Roofs that have been well-maintained are still at risk for developing vulnerabilities, which can lead to leaks and other problems. Heavy rainfall is the most common cause of a roof failing, and it almost always occurs without warning.
That being said, there are steps you can take in dealing with severe weather conditions if you’re a homeowner. Below are some critical things to know about minimising damage from heavy rain when it comes to your roof.
Some tips accompany each find below, which hopefully act as both useful guides and memorable conversations for those who experience them (or could one day).
The first step in dealing with roof leaks is to understand their common causes. These usually include:
- Broken or missing shingles: Strong winds and heavy rains can make shingles dislodge or become damaged, permitting water to enter a house.
- Clogged gutters: Allow too much debris to accumulate, they may not be able to carry all the water that comes down into them—from rainfall or an ice and snowmelt situation. In this condition, part of the rooftop closest to the gutter (almost any part of it) is exposed to water that should otherwise be leaving the area.
- Compromised seals around vents, chimneys, skylights: Each time you turn on your fan or fireplace—or for weeks before these events—“bump” humid air up into spaces behind sheets of plywood or oriented strand board that cover those features afterward.
Preventive maintenance is crucial for avoiding leaks during heavy rain. This means scheduling professional inspections at least twice a year and after any significant storm to make sure there aren’t any potential points of leakage. Having someone climb on your roof (as long as it’s safe for them to do so) allows for a very thorough check of the condition of the rooftop, whereas a person looking from ground level can usually only see a few feet in any direction—far less than the amount of space between roofing materials that could be hiding capacity problems. Also, keeping gutters clean is another way of helping to keep water from backing up into the roof and making its way inside through an improperly flashed or sealed downhill bent corner.
Discovery of a roof leak during heavy rain calls for swift and sure action to stop the damage from continuing. The first task is to contain the leak—get a bucket or container under any drips, and move anything valuable away from the affected area. Next, try to relieve water pressure in ceilings that are bulging. Use a screwdriver very carefully (and with someone holding an umbrella, in case things go wrong) to make small punctures so that the trapped water can escape and your ceiling doesn’t collapse under its own hydraulic pressures. A tarp (with somebody holding on outdoors) can also serve as a makeshift roof until real repairs arrive.
When it’s time to fix your roof, you have a few different options. One is the “patch job,” which is essentially patches of damaged material back together. That can work well for small-ish damages on relatively new roofs—that’s definitely a way to get something that’ll hold up for a little while without totally breaking the bank.
Another option—which obviously requires more work and money—is replacing the whole roof—something my grandparents did about 10 years ago in a shocking display of forward thinking that has really paid off so far. And then there’s the third thing: professional waterproofing, which tends to breathe a sort of new life into old (or just oldish) roofs by sealing and/or coating various parts of them starting from between 1 and 3 m above ground level (the exact height might vary depending on how saturated in water your climate generally is).
Preparedness, prompt action, and the intervention of professionals are what it takes to handle heavy rain-related roof leaks. By understanding what makes roofs leak and undertaking regular maintenance, you can cut WAY down on the likelihood of a problem. But if one does develop, quickly tackling the situation and seeking expert oversight (especially when it comes to actual repairs or replacements) is of the utmost importance from both safety and damage prevention standpoints.
