Help! My Roof is Leaking!

What do you do if water is running into your living room and it is Thanksgiving morning? Or Christmas afternoon? Or just a Friday and you can't get a hold of the roofing specialists until Monday?

You can use plastic sheeting and 2 by 4s and make a cover until you can get the professionals over to fix it for you.

Emergency roof cover for to hold off the leak

First you need to have a strong, safe ladder and you have to be comfortable on that ladder and on your roof. If you have a fear of heights, do not even attempt anything like this.

Emergency roof cover supplies

Here is the list of supplies you will need before you get started:

• Ladder that is tall enough and strong and safe.

• 6 mil sheeting, polyethylene, large enough to cover the area of the roof where the leak is, from the peak to the eves, adding 4 feet.

• A utility knife to cut the polyethylene sheeting.

• Two 2 by 4 the width of the plastic.

• A staple gun.

Making the emergency roof cover

Very important to note: Do not nail anything into the roof.

Measure and cut the polyethylene sheeting. Wrap one end of the sheeting around one of the 2 x 4s and staple the sheeting to the 2 x 4. Roll the sheeting around the 2 x 4 and when you get to the end, staple the second 2 x 4 to the other end.

Climb up on the roof and put one edge of the sheeting with the 2 x 4 attached along the eaves. Unroll and stretch the sheeting from the eaves to the ridge going all the way over the ridge and a few feet down along the other side.

Temporary fix for a leak

If you find a leak that is small yet it is obvious where that leak is coming from and you need a temporary fix until the professionals can come out, you can go to most home improvement or hardware stores and buy a 12 inch by 12 inch piece of galvanized sheet metal flashing. Then you can climb up on your roof and lift the shingle that is damaged and push the galvanized sheet metal flashing
under the shingle covering the leaking hole.

No matter what the cause is, call Barton Roof and let them come out and fix the leak.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com

Source: hometips.com/repair­fix/roof­leaks.html