A Leaking Roof Can Be Prevented

With extreme weather predicted to become an ever pertinent issue for many homeowners, taking steps to protect your property against the elements makes sense, wherever you live. If left unrepaired, a leaking roof could cause serious damage to your home's structure and cost a fortune to repair - that's why it's important to identify and treat any roof damage as soon as it occurs, and to prevent against it wherever possible.

Even if you're confident your roof is fairly reliable and doesn't need to be replaced, it can still pay to focus on the areas most likely to leak during rainfall - namely the chimney, plumbing vents and any missing shingles. If these weaker areas are all in good condition, you stand a better chance of weathering the rain without permanent damage.

It's not always possible to predict where a roof will let water in, however, and if you do spot any rainfall getting through, take action immediately. It will be easier to identify the leaking area when it's letting water in, as the hole may be too small to allow sunlight through if you leave your checks until the weather clears up. This is best undertaken in the loft or the area of your house closest to the roof, as damp patches developing on certain areas of the ceiling will not necessarily correspond to the same section of the roof.

Once you've identified the leaking area, you can carry out emergency measures to fix it, including getting out on the roof - if it's safe - with a hammer, nails and some replacement shingles or a large plastic sheet to cover the opening and provide a watertight barrier. These should only be viewed as temporary fixes for a single night's rainfall, however, prior to seeking out professional repairs. These don't have to cost the earth either, especially if your property is covered by buildings insurance, and you could claim damages to your home and roof repair work on your policy depending on the cause. If it's general wear and tear on your roof, it’s unlikely that a company will pay out for the repairs to the roof, but if it resulted from something like storm damage you're more likely to be covered.

If you're stuck with a leaking roof overnight and want to minimise the damage as much as possible, one method is to drill a hole under the leaking area of the ceiling. This will provide clear passage for the water into a bucket below, and could help restrict serious damage and saturation to your ceilings and floors.