A step by step guideline to mend a leaking shingle roof

A leaking roof is the root cause of many problems. They cause molds to appear not just on the entire rooftop, but also seep in to other parts of your home. This in turn, gives rise to a number of health problems in the long run. This is why it becomes a necessity to do a thorough inspection of you roof from time to time.

If you have shingles, then the leaks start appearing when they wear out owing to harsh weather conditions. Additionally, cracks may appear around the chimney area or gutters and gradually deepen, causing major leaks.

The solution to this problem is to seek professional help from companies that provide Melbourne roofing repair services. However, these services can sometimes cost a fortune depending upon the type of leak. This is why, a number of people are opting to repair roofs on their own. If you are a rookie to this whole thing, fret not as here is a step by step guide, which you can use to repair your shingle rooftop. Let us take a look at them to get more idea:

• Check for leaks:  There are several places on your roof, which can be the source of the leak. Work smart and check the sealing around your chimney, pipes, gaskets, flashing, corners of the shingles, cracked or damaged shingles, gutters and downspouts and ridge caps. Additionally, you should run water on your roof with a pipe and ask someone to see where exactly does the leakage occur.

• Prepare the surface: Once you have detected the leak, the next step is to prepare the surface. Use a hard bristled brush to clear all sorts of dirt, dust, leaves and other debris from the rooftop. After roof cleaning, smoothen the surface, which can be easily done with your regular electric hair dryer. However, remember not to apply too much heat as it may damage the shingle. Also, reattach curled back shingles using cement.

• Replace damaged shingles: After preparing the surface, the next step would be to replace your damaged roof materials (which in this case is shingles). Check for any loose shingle that you roof might have. Even if it is slightly loose or crumbles easily, you should replace them at the earliest. To do this, remove the nails with a pry bar carefully. Once you are done removing the worn out or damaged shingles, slide a new shingle in its place by slightly rounding their back corners with a sharp utility knife.

• Fill in the gaps: When you have replaced the shingles, fill the faulty joints of the area around your chimney with roof cement. Take care to apply the cement evenly and using a putty knife. Also, if you find any sharp edges here and there, use the same cement to smoothen them.

To Conclude

So, these are the four basic steps, which even a newbie can learn to repair leaks on a shingle roof without much fuss. However, you must take adequate precautions like – not stepping on the roof on a stormy or rainy day and wearing protective gear. Keep watching this space for repairing other sorts of roofing like roofing iron or zinc roofing and make your rooftops look awesome throughout the year.