How To Repair A Leak In Your Roof Yourself

Lift the damaged shingle up by hand.

How to repair a leak in your roof yourself.

If a leak is difficult to find enlist a helper and go up on the roof with a garden hose. If your replacement shingle is pre cut to the correct length and shape slide it into position. If the leak is due to a broken or missing shingle replacing the shingle is often the only remedy. Isolate areas when you run the hose.

Scrape away old sealant wipe away debris and dry the area thoroughly before applying a new compound. Use enough water to mimic heavy rains. Use a flat pry bar to carefully loosen the damaged tab and the tabs to the left and right. Apply roof sealant or cement to gaps less than 1 4 in 0 64 cm wide.

Use a thin flexible putty knife to apply roof cement to small cracks in the sealant around chimneys pipes or other joined surfaces. Once it s ready use a trowel to apply an abundant amount of roof patch on the troubled area. There s no single technique for fixing a leaking roof. Remove the old nails with the hammer.

Start low soaking the area just above where the leak appears in the house. A damaged or worn out roof verge can result in leaks but it is possible to fix such problems at home yourself. Apply a heavy layer of tar directly over the tear and a spot of tar over each nail head. If the origin is a clogged gutter you just have to unclog it and install a gutter guard to trap debris.

For example soak the downhill side of a chimney first then each side then the top on both sides. Begin soaking low on the roof just above where the leak is visible inside the house. Run water over the low side of the penetration for several minutes while the helper watches for any water droplets. Next apply two or three thick beads of roofing cement to the surface beneath the shingle.

How to repair a lead valley by jen s. If not cut the shingle down to the.