What to Do If Your Roof Leaks During a Rainstorm
Immediate actions to protect your home and belongings before the repair crew shows up.
By Samuel · · 4 min read
If your roof starts leaking during a rainstorm, the first thing to do is stop the water from getting worse inside your home. This is not the time to call a roofer and wait. You need to act fast, contain the damage, and then get a professional out to fix the actual problem. A leak during heavy rain can soak insulation, ruin drywall, damage flooring, and even weaken the structure of your roof framing if you let it sit. In Santa Ana, we don't get heavy rain often, but when we do, a roof leak can cause serious damage in just a few hours.
Stop the Water Right Now
Find where the water is coming in and put a bucket under it. If the leak is large, you may need multiple buckets or a tarp spread across the wet area. Move furniture and belongings away from the wet zone. If water is pooling in the attic or crawlspace above a room, you can poke a small hole in the ceiling drywall to let the water drain into a bucket rather than letting it spread across a wider area and weigh down the ceiling. This sounds counterintuitive, but a small controlled hole is better than a large collapse later.
Find the Source if You Can
The water you see dripping is not always where the leak is. Water travels along framing, rafters, and sheeting before it drips through. Look in the attic or crawlspace if you have safe access. Shine a flashlight and look for wet wood, water stains, or active dripping. Mark the spot with a piece of tape or a stick. If you cannot access the attic safely or if it is too dark and wet, do not force it. Just tell the roofer where you see the water coming in inside, and they will find the source from the roof.
Get a Temporary Fix in Place
If the rain is still coming down hard and you need to prevent more water from entering, you can put a tarp over the damaged area from inside the attic if the leak is in a spot you can reach. Nail or tape a piece of heavy plastic or a tarp to the underside of the roof decking above the leak. This is a bandage, not a cure. Do not go on the roof during a rainstorm. It is slippery, dangerous, and you will make things worse.
Call a Roofer as Soon as the Rain Stops
Do not wait until the next day if the leak is active. Once the rain stops, call S New Roof right away. In Santa Ana, we can often get to emergency leaks the same day, especially if you call in the morning. Tell them exactly where the water is coming in and how bad it is. A good roofer will inspect the roof, find the actual source, and either patch it temporarily if the weather is dry enough or schedule a full repair. Sometimes the leak is from flashing around a vent or chimney. Sometimes it is a cracked shingle or a hole in the membrane. The roofer needs to see the roof to know.
Understand What Likely Caused It
In Santa Ana, roof leaks during rain usually come from one of a few places. Flashing around roof penetrations, like vents, skylights, or chimneys, is the most common culprit. The sealant cracks or pulls away, and water runs underneath. If your roof is older than 15 years, shingles may be curling, cracked, or missing, which lets water in. If your roof is relatively new but you have a leak, it might be improper installation, a defect in the material, or damage from a branch or impact you did not notice. A roofer will look at the condition of the shingles, the flashing, the gutters, and the slope to figure out what went wrong.
Prevent the Next Leak
After the roofer fixes the leak, ask them what caused it and what you can do to avoid it in the future. Keep your gutters clean so water does not back up under the eaves. Trim branches that hang over the roof so they cannot break shingles or puncture the surface during wind. If your roof is more than 15 years old, start planning for a replacement. A roof inspection every two or three years can catch small problems before they become leaks during a storm.
When a roof leak happens during rain, you are in a race against time and water damage. Do what you can to contain it, find the source if possible, and then get a professional roofer to fix it. S New Roof has handled plenty of emergency leaks in Santa Ana and can usually get you scheduled fast. If your roof starts leaking, call us and we will get you taken care of.