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7 DIY Ways on How to Waterproof Your Roof

Posted by Kevin Leahy on June 23, 2023

Water pooling on your roof after a big storm can cause a lot of damage to your roof and your home, so the better you protect your roof from the elements and rain roof damage, the better protected your home will be.

Here are 7 DIY ways on how to waterproof your roof:

1. Remove all dead leaves and branches.

The first thing you should do is remove all the dead leaves and branches on the roof. When it rains heavily, the leaves and branches cause a damming effect so it is important to keep them from piling up.

2. Maintenance the trees on your property regularly.

Falling tree branches can also be a hazard to your roof, so make sure you trim the trees on your property regularly. That way you don’t have to worry about falling limbs and debris from damaging your roof.

3. Check for damaged shingles on a regular basis.

Don’t wait for water damage to seep into your home before checking on the condition of your roof. Preventive measures are key. You should be checking the conditions of your shingles on a regular basis. Make sure to replace any missing or damaged shingles as soon as you notice them. Even just one curled shingle can let water get into your home.

4. Make sure your attic is properly insulated.

If you have an attic, you need to make sure it is properly insulated. This prevents major temperature fluctuations that can cause warping to your roof and subsequent water damage.

5. Give the seams of your roof extra protection.

Just by adding seam tape, you can give the seams of your roof extra protection from the elements. Simply apply it and then use a bit of pressure to create a firm seal.

6. Keep your roof and gutters warm with heat tape.

Heat tape can keep your storm gutters and roof warm to prevent ice dams from forming. This is important because ice dams can be really damaging to your roof and gutters causing buckling and water damage.

7. Give your roof an extra layer of protection.

When your roof was originally installed, it should have been installed with waterproof material like tar paper, roofing felt or thermoplastic polyolefin in between the rafters and the shingles. You can also add an extra layer of water proofing on top of the shingles as well. Spray or brush waterproofing either a oil-or water-based compound on your shingles for extra protection.

Unfortunately, sometimes despite all the preventive measures you take, leaks will still happen. It is very important that you don’t ignore little leaks.
As soon as you notice water stains on the ceiling or running down walls, it is important to take care of it. Even if it just seems like a minor leak, ignoring it will only lead to bigger problems, like mold, rotted framing, and damaged ceilings and insulation. While concern over the expense might be holding you back from getting the leak checked out, you are only going to end up with a more expensive bill if you keep putting it off.

Of course the first thing you need to do is identify the source of the leak. The easiest way to do that is to look at the roof uphill from the stain looking for any roof penetrations like plumbing that penetrates the roof or roof vents, chimneys or dormers. Typically they are a few feet above or to the right or left of it. If you have an attic that you can access, you can also check in there. Look for water stains, black marks or mold.

If you are still having trouble finding the source of the leak, try this trick: Get somebody to help you. Pick sections to the roof to check one at a time and run your house over that area while somebody else is inside checking for the leaking. Ask your helper to yell or call you on your cell phone when the ceiling starts leaking.
Once you have narrowed down the area of the roof where the problem is, remove the shingles just in that area. If that is where the leak is, it will be water-stained underneath and the roofing material will be discolored and rotting.

The SpoutOff Can Also Help Reduce Leaks

Sometimes leaking problems in the roof are the result of leaky gutters and poorly maintained roof gutters and downspout. When you don’t regularly clean out the leaves and other debris that get stuck in your gutters, your gutter system gets compromised and leaks are the result. Luckily, with The SpoutOff system in place, you won’t worry about constant cleaning out your gutters and gutter downspout.

TheSpoutoff outlets are designed with a larger opening allowing for water to still run down even if other parts of the gutter are clogged. The SpoutOff can be retrofitted to your current gutter system or it can be added to a new one, depending upon your needs.

Cleaning out your rain gutters from all the leaves, sticks and other debris that gets stuck in them isn’t as much of a chore when you have The SpoutOff. These outlets are a lot easier to clean and they don’t get as much debris so you won’t need to check on them as much. Because of the larger openings in the gutter outlets, the water will still be able to keep moving through the gutters and into the downspout.

In addition, with TheSpoutOff, a fear of heights or balance concerns will no longer keep you from properly taking care of your home. The removable downspout clip allows you to check on the outlets without having to climb a ladder. Now you have no excuse for putting off this chore.

If getting up on a ladder and balancing yourself while you try to clean the debris out of your gutter is not safe for you, before your only other option was to hire a professional gutter cleaner to come out and take care of it for you. With The SpoutOff you won’t have to anymore though.

You can also easily install The SpoutOff system yourself. The instructions are relatively easy to follow so it is something you can easily install yourself, but any local gutter company can do it for you as well. The SpoutOff comes with a large outlet and removable downspout clip that can either be installed with new gutters or retrofitted to the gutter system you already have.

The SpoutOff can be installed onto 5 inch and 6 inch K-Style gutters with either 2 inch x 3 inch or 3 inch x 4 inch downspouts, but 3 x 4 downspouts are recommended. The SpoutOff components are designed to work with most downspout configurations including A Elbow, B Elbow and Underground Pipes.

The SpoutOff components are powder coated aluminum so you can easily paint them or have a professional painting company do it for you. Having quality gutters installed is also important. Aluminum gutters are one of the best gutters for you home.

For more information about The SpoutOff System, contact The SpoutOff today.

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