Home Remodeling Advice

If you wait to repair your roof, the damage will need to be solved by a professional and this will cost hundreds of dollars. If you repair it now, it can be inexpensive and easy.

Things such as cracked tiles, torn or warped shingles, bent flashing, etc., are all considered roof damage, since they can cause water to come in. You will not know that there is a problem until some water has already started coming in. If the roof isn’t to high, steep or slick, you can perform an exterior inspection where you suspect the damage is centered. Look for obvious things such as cracked or broken shingles if you have a wood or tile roof.

Inspect Your Roof

Look for shingles that have slipped out of place for warping (‘fishmouth’ or ‘loose lap’) if you have composite or asphalt. The problem can be less obvious in scalloped adobe tile roofs. If you find a crack, stick a flashlight in the hole and see if you can see it from the inside. If you can, this can be a major problem that should be fixed as soon as possible. Of course, sometimes sunlight is enough and the flashlight isn’t necessary. If the light technique does not work, try locating the crack and take careful measurements from the one edge, then another at right angles. This technique, however, is difficult to use in most houses due to varying roof height sections, difficult to access crawl spaces, etc..

The next step is to inspect the interior. Inside the attic, take a hammer and a few four-inch nails with you and step only on the support beams. With luck you’ll see the light coming through the crack in the interior. If not, repeat the exterior procedure used to locate cracks or torn sheeting. Look for moisture on beams. You must find the origin of the water, not necessarily where it appears on your ceiling. If you have had recent heavy rains, water can flow along beams a long distance from the source of the opening.

Once you locate the opening, take a long nail and drive it through the roof as close as possible to the damage. Just make sure that you don’t hit any electrical wires, cables, etc. This technique is for asphalt or composite, and sometimes wood shingles. It should NOT be used for adobe tile roofs, since it will only cause more damage.

To repair the damage for tile, just squeeze some toothpaste through the crack to get to the exterior. Toothpaste is not the only option, but it washes away so you do not have the problems associated with using products such as silicone gel. Some cracks are in places that will allow re-papering from the interior or replacing of an asphalt shingle or adobe tile from the exterior.

Professionals should undertake any major repairs, but for single shingle or tile replacement, just remove the broken tile and replace. For asphalt or wood, nail all four corners down. If the problem is minor curling, you can simply glue or nail asphalt can be glued back into place.

Repairing Tile Roofs

For tile, carefully chip away the remaining portion, get the proper size replacement, and glue back into place. Some asphalt repairing may need tarring, though, which may need to be done by a professional, depending on the severity. Replacing roof felt which is a type of tarpaper can be used to seal, usually requires skill and experience that most do it yourselfers don’t have.

By all means fix what you can yourself but keep in mind that water damage can quickly do enough harm to the attic, ceilings, and rugs to justify the cost of professional services.