One of the last things anyone wants to deal with is an unexpected leak in the ceiling or walls of their home. Unsightly stains on the paint and the real risk of serious water damage to the structure and your personal belongings are problems that can be frustrating to deal with even at the best of times.
In some cases, you\’ll be at home when the leak starts, but at other times, you could come home to disastrous conditions inside the space where you should feel most comfortable. Whether or not you\’re there when the leak starts, there is one thing that will always be important once you learn that water is infiltrating the interior of your living area. Take swift and decisive action to make sure that the problem is contained, and that you won\’t be at risk of dealing with even more water down the road.
The first thing to remember when facing a leak is to be sure to remain calm. Getting upset or frustrated can make taking action that much harder, and moving decisively is the best way to be sure that as little water as possible causes damage to your home\’s interior. To help people in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area get a better idea of what to do when dealing with a leak in their home, our team here at 1st Out Roofing has put together a few important things to consider if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.
Focus on Containment First
If you see a bulge or a bubble on your ceiling, then the chances are high that water has started to leak through in that area. Another sign of a problem is if you see any obvious discoloration or staining on your ceiling, which is a symptom that in almost all cases is caused by water infiltration. If you notice this type of problem, or if water has already started to leak through the ceiling, the first thing you need to do is make sure the water will be contained.
A large pot, a sizeable bucket, or even a garbage container are all great choices for this scenario. It is important to remember that smaller containers will need to be replaced more often and that the amount of water leaking through may come through in larger volumes than expected. It can also be helpful to add an angled surface where the drip occurs to minimize the sound of dripping.
If the bulge in your ceiling is not actively dripping already, then the next step should be to prepare a container to handle a flow of water and use a sharp object to puncture the bulge. Be careful though, the larger the hole, the faster the water will fall, and a mess can happen very quickly if there isn\’t a solid system in place to catch that flow. Keep in mind that not puncturing a hole in any bulge or distortion in your ceiling to drain water could cause additional damage to your ceiling, and force the water to flow towards another location and finally start dripping or pouring at somewhere that\’s more inconvenient.
Deal with the Source if Possible.
If there is water leaking through the ceiling, then there is a problem somewhere in your roofing system. As long as that problem remains exposed, then water will continue to flow down into your home. Without the right training and experience, locating the source of a leak on your roof can be particularly challenging. In addition to the difficulty of trying to locate the source of the leak, it is important to remember that climbing around on a roof that has already been compromised could potentially cause additional damage to the structure, and yourself.
In these types of situations, your best choice is to make every effort to reach out to a professional roofing contractor, like our team here at 1st Out Roofing, so that we can get to your home as quickly as possible. As one of the most trusted names in the roofing business across North Texas, our team has extensive knowledge about finding and repairing leaks in a roof in the best possible way.
If you’ve got a leak in your ceiling, or if you’re starting to notice other signs of a leak forming, then the worst thing to do is leave it alone and hope for the best. Instead, take action right away and reach out to our team so that we can get started on the process of helping you get your roof fully repaired as quickly as possible!