Roof Leak Repair: What To Do the Moment Water Comes In

Work from the inside. Nothing about a leaking roof is worth a fall, and the roof will still be there when the rain stops.

1. Check the ceiling and the wiring. If water is coming through a light fixture, a fan, or near outlets, do not touch them. OSHA's flood guidance says that if water has been present anywhere near electrical circuits and electrical equipment, the power should be turned off at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Only do that if you can reach the panel while standing somewhere dry. If the panel or the floor around it is wet, do not touch it: stay away and call an electrician or the fire department.

2. Stay out from under a sagging ceiling. A ceiling that bulges, sags, or makes cracking noises is holding a lot of water. Do not stand beneath it or press on it. Leave the room and call a professional.

3. Contain the water. Put buckets or pans under drips. Move furniture, electronics, and rugs out of the area. Lay plastic or towels on what you cannot move.

4. Photograph and video everything before you clean up. The Insurance Information Institute advises that you photograph or videotape the damage, then take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage, and avoid throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has visited. Take wide shots of each room and close-ups of the stains, drips, and wet belongings. Note the date and the time the rain started.

5. Keep your receipts. The same source says to save receipts for what you spend, since you may be able to submit them to your insurer for reimbursement later. Keep receipts for buckets, plastic sheeting, and any temporary protection a roofer puts on. Ask your insurer what it will reimburse.

6. Call your roofer, and your insurer if a storm caused it. Tell the roofer where the water is showing up and whether it is still raining. Our guide to filing a storm damage roof insurance claim in Rhode Island walks through the claim steps.

The stain on your ceiling marks where the water came out. It rarely marks where the water went in. The National Roof Certification and Inspection Association puts it this way: water can hit the roof sheathing, run along a rafter or truss, and travel a surprising distance before it soaks through the ceiling. The stain can sit several feet from the actual breach in the roof.

So a patch placed directly above a stain often misses. Trace the leak from indoors.

• Start in the room below the stain. Look at the ceiling and walls for rings, bubbling paint, and soft drywall.
• Check the attic if you can reach it safely. Walk only on framing, never on drywall between the joists. Look at the underside of the roof deck. Dark stains or streaks on the wood are a sign that water has been getting in, and rusty nails show where moisture has been entering.
• Work uphill from the stain. Water runs downhill, so the entry point is usually higher than what you see inside.
• Rule out condensation. Not every damp spot is a roof leak. Warm, moist air from the house can condense on the cold underside of the roof and drip, which looks like a leak but is a ventilation problem.

InterNACHI says most roofs last many years if properly installed and often can be repaired rather than replaced, and that an isolated leak usually can be repaired. It also says the age of the roof is usually the major factor in deciding when to replace it.

In practice, the answer depends on what the inspection finds.

A repair usually makes sense when:

• The leak traces to one spot, such as a failed flashing joint or a few damaged shingles.
• The rest of the roof surface is in decent shape.
• The deck under the repair area is dry and solid.

Replacement deserves a serious look when:

• Leaks keep returning in different places after repairs.
• Shingles are failing across many slopes, not one area.
• Wet or soft decking turns up in more than one spot.
• The roof is near the end of its expected life and the repairs are stacking up.

We cover the full set of warning signs in our guide on signs you need a new roof. For a single failed spot, roofing repair is the place to start.

Getting the roof fixed is half the job. The EPA says it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Run fans, open windows when the weather allows, and pull up wet rugs.

Wait on the ceiling paint until the leak is confirmed fixed and the area is dry. Fresh paint over a wet ceiling hides a problem you still have. If the roof work was an emergency tarp or a temporary measure, treat it as a stopgap and schedule the permanent repair. Our emergency restoration work page describes that kind of job.