What To Do If Your Roof Is Leaking: 5 Immediate Steps

Your roof is leaking…now what?

Water is persistent and it can travel quite a distance before you see it showing up on your ceiling. By the time you notice it in the interior, the actual roof already could have been leaking for weeks or months.

It’s important to call a roofing contractor as soon as you notice a problem. The earlier the problem is dealt with, the smaller and less expensive the repair will be. Here are five immediate steps you MUST take when you spot a roof leak in order to save a small fortune from the damage that can occur within the first few hours.

1. First and foremost, be careful. Water coming in contact with electricity can be deadly and floors can be slippery. Observe the scene and if it is unsafe, call for professional help.
2. Once the area is deemed safe, remove excess water that has pooled and use a bucket to collect any additional draining water.
3. Locate the source of the leak, starting in the attic. If possible, stop or slow the source of the leak. If you are unable to do this, ask for assistance. It is very time-sensitive.
4. Call a reputable roofing contractor so they can permanently stop the leak as soon as possible. If they are swamped with calls because of a bad storm, get someone who will at least provide a temporary leak repair until they can return and provide a permanent solution.
5. Remove furniture that is currently on wet flooring or near it. Most furniture can permanently stain wet carpet if left on top of it. To eliminate this expensive problem, at minimum place dry plastic under furniture legs.