How To Tell If Your Leaking Roof Is An Emergency

The most common reason people go to the emergency room, says one hospital, is headaches. We all love playing Doctor using our internet search engines, so a mere headache becomes an emergency. But what about a leaking roof? Is a leaking roof an emergency?

You cannot live in a house without sanitary plumbing; it is against building codes. Your home must be habitable . If a leaky roof means you cannot live in your house, then yes, you have a roofing emergency. What do you do in a house? (Hey, hey, we’re keeping this PG!) You:

If any of the family’s daily routines cannot be performed because your roof is leaking, then you have a full-blown, call-the-roofer roofing emergency. 

On the other hand, if the leak is small and seems only to show itself during the wettest, windiest weather, you may not need to rush to contact your local, helpful residential roofer. Wait until morning, and when you reach your roofer’s office, describe your issue in a calm, clear voice. 

No point in taking your emotions to an 11 when a 3 will do. Describe the extent of the leak and when you notice it. Then work with your roofer for a non-emergency roof repair (it will cost less than an emergency visit). 

How can you determine how bad the roof leak is? During sunny weather, you may not notice, but during a rain shower or thunderstorm, you may be able to fill pot after pot with the invasive water. Time the drops; the faster the water flows in, the larger the water droplets, the greater the emergency. A tiny drip at a steady but easily measurable rate may not be a big deal; if you only need to empty the kitchen pasta pot once a day, the leak is probably not an emergency.

This does not mean you should ignore the leak! Make the call, arrange a non-emergency visit, and let your roofer decide how best to deal with the roof leak. 

Water sometimes infiltrates through a roof leak slowly, gradually moving down through your sheathing, rafters, and insulation to saturate the drywall of your ceilings. If you notice a slowly spreading stain without any actual water dripping down, you have a roof leak but not an emergency. The ceiling and leak will not fix themselves, so do not ignore a roof leak. The longer you leave the damage, the more extensive and expensive the damage will be.

Your central Ohio or Cape Coral home is probably your most valuable asset. Help it keep its resale value and curb appeal. When facing a roof leak, ask yourself, “How much value do I want to lose over this?” Obviously, nobody wants the value of their home to drop, but a roof leak that damages your roof, attic, ceilings, and walls does just that. 

How much damage will make you call a roofer for an emergency call? Use these yardsticks:

What happens at your local, helpful residential roofer’s office when you call to report a leaky roof? Your roofer will ask you questions based in large part on what we have described above. For a roofing emergency:

Allstate Exteriors & Restoration in our two locations — central Ohio and Cape Coral, Florida — is ready to help with your roof emergency. We offer full-service roof repairs and roof replacement. Contact us today to find out how we can help you protect your family and defend your home.