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Can I Fix a Leaking Roof Without Roofing Experience?

August 18, 2020

It's a difficult situation: your roof is leaking, and this period of imposed isolation to keep everyone safe is not letting your reliable Guelph roofers physically reach you. Fortunately, you can fix your leaky roofs with minimal need for roofing experience. Again, take note that these are only temporary fixes -- you'll still want a professional to get your roof fixed. 

Tarpaulins

These are the best emergency roof repair materials, especially if it's raining with minutely or hourly intervals. You won't need any roofing experience to handle this material. While it will make your roof look drab, you save time from inspecting a considerable area for leaks quickly using roofing tarp.

Buy a Thick Roofing Tarp

Most hardware stores and roofing suppliers have roofing tarpaulin available on hand. Alternatively, online marketplaces sell adequate roofing or raw tarpaulin material, which can effectively keep leaks outside. If you can, buy the thickest roofing tarp to ensure your roof suffers no leaks. 

Drill Tarp Foundations

Use a power drill to create deck screws, which will put the tarpaulin in place. Note that you're going to drill over undamaged roofing material, so think twice before drilling areas and make sure you're making the right punctures in the best places. Alternatively, you can nail the tarpaulin without power drills, but it might cause the roofing material to shatter, causing additional problems.

Install in Place Using Galvanized Nails, Washers and Compatible Roofing Nails

To prevent leaks in other areas, use only galvanized roofing nails. If you intend to use screws, make sure that you're using galvanized washers. These introduce better foundations for your tarp and prevent leaks from entering the tarp seams.

Alternative: Use Heavy Rocks

Roofing nails can be tricky. Using rocks to keep your roofing tarp in place is efficient too. However, you may need someone to help you carry up massive rocks to keep the tarpaulin in place until you have a permanent solution to the leaking problem at hand.

Sheet Metal Quick Fixes

A great alternative to roofing tarp, sheet metal flashing only requires you to insert the small panel underneath the damaged shingle or leak-prone area. However, you can only use it if you've accurately determined the leaking area in your roof. You won't need special tools here, just an asphalt shingle-sized panel to insert underneath your roofing material.

Lift Damaged Shingle With Pry Bar or Gloved Hands

Once you've found the leaky area, you can lift the asphalt shingle with your bare hands. If you're uncomfortable, you can use a pry bar or use gloves to carefully lift the shingle and insert the sheet metal flashing underneath.

Test with Garden Hose

To make sure you've installed in the right place, run your roof with the garden hose and check the leak inside. If the roof has stopped leaking even after a 5-minute hose-down in the affected area, you've installed the sheet metal flashing efficiently.

Once again, note that these are only temporary roofing solutions that won't last for even a year. Make sure to contact reliable roofers in your area, such as Turbo Roofing, to help you with your roof repairs or replacements. Contact us today to learn more about everything that we can achieve with you.