Homemade Solutions for a Roof Leak

Floor Mat Flat Roof Patch

• A small hole in the material on a flat roof can cause a lot of water in your house when heavy rains come. The solution for such a problem may be no further than your front door. Take an old rubber doormat with a smooth back, household cleaner, an old towel and some household caulk up to your roof. Find the rip or hole in the material and clean the surrounding area. Turn the doormat over and generously install caulk around the edge of the perimeter. Turn the mat back over and center it over the hole. Press down easily on the edges of the mat and allow the caulk to dry. This provides a seal that should get you through at least one more rainy season.

Shower Curtain Shingle Ridge Repair

• Heavy winds can blow ridge caps off the roof's hip. This can cause a leak where the plywood gaps at the peak. Find an old shower curtain, preferably close in color to the shingles. Cut a strip out of the shower curtain the same width and 1 ft longer then the strip of caps missing. Lay the curtain down over the break, and nail near the edges. Place a dab of caulk on the curtain before you put the nail through, then cover the nail with the excess caulk. Do this about every 4 inches along the length of both sides until you have patched the leaking gap.

Vent Stack Bandage Repair

• When a sharp object hits an aluminum vent stack, it can slice the stack and cause water to get in your house. Should this be your problem, find some bandage gauze, scissors and plastic cement or model glue. Take them up on the roof and cover the sliced area in the vent cover with the glue. Do this around the perimeter of the vent, then wrap the bandage around the pipe twice and pull it tight. Cut with scissors at the end to ensure a clean fit.

Trash Bag Turbine Repair

• Oftentimes, the bearings go bad in a turbine or "whirlybird" that turns and ventilates your attic. This not only causes a loud sound, but also lets water in your attic when it is not turning properly in the wind. To fix this problem, cover the turbine and its base with the a bag, then wrap duct tape around bag at the base of the turbine several times. Cut off the excess bag at the bottom with scissors to ensure a neat finish. This does not fix the turbine, but prevents water from flowing into your attic.