There’s really only one person for this kind of job
Discovering a leaky roof brings up a lot of questions. How did it happen? Where’s the nearest bucket? And, most importantly, who can I hire to fix it? Despite its watery nature, a roofer—not a plumber—is always going to be the best person for the job when it comes to who to call for a leaky roof. Here’s why and what exactly they’ll do to restore order in your home.
There are many potential reasons your roof is suddenly leaking: Maybe your roof is leaking in winter because of a snow buildup that went unattended, or a summer storm broke through fragile paneling. Roofers are the only people qualified for a job like this because they have the certifications, necessary tools, and skills to assess the damage and fix it according to local building codes and regulations.
Not sure if the leak is actually coming from your roof or somewhere in your plumbing? It’s still a good idea to hire a roofing company near you, because they tell you whether the problem is coming from the top of your home or somewhere inside. They’ll also inspect for and repair any damage that could lead to a leak down the line.
"Using a roofing material that either has no horizontal overlaps or has actual interlocks running horizontally rather than overlaps will be very beneficial at keeping that ice and melted snow from backing up into the structure."
— Todd Miller, President of Isaiah Industries, Piqua, OH
Just because you can technically do this job yourself doesn’t mean that you should. Performing roof repairs comes with a lot of risks—like falling off or through the roof as well as potential structural damage from any mistakes you may make. That’s why it’s always a good idea to leave this task to a pro instead.
One thing you can do to give your pro a head start is locate the leak within your home. Making a note of where the water ends up will help them more easily find the source of the roof leak.
While plumbers can help solve leaks that are coming from inside your home, they aren’t equipped to handle problems on the roof. If you hire a roofer to fix the problem and they find no leak in the roof, you’re likely dealing with an interior issue and that’s when you’ll want to seek out a plumber instead.
These are the major steps that a professional roofer will take to fix a leaky roof.
Find the leak: Even if you can show your pro exactly where the leak is inside your home, it’s going to be harder to locate on top of the roof. They’ll look in the most vulnerable places, like ridges and vents.
Clear the area: Once they’ve found the problem area, they’ll remove debris to make their work easier.
Tear off old or broken shingles: Shingles will likely be damaged wherever there’s a leak, and the pros will need to remove them to be able to patch up any holes beneath.
Patch up holes: After removing old shingles and roof paper, a roofer will seal any holes with caulk and line them with new roof paper.
Remove, repair, and replace damaged roof deck: Even if the leak isn’t directly on the roof deck, water runoff can also cause harm to these areas. Pros will assess the damage and make removals, repairs, and replacements as necessary.
Install new shingles: Finally, they’ll install new shingles. This is the last step to ensure that your roof looks and performs as good as new.
