Your home’s roof sees lots of weather and debris build-up. When you see lots of rain, your roof may start to see leaks or other damage. Protect your roofing materials and the interior of your home by rain proofing your roof with quality maintenance. Insulation, cleaning, or replacement are all ways to help improve the rain resistance of your roof. 

1- Trim The Surrounding Trees

One of the easiest ways to protect your home from holes, scratches, or punctures is to keep trees trimmed. Long limbs can fall onto your roof and cause major leaks when moisture comes down on your roof. Taking action to trim trees now will save you on repairs later. 

2- Insulate Your Attic

While insulating your attic will not make your roof completely waterproof, it will help stop leaks and mold growth from entering your home. Good insulation will help keep the temperature in your home regulated and prevent roof warping. 

Before insulating your attic, make sure that you check for damage and repair it before applying insulation to insure proper rain proofing. If you have insulation already installed, it can help to size up the existing amount or remove damaged insulation and replace it. 

3- Utilize And Protect Your Gutters

The purpose of gutters is to keep rainwater and other moisture away from your home. If your gutters are not used properly or are clogged, it can affect the rain proofing of your roofing materials. 

Gutters need to be properly attached to your roof in order to properly remove moisture. If your gutters are not properly slanted, cleaned, or attached, your roof could really suffer. 

4- Maintain Your Vents

Roofing vents are necessary for your home, but not all can withstand heavy rain. Checking vents to ensure they are still working properly and do not have insects or birds in them. Removing debris from vents will help them ventilate moisture out of your roof and protect your home from unnecessary intruders. 

5- Replace Shingles 

If your home has previously been damaged or needs new shingles, it is best to replace those as soon as possible to make rainproofing possible. Replacing roofing materials can stop leaks and help extend the lifespan of your roof. 

6- Add A Water Repellent Layer

Rain proofing your roof is best done with a water repellent applied to your roofing materials. Some roofs do not have a water-resistant coating or materials and will need a little bit of extra protection. Adding this layer can help the rainwater run off your roof faster and prevent moisture deterioration on the materials. 

A professional roofer may help apply a rainproof coating in a proper way. Rain proofing your roof starts with working with a professional company to maintain and install the roofing materials. Lifetime Roofing takes pride in installing proper roofing materials and keeping your home dry. 

7- Use Seam Tape

Every roof will have seams and places where the curves and materials meet. Concrete roofs can really benefit from seam tape and will help water from seeping inside your attic or walls. Waterproofing your home starts with firm seals across the entire home. Seam tape will not protect large cracks or holes from filling with water so it is best to get these types of cracks repaired. 

Applying seam tape can be a temporary solution until you can hire a professional roofer. Once you apply the tape, use strong pressure to ensure the crack is sealed for the best results. 

Quality Roofing With Lifetime Roofing

When homeowners are experiencing a large number of roof leaks, it may be time for roof repairs or replacement. Paying attention to small problems or noticing if your energy bill is higher can help you determine when your roof needs repair. 

Lifetime Roofing wants to help protect your roof from extended damage and aid in rainproofing. Take the stress off your shoulders about climbing on your roof and repairing it correctly. Contact us to give you peace of mind about the safety of your home!

Roof leaks are always a problem, but especially when there are storms. If you have a leaky roof and it starts pouring rain, this can quickly turn into a roofing emergency. Calling a roofing contractor to come out and repair the roof is a given, but there are certain steps you can take when you have a leaky roof to minimize the damage to your home. You never want to wait when your roof is leaking, because that could lead to far worse problems. The quicker you act, the more you can do to protect your home from water damage.

Here are some of the steps you can take when you have a leaky roof.

#1. Move Your Belongings Out Of The Way

If your leak happens where the only thing water is puddling on is the floor, you likely won’t need to worry about this step. However, if your leak is over your furniture or any of your belongings, you’ll want to move them out of the way first thing. The leak is already causing damage – you don’t want it damaging your belongings too, especially not things as expensive as furniture. Plus, water can cause mildew, which neither smells good nor says good things about the future of your favorite armchair.

If you cannot move your belongings out of the way, cover them with plastic. If you do not have plastic sheets, you can likely make do with trash bags. While moving your belongings is ideal, some things are just too heavy to move, so you want to protect them however you can.

#2. Contain The Leak

Once you’ve located your leak and moved the items out of the way, you’ll want to grab some buckets for the water. You’ll also want to grab some towels, trash bags, or whatever else could be helpful for containing the water. It’s a good idea to put some trash bags or towels down under your buckets in order to protect your floors from your leaky roof. 

If you would like to avoid the drip-drip-drip sound of water dripping into your buckets and you have some pieces of wood lying around, you can put the wood in the bucket. This minimizes the sound of the dripping.

Ensure that you have multiple containers on stand-by, so that if one fills up, you can easily switch it out while you dump out the water in the filled one.

#3. Call Your Local Roofing Company

If you have a leaky roof, this means there’s unseen structural damage that allowed this to happen. Sometimes, the spot where you see a leak is not necessarily the source of the leak. If you know a lot about roofing, you may try to locate the source of the leak yourself. But this is something best left to a professional. 

You want to use a local roofing company that is reputable. Local companies will be aware of the specific concerns your roof is faced with and what requirements, such as installation codes and paperwork, need to be met. Many roofing companies offer emergency roofing services for instances just like when you have a leaky roof after a storm or something like that. 

Your roofing professional will examine your roof from the interior and exterior of your home in order to determine the source of the damage and what needs to be done in order to fix it. They will give you an estimate for how much repairs will cost you. If you like, you can call another roofing company to get a second opinion.

#4. Take Photos For Insurance Documentation

If you have a leaky roof, you may be eligible for a home insurance claim. If this is the case, you want to ensure that you take photos of the leak and the damages to submit to your insurance company. Your insurance may cover the roof damage that was sustained, as well as any compromised items.

If you’re unsure if or what your insurance covers in the event of a leaky roof, it is good to consult with your insurance agent, and they will be able to answer any questions you may have for your specific policy and circumstances.

#5. Have Your Roof Fixed

The last thing you want is this hole in your roof that lets rain, snow, pests, and more into your home. You’ll want to have your roof fixed as soon as possible.

Lifetime Roofing provides professional roofing services. If you have a leaky roof, need repairs or replacement, or have any questions about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.