Just kidding! Here’s how you really stop the roof leak:

When your roof is leaking, you need to get it fixed fast. Water infiltrating your home can do a lot of damage to ceilings, floors, and furnishings, as well as encourage the growth of mold and mildew. If you’ve determined that the water entering your home has come from your roof, try some of these roof leak repair tips to get it taken care of as quickly as possible.

Look for Signs of Damage

Once you locate the area that the roof is leaking from, inspect the shingles there for signs of damage such as missing, cracked, or curling shingles. If you don’t see signs of damage, call a roofing contractor right away to come out and take a look, as it could be something more serious than a simple repair can take care of.

While you’re waiting for the roofing contractor, or to get supplies to fix the leaky roof, spread a tarp over the damaged or leaking area to prevent additional water from entering your home in the meantime.

Reattach Curled Shingles

If you have a few shingles that are curling at the edges, you can flatten these back out and reattach them again to prevent future leaks. Soften any brittle shingles with a heat gun, and then gently uncurl them. Apply a coating of roofing cement beneath the bottom edges and press them back into place.

Removing Damaged Shingles and Cleaning Up the Roof

If your shingles are cracked – or missing altogether – you can install a few new ones to make the repair. Begin by removing any of the damaged shingles, lifting the edges of the surrounding shingles, removing the nails, and sliding it out. Scrape out any old roof cement and remove any additional nails that may have been left over when older shingles were blown away.

Trimming and Installing New Shingles

Use a utility knife to gently trim and round the back corners of each of the new shingles. This will help make them easier to install and slide beneath the rows of existing shingles.

Slide the new shingles into place so their back edges are beneath the row above them and their front edges line up exactly with the shingles on either side. Lift up the corners of the shingles that overlap the new ones and drive a 6d galvanized nail into each corner. Cover each of the nail heads with a fresh coat of roofing cement and smooth the shingles back into place.

Inspect and Caulk the Flashing

After you’ve repaired any shingles – or if you’ve determine the leak isn’t coming from there – take a look at the flashing around your chimney, skylights, and the edges of the roof. If you notice a lack of caulking or a gap around the flashing, fill this in with roofing cement. Use a caulk gun to apply the cement to any joints, and use a putty knife to put additional cement into any worn or damaged looking areas. Use the cement liberally, pushing it down into any gaps to help stop them up and prevent moisture from entering.

Take Care of Your Roof

Remember to inspect and repair your roof as quickly as possible if you suspect a roof leak. Water can do serious damage to your home if the leak isn’t dealt with in a timely way. If you think that the damage is widespread or if you have multiple areas that leak at once, be sure to call your roofing contractor and get your roof leak repair done as quickly as possible.