What to Do if Your Roof Leaks During Heavy Rain

So it’s started to rain and after a few minutes you suddenly notice water dripping from your ceiling. Now what are you supposed to do? The first step – don’t panic.

More often than not, many homeowners first discover that their roof needs repair from a roof leak during a rainstorm.

Yes, it can be a minor inconvenience, especially if you thought your roof was in good condition. However, at this point, your main concern should be to minimize water from getting all over your floor, furniture or other electrical appliances and outlets.

While you will certainly want to get in touch with a roofing company to come take a look at your roof as soon as possible, the best thing you can do in the meantime is minimize any damage.

A roof that is leaking from rainwater can be the sign of a bigger problem with your roof, that if left alone can cause larger problems down the road.

But if you find yourself with a leaky roof during heavy rain, here are some things you can do in the meantime before a roofer can come diagnose the problem for you.

1 – Take Care of the Interior of Your Home

Before anything else, take care of the inside of your home. Start by grabbing a bucket, pan or bowl and placing it under the leak to capture any water leaking into the home. By the time you’ve noticed the leak, chances are some water has already landed on the floor, furniture or other belongings perhaps.

Once the leaking water has somewhere to fall into, next you’ll want to dry up any areas that are now wet. Using a towel, dry up the floor and anything else water has fallen on to keep the walking areas safe from slipping as well as limiting water damage to your belongings.

After you’ve dried up any wet areas and water is safely leaking into a container, next you’ll want to try and locate where the roof leak is coming from.

While the ceiling is still wet, some parts may appear darker than the rest of your ceiling. Take some photos of the dark spots on your ceiling because you can show these to your roofing contractor later. These will better help your roofer better identify where the problem may be coming from.

2 – Try to Discover Where the Rain Roof Leak is Coming From

This part can be a little difficult, especially if you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for. But if you can, see if you are able to find out where the leak is coming from. Common causes of roof leaks are related to plumbing as well as AC units. However, if you’ve never had a leak before except when it rains, it’s likely do to a roofing issue.

If the weather is not too severe, grab an umbrella and have a look at your roof while it’s raining. If you can spot where the water is entering from, then that may be your culprit.

Are your gutters clogged? This is also another common cause of a leaky roof. When gutters are clogged, water builds up because it has nowhere to go. As a result, it can often find its way seeping into your roof. If you have a chimney, see if you can spot any gaps in flashing, around vents or on the slopes of your roof.

In addition to observing the roof itself, take a look at the rest of the exterior of your home for problem areas as rain water may be making its way into your home some other way.

Jot down a few notes of your findings, if any, so that you can discuss with your roofer later when they visit your home to assess your roof.

3 – Have a Look in the Attic

Another place to check is inside of your attic. You’ll want go check your attic while it’s still raining, so if you can easily access, take a flashlight with you and head up there. If there is built in lighting in your attic, even better. No need for a flashlight.

Similarly to observing the exterior of your home, you are also looking for problem areas here. Do you hear water dripping? Can you see water entering from anywhere or notice any wet areas? These are things to look for as they can be indicators of where your rain leak may be coming from.

Pat your hand around the insulation. Are some areas wet and other dry? If you can spot where water is building up, you might be a little closer to finding where water is entering from.

Either way, keep a few mental notes and snap a few more pictures if anything unordinary stands out to you. While a roofing professional should be able to complete a more thorough assessment for you, any background information is going to help them narrow down what to look for.

The key is to have a roofer come by sooner than later, because water anywhere in your home can lead to bigger problems such as mold as well as larger repairs in the future.

San Antonio Roofers that Help with Rain Roof Leaks

Learning that your roof has a leak after rain or a thunderstorm is never fun. We understand that. But left unattended to can lead to serious roof damage.

We have helped many homeowners in San Antonio repair their leaky roofs after rainstorms, all at fair and reasonable costs. With professional roofers and staff, we provide the quality service you’d expect from a top roofing company.

If you find that you have roof leak, we encourage you to contact us for a free estimate.