Tips & Tricks to Handle Emergency Roofing Repairs
Are you one of those people who puts off an entire roof replacement for as long as possible?
Or, are you someone who just doesn’t like to think about emergency roofing repairs when the sun is shining?
Don’t be fooled. The winter rains will be here soon. Luckily, no El Niño or La Niña is predicted for this year in Northern California, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
Still, any windy winter storm could mean roofing repairs, due to torn shingles or fallen tree limbs.
If you don’t have your roof inspected on a regular basis, you might not see the need for roof repairs until you find the drip, drip, drip coming from your ceiling.
What do you do then? The turnaround time to get a roofer to your home could surprise you. Whatever the reason, when a leak happens in the middle of a storm, your best bet is to get out the buckets and ride out the worst of it.
While repairs can be made in the rainy season, the severity of emergencies will vary. You could wait weeks for a roofer to fit you into their hectic schedule.
Use Common Sense
Remember – Climbing onto your roof to examine the damage during a storm could prove extremely hazardous to your health.
Instead, it is recommended that you:
– Place a bucket or deep pot under the drip;
– Move furniture and valuables out of the way;
– Use plastic sheeting or garbage bags under the buckets to protect carpeting or hardwood flooring from any wayward drips or splashing.
– If you detect a bulge in your ceiling created by water pooling from a leak (no dripping), you may be able to save greater damage to the sheetrock by carefully putting a pinhole leak in the center of the bulge. Be sure to have towels and a bucket handy, so once you insert the pin and the dripping starts you can safely catch it.
Yes, a roof can be repaired in the rain, but no one should be walking around on a roof in the middle of a storm.
Where is the Leak Coming From?
If you have an attic crawl space, you might be able to determine where the leak originated by looking at your roof from the inside with a flashlight. Where a roof is damaged is not always where the leak is seen on the inside.
Torn shingles at the roof’s peak might let the water in, only to have gravity take it to another spot on the inside where it pools and leaks into your kitchen or living room.
Once the storm passes, depending on your comfort level on roofs – you could tarp the roof yourself, or get a reliable roofer to tarp it for you, as a quick stop gap measure. Tarping the damaged roof area could be your best protection until the roofer can schedule the actual repair.
North Bay and the Wildfires
The effects of this Fall’s devastating wildfires in Sonoma and Napa counties will be felt for years for those who lost loved ones, homes and businesses. It will undoubtedly require a long period of rebuilding and put new pressures on the building trades. Sad to say, but lots of scammers and unscrupulous people will flock to the area and surrounding counties as well.
Before deciding on a roofer, be sure to ask them a few key questions about licensing, insurance and their company’s record, to protect yourself and your home.
Our roots in the Bay Area go back more than 100 years. Contact us today and talk to one of our professionals about your roofing needs.