When it rains as much as it has in the past week or so here in Georgia, roofing contractors all over the state get extremely busy as roof leaks become apparent (and sometime disastrous) and homeowners rush to have them repaired as soon as possible. Even the largest contractors can get backlogged with repairs taking weeks to even begin, leaving the homeowner with a leaking roof or tarp as a temporary solution until a contractor can get there. Some unfortunate souls get too impatient, end up hiring a door to door storm chaser and end up being ripped off.
Many of the calls received during storms or periods of sustained rain aren’t new problems. Many homeowners notice signs of leaks early on and put them off thinking “it’s not that big of a leak” or “it just started so I have time”, unfortunately, what was deemed as an inconsequential annoyance turns into a major problem with the next round of harsh weather. These homeowners not only have to deal with what is becoming a major problem, they now have to wait to have it repaired properly, possibly causing even more damage and headaches. While tarps and other temporary solutions will help, they will protect very little should another strong storm come before the contractor can get out there to repair the roof properly.
Sometimes, leaks aren’t apparent until storms or sustained rains occur or your home was damaged by the storm and you’re only choice is to wait until your contractor can repair it properly, especially in damaging storms. The good news is, in a lot of cases, a new leak could be a minor problem and implementing a temporary solution can protect it until it is repaired, as it could be relatively new and hasn’t had time to wreak too much havoc. As long as it’s caught early enough a leak can usually be stopped before it causes much larger problems.
This is why it is best to take care of the problem immediately after it is discovered. Having your roof regularly inspected by a reputable contractor is the best way to avoid small leaks becoming large headaches.
