Locating the Leak

• Leaks can develop on a roof over time and for a variety of reasons. One of the hardest parts in getting a roof repaired is finding the source of the leaks. Simply finding the wet areas of a ceiling or in your home might not be enough to show where the leak is happening on the roof.
  A leak in your roof might be directly over where the wet spot on the ceiling is or it could be up to ten feet away from the moisture. To find the source of the leak, you may need another person to help you watch for the water on the inside while you are up on the roof with a hose.
  Look through the shingles for cracks and missing shingles. Use care when walking on a shingle roof because you could cause damage while you are hunting for the source of the leak. Chimneys, valleys, and wall areas are common locations for leaks. Inspect these areas carefully for cracks, missing shingles and lifted roof materials.
  
  

Repairing the Shingles

• Replace any torn, rotten or cracked shingles with new. To determine if shingles are rotten, lift the shingle up from the roof. If the shingle lifts up without any effort, it is rotten and needs to be replaced. Try to replace the shingles with leftovers from the original roof installation if you still have them. Using mismatched shingles in an emergency is acceptable until you can match the shingles.
  Large areas on your roof that have rotted shingles usually indicate that you need a new roof. To remove the old shingles, lift the shingles surrounding the one you are replacing. Remove the nails and slide out the damaged shingle. Remove any old dried-out cement and replace with new cement.
  Make sure that roof nails are covered with cement when new shingles are nailed into place. When replacing the shingles that are used on the peak of a roof, which are called ridge shingles, you must replace them with the same kind of shingle. Replacing ridge shingles with flat shingles will not fix the leak.
  
  

Call in Professionals

• Large fields of shingles that need to be replaced or a complete roof replacement will require the services of a professional roofing company. You should also call in a professional roofer when you are unable to find the source of your roof leaks.
  Call several roofing companies to repair your roof and ask for estimates for the repair work or the replacement roof. Cost is not the only consideration when you are selecting your roofing contractor. Consider the reputation of the roofer and their experience as well as the cost.