The holes in the roof need repair. Failure to do so can cause severe flooding and invite creatures into your home. If you have experience in woodworking and are familiar with working with ladders and roofs, you can create a temporary simple roof patch yourself. To complete this task, you must obtain the following materials and wear high-quality non-slip shoes.
Remember that repairing a roof puts your current roof warranty at risk and may affect future insurance claims. So, always consider consulting with one of the well-reputed roofing companies Downey before indulging yourself in DIY roofing.
Table of Contents
Roof Repair Material:
- Rubber-soled shoes
- Gloves
- Shingles
- Circular saw
- 2 x 4
- Liquid nails
- 8-penny nails
- Tar paper
- Roofing cement
- Putty knife
- Ladder
- Rope
- Hammer
- 10-penny nails
- Roofing nails
Procedure:
1. Find The Hole in The Roof
Secure the ladder to the building with a rope and find the hole in the roof. If you find a leak but don’t know where the roof is leaking, consider calling roof contractor Long Beach for an inspection to find a roof leak.
2. Get Rid of Old Shingles
Use a bar to remove old shingles from around the hole. Start from the top and work down. If there is a flood, continue to remove the shingles until all the floods are exposed. The entire area of damaged wood must be cut out and replaced.
3. Remove The Remaining Nails
Use the nail side of the hammer to remove any remaining nails that did not come out of the shingles.
4. Cut out The Damaged Plywood
You can use a circular saw to cut out the damaged plywood. Be careful not to cut or damage the rafters. You may need to work in sections and cut two holes to avoid cutting the rafters.
5. Create A 2×4 Frame
Use 2×4 measurement to create a new frame for the plywood to be laid. If the holes are small, you can use 8 penny nails to attach the 2×4 to the underside of the existing excellent plywood. Extend the stanchion by at least the length of the holes on both sides so that the stanchion is three times the length of the hole.
If the holes are large, you must attach the 2×4 frame to the rafters with a dime nail to create the frame. To nail the 2×4 to the rafters, you may need to enter the attic and work from below.
6. Cut New Plywood To Fit The Holes
In this step, you should cut the plywood to the exact dimensions of the existing holes in your roof.
7. Attach The Plywood To The Frame
Wear gloves and apply liquid nails to the new plywood patch to fit the holes. Then use an 8-penny nail to nail the new plywood to the frame you just created.
8. Apply Tar Paper
Spread the roofing cement at the seams where the new plywood meets the existing plywood. Then place the tar paper on top of the patch and make sure it stretches 2 inches under the shingles on top. Nail the tar paper to the patio.
9. Install New Shingles
When installing new shingles, work from bottom to top. Use the roof nails to attach the new shingles to the plywood. Cover your nails with roofing cement to prevent leaks around your nails.
This is the final step. If done correctly, patching the roof holes will take time before a complete roof replacement is required.
The Bottom Line:
If you are entirely new to or inexperienced in working with these projects, reconsider doing it yourself. DIY projects increase the chances of damaging your home or property, creating a dangerous situation, injuring yourself, or killing others. If you are facing a harsh climate, like there in Pasadena, minor leaks can also lead to roof replacement Pasadena.
So, keep your eyes open and consider contacting roofing companies in your area for a regular roof inspection!