If you live in or around Ottawa, with our harsh winters and four-season climate, you have a fair chance of experiencing a leaky roof at least once in your lifetime.
A leaking roof can be as simple as a few drops, or it can swell up into a flooding situation quite quickly for Ottawa homeowners.
Even in the case of a slow drip, it’s best to tend to the leaking roof sooner rather than later, as the roof leak could become a bigger issue if left unchecked.
You’ll never know when you’ll need basic roofing knowledge and resources before it’s too late – so it’s good to get a few facts on the matter. In this edition of the Kovar Ottawa roofing blog we’ll give you some tips on what you should do if your roof is leaking.
Containing the Water in a Roof Leak
If you have a leaky roof, the first thing you need to do is contain the water that is escaping from the roof (through the attic) into your home.
Locate the source of the leak and prepare your biggest pot, bucket, or container. Place the container below the leak to prevent any further damage to your home. This way you’ll hopefully save the furniture, floors, etc. from extensive damage.
It’s a good idea to put a rag, towel, or old t-shirt in the bucket to prevent splashing.
Finding the Roof Leak
You’d be surprised to see how complicated it can be to find the exact area where the leak is coming from.
The most direct way to go about this is to get up to your roof and examine the roof envelope. Of course, not everyone is comfortable with being up on a roof working at heights – we’ll have more on that later.
If you can’t seem to find the source of the leak, you can try pouring a small amount of water on the suspected leak area to determine if your assumption is correct.
Repairing the Leaky Roof
You don’t necessarily have to be an Ottawa roofing contractor to make small, basic repairs to your roof. If something is chipped or damaged in a minor way and you’re handy with tools and working at heights on a roof, you can patch or replace the leaking roof section to fix the leak.
A good makeshift repair is adding a plastic sheet below your tiles to prevent leaks temporarily.
Alternatively, you can replace that shingle or attempt to fix the issue with a roof sealant.
Unless the damage requires immediate repair, it’s best to wait for the storm to end, as crawling up on a wet roof could be deadly. Do not go up on a roof if lightning is present or imminent. Same goes for ice.
Exercise caution… it’s much better to be safe than save a little money!
Preventing Future Leaks on the Roof
Preventing future leaks is all about maintaining your roof properly.
More often than not, regular cleaning and inspection will let you know if there is a problem before it occurs.
If your roof is leaky, make sure to repair it as fast as possible to prevent further damage.
Hire the Experts for Complex Roof Leaks
It’s okay to ask an Ottawa roofer for help.
While you’re probably capable of replacing a single shingle, roofing issues can be quite complicated.
Depending on where you’re located, you might want to contact a professional roofing contractor in Ottawa to help you with your leaky roof problem.
Kovar Roofing – Fixing Leaky Roofs in Ottawa
If you need roof repair in Ottawa, or any other roofing services, you need not look any further than Kovar Roofing.
We’re the leading roofer in Ottawa, and we specialize in fast, efficient, and affordable Ottawa roofing solutions.
We do everything possible to save you money and avoid big roofing costs like installing a new roof. In a few cases, the roof is simply old and failing, and any repair costs you face now will just add to the new roof cost you’d face soon enough. But we’ll examine the roof and let you know the best course of action (it’s usually a fairly cost-effective leaky roof repair).
If you want to find out more about what we can do for your roof, contact us today!