First Aid Tips: Handling Leaks until Roofers Come

Roof leaks, especially those that happen in the middle of a storm, often can’t wait. Even if you phone for an emergency service right away, it would take several minutes before pros could come to your rescue. To avoid dealing with worse interior damage, you must keep the leakage under control.

To slow the progress of leaks until help arrives, one of the region’s most experienced roofing repair contractors, Krech Exteriors, recommends these tricks:

Create an Escape Route

First things first, keep interior damage to a minimum. The water would generally pool at the ceiling until it finds a way out. Usually, it escapes through penetrations, like light fixtures. It may take hours before the pooling could beget several minor leaks, making the situation seem more problematic than it really is.

The best way to control any roof leak is to give it what it wants: an exit route. Look for the bulge in the ceiling, which is the location of the pool, and create a hole in the middle. With one or two buckets ready, the opening would the water out to help keep the leakage from doing more damage.

Direct Water Out

Apart from simply collecting the water, you can also channel it from your roofing system to the outside. Make a funnel out of a plastic one-gallon container. Cut its bottom and duct-tape a garden hose in the small opening. Position the other end of the hose to the outside through the window.

Ideally, you should place the bottle funnel right beneath the leak. Attaching it to the ladder is the effective way to catch every single drop of water and safely divert it to the outside.

Monitor the Situation

Experienced roofing contractors wouldn’t advise you to go outside and check your roof up close with a ladder, especially during an inclement weather. After all, it’s hard to detect the leak’s source without a trained eye. Furthermore, you might not have the proper tools and protective gear to carry out the job safely.

Instead, make sure your bucket never overflows and your bottle funnel doesn’t leak. If you can keep the status quo the same until professionals show up at your doorstep, you’ve done enough to suppress the water leakage.

If you have a roofing emergency in St. Paul or Minneapolis, waste no time to contact Krech Exteriors. Call us immediately at (651) 968-8888 so we can dispatch our crew ASAP.