A leaking roof is an issue that you should deal with urgently. Protecting your family from injuries is of utmost importance as a roof that is heavily clogged with water can collapse. Apart from the potential collapse of the roof, leaking water can damage your household items when you prolong their exposure to water. This article will enlighten you on how to deal with a roof leak to protect your family and prevent the roof from collapsing.
1. Protect your Belongings
This is a step you need to take before you think about repairing the leak, especially if you notice the leak at night. Move your furniture and electronics to another room; if you cannot do this, get tarp or plastic to cover them. It would help if you also placed a bucket under the leak to catch the water. In case water is splashing onto the floor, get a rug or an old cloth and place it around the bucket to absorb the splashing water.
2. Contain the Leak
Sometimes water leaks at different points in the roof even though the source of the leak is one. To contain this, consider puncturing a hole on the ceiling using a screwdriver to drain the water smoothly. Doing this will relieve the roof from the water and prevent it from absorbing more water, which might lead to its collapse.
3. Extract the Water
After controlling the leak, dry the furniture and other household items that have been exposed to water. Remove the carpet and place it in an area with enough air circulation to dry it. Ensure that everything is draining correctly to avoid the formation of moulds on the items which will eventually reduce their lifespan.
4. Call a Professional to Fix the Leak
After taking the temporary measures to contain the leak, you need to fix the problem permanently. The roofing service Sydney will inspect your roof and recommend on the next course of action. If the hole is small, they might recommend roof repairs, but if the hole has the potential of recurring, then roof replacement might be necessary.
What causes a Roof Leak?
A roof leak is caused by several factors that include overgrown tree branches on your roof, clogged gutters, cracked chimney, poor plumbing, and roof decay. Whichever the reason for the leak, a roof leak is avoidable.
Regular inspection of the roof is one of the ways to avoid a roof leak. Inspect your roof at least twice a year to catch small cracks on time before their advance to cause more damage. The other way to prevent a roof leak is to keep your gutters and downspouts free of debris. If your house is near vegetation such as trees, trim the branches to prevent them from overgrowing onto the roof. Leaves that come from the trees are a significant source of gutter clogging. Also, when the wind is swaying the branches, they sometimes hit the roof, which leads to cracks if the hitting is consistent.
In conclusion, a roof leak is an avoidable situation. When you employ the services of a roofing service company for roof maintenance and roof replacement, you will not experience a roof leak anytime soon. Do not wait for leaking water to damage your house for you to respond. Be ready and prevent all leaks.
