a bucket or basin to catch the draining water.
Locate The Point Of Entry
The next thing you need to do is to pinpoint the exact spot where the leak is coming from. Don’t just try to prevent the leak that you can obviously see right away. The leak could have been coming from a more discreet place. Once you have located the exact spot, get a water bucket to collect the water that is draining from the leak. This will prevent the draining water from damaging your ceiling, walls, floor or furniture.
Use A Plastic Tarp
If you know where the leak is coming from, you can also get a plastic tarp and use it to catch the leaks. Stretch out the tarp until it is taut. See to it that it will cover the entire area where the leak is coming from. Then drive nails to the edges of the tarp so that it will stay there. Cover the nails with roof cement to prevent water from leaking through them while you are waiting for the repair man to permanently fix the leak.
Use An All-Weather Sealing Agent
You can also use an all-weather sealing agent that can work even if the leaking spot is wet. Put sufficient amount of this sealing agent to the leaking spot. There are special roofing cements sold in your local hardware store that can work even if the damaged surface of the roof or eavestrough is wet. Therefore, you can use them to stop the leak even when there is a downpour outside.
Straighten Out Curled Shingles
If your roof is covered with shingles, examine if the leak is originating from a curved shingle. If so, you need to straighten out that particular shingle. Flatten it out gently so it won’t break. A curved shingle is a sign of old age and it may have already reached the end of its lifespan. Apply sufficient amount of roof cement to let it stay flat on the roof platform. If the leak stops, you’re temporary solution is working. However, the shingle may curl up again so this fix is really temporary at best. After you have done this temporary fix and the leak still persists, you may have to call the professional to replace the shingle or shingles to fix the leak permanently.
Maintain Your Temporary Fix Until Help Arrives
Hopefully, you will be able to fix your leaking roof or eavestrough temporarily by following the above steps. But don’t stop there. If help is still a few days away, you need to maintain the integrity of your temporary fix. Don’t just leave it there for days on end. Always check on that section to see that your temporary fix is holding, especially if the inclement weather is going on.
Act Fast
If you don’t want your roof or eavestrough leak problems to go out of hand, you need to act fast. At the first sign of a leak, you should act right away. Don’t let the situation grow worse because the damage that will result will be more difficult to solve and the expenses may also be compounded. You need to have the leak repaired professionally as soon as you can to prevent greater damage to your home and your furniture.
