Drip. Drip. Drip
Uh-oh. Not another leaking tap?
Not quite… No, this time, the leak isn’t coming from your sink.
So, where is it then?
Here’s a tip: look up.
Roof leaks are one of the worst things that can happen to your home. You shouldn’t need a roof plumber to tell you that – your roof is meant to keep the weather out, after all, and if it’s leaking, something is seriously wrong!
So your roof, after many years of faithful service, has decided to spring a leak. What should you do next?
Our roof plumbers explain why roof repairs matter
Because your roof is important!
A roof leak doesn’t just affect your comfort – it can also lead to a whole host of other issues not just in your roof, but throughout your house.
Warped ceilings and walls
Carpets don’t deal well with moisture. And neither does plaster!
A persistent roof leak can lead to the plaster in your ceiling or walls staining as dust clings to the moisture and discolours it. Over time, this can lead to ugly brown stains ringing your ceiling and walls.
Leave it too long, and the plaster can even start to sag thanks to water damage.
You know what happens when you take a piece of A4 paper and put it in water? Imagine that, except gradually happening to your ceiling or walls.
That’s what can happen if your roof leaks!
Mould and mildew
If water is dripping into your home, just imagine how much of it’s gathered in your roof cavity or ceiling, pooling up just out of sight. You could have an entire swamp up there without realising it!
And with moisture comes mould and mildew.
Mould only needs 3 things to grow: darkness, food and moisture. Your ceiling cavity already has the first two – what a leak does is add the third into the mix. If water is dripping into your home, there’s a high chance that it’s already feeding a festering mould growth.
Electrical fires and short circuits
A lot of wiring runs through your ceiling. We’re talking about things like wiring for lights, though some homes have wiring for ceiling-mounted projectors or even wiring for aircon systems.
Needless to say, electricity and water don’t go well together!
With roof leaks, there’s always a risk that it’s affecting your electrical wiring, dramatically increasing your risk of an electrical fire or a short-circuit.
Luckily, your wiring comes with water protection – that said, that doesn’t mean that you can delay booking roof repairs in Melbourne!
Here’s what to do when you spring a roof leak…
1. First thing’s first: break out the buckets and pots
We know, you’re here to learn what you need to do to fix the problem once and for all.
Don’t worry, we’ll get to that – for the meantime however, you need to make sure your stuff is protected from water damage!
Bringing out the buckets, pots and pans serves a couple of purposes.
Firstly, it helps protect your carpet and upholstered furniture from water damage.
This is especially important if the leak is near wiring and electronics – as we all know, electricity and water don’t mix!
Before you can call a roof plumber in Melbourne to carry out roof repairs for you, you need a temporary fix to keep water away from floors and furniture.
That’s why this is our first piece of advice!
2. Soak up any water
Sometimes, you just aren’t quick enough to catch everything.
You’re not superhuman – at least some water is bound to leak into your home before you can get the buckets and pans.
Once you’ve got your buckets and pans in order however, your next priority should be to soak up as much spillage as possible.
This can help avoid issues like water damage to carpets, while also protecting you from falls or slips.
3. Call your insurer
The first thing you should do after the rain stops? Hop on the phone with your insurance company.
While not all home insurance policies cover this, it’s worth checking just in case. After all, insurance policies are notoriously complex.
Not to mention, most of us don’t think about your home insurance on the regular (which is a good thing – it means that your home has never run into an issue like this before!)
The problem is that it also means that most Aussies aren’t 100% clear on what their policy does and doesn’t include (hence the phone call).
Once that’s done, you can finally get onto fixing it…
4. Call a roof plumber for roof repairs in Melbourne
What do you do when one of your pipes starts leaking? Why, you call a plumber of course.
When your roof starts leaking, you should do the exact same thing!
Roof leaks need a roof plumber to fix. You can’t do a DIY fix to your roof – it takes a specialised team to correctly and safely identify and repair a roof leak.
Watermaster’s plumbing team are also qualified roof plumbers.
In addition to roof plumbing, our team also offers emergency roof repairs in Melbourne. We’ll identify the source of the leak and patch it up for you, protecting our home from water damage or a failing roof.
Give us a call, and we’ll send someone over as soon as possible to keep the cold weather out, and the warm in.
You never know when you might need roof repairs in Melbourne, whether for a leak or any other kind of roofing problem – that’s why it’s so important to have a roof plumber on speed-dial.
Our number is 1300 576 075 – we suggest saving it to your phone! Alternatively, contact our team online.
You can also visit us for roof plumbing in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.