These 3 steps can help you minimize water damage to your home while you wait for a roof replacement or roof repair.

No time is ever a good time for your roof to begin failing. As an Athens-Clarke County homeowner, roof problems are often the cause of major headache. Whether your roof is getting moldy, springing a leak, has lost or curling shingles or is letting unwanted visitors inside, a roof with problems warrants professional help. But sometimes your roofing contractor is not able to get to your roofing problem right away, perhaps because they are booked or it is a holiday. In some cases, you may need to perform a temporary roof repair yourself until your roofers can get to your job.

1) Cover Your Roof with a Tarp

One of the quickest and most inexpensive ways you can temporarily repair your roof in an emergency is to cover the area that is involved with a plastic tarp. Find one that is intended for outdoor use and is large enough to cover the whole area that is affected. Pull the edges of the tight down tightly, smoothing it out. Nail the edges down, covering the nail heads with roofing cement to keep rain from leaking into your home.

If nailing your tarp to your roof is not something you are comfortable with, many tarps come with grommets around the edge, which can be used to tie it in place. Use strong twine or rope to tie the grommet to a sturdy location.

Also remember that it is not advisable to use bricks or weights around the edges of a tarp. It can be a hazard – especially if one falls down from the roof onto a person below.

2) Fix Loose, Curling or Missing Shingles

If you have loose, curling or missing shingles, you can temporarily adhere them back to your roof. Remember this fix is not permanent and will only last for a short time. Follow the following steps to perform this temporary repair:

• Straighten out curling shingles by using a heat gun to soften them. Glue them down with roofing cement.
• Loose shingles can be slid back under the bottom edge of the above row of shingles. Then you can nail them down with 6d galvanized nails. Cover nail heads with roofing cement.
• Any cracked or worn looking joints can also use an application of roofing cement.

3) Contact a trusted local roofing contractor

Remember that the first two tips are only temporary and that reaching out to a trusted roofing contractor, like MLW Construction & Roofing, is the best way to prevent thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home.