DIY Roof Maintenance

A Preventative Step to Help Keep a Leaks Away!

Inspecting the seals around the vents on the roof should happen yearly, especially if you have extreme temperatures. Heat and cold can cause the seals to expand and contract, then eventually crack which can lead to major damage to the roof and the wallet. I am guilty of NOT doing this and it wasn’t until water started dripping from the chandelier in the dining room (as well as the ceiling fan in the kitchen!!) that I remembered that I needed to get up there to check the seals. This is a quick DIY roof maintenance step that doesn’t require a professional!

I purchased a tube of Wet Patch by Henry at Home Depot. The Wet Patch comes in a tube like caulk or a gallon can (<– affiliate link!). For five bucks, I can make sure no more water drips through the chandelier or ceiling fan. How do I know this is where the water was coming from? The roof vents are located right exactly over the electrical boxes for the chandelier and ceiling fan. What can I say? I didn’t build the house!

When I climbed up on the roof and looked at the vents, I saw that sealant covering the nails that hold the vents in place, was cracked to oblivion. To make a long story short, the builder used plastic vents which warp in the heat causing major roof damage. We replaced them with metal vents and had to put nails through the shingles to hold them in place. While it isn’t an ideal method, as long as it is covered with a flexible sealant, it will be fine. That is where a yearly inspection comes in… Fail on my part!

I used a putty knife to chip away the cracked sealant, then applied a gob of the new sealant. I spread the sealant with the putty knife to make sure it covered the whole nail and the surrounding area. I also cleaned out any leaves and debris from between the vents and the shingles, which can also cause leaks.

I found a couple of cracked shingles and used the sealant to fill the cracks, again spreading it with the putty knife.

I inspected all of the vents including the exhaust vents for the fans and applied the sealant as necessary (and cleaned out the gutters – yuck!).

I am happy to report that during a rain storm later the same afternoon as I did the repair, no water was making its way through the chandelier or ceiling fan! Hopefully, I am safe for another year – if I can remember to do my yearly inspection! Have you done your DIY roof maintenance?

 

Originally posted 2014-06-03 08:00:40.