If there is a crack in your roof, it will result in numerous issues. The first issues you will notice are leaks. As rain water seeps into the crack, it will eventually drizzle through your ceiling and into the ground below. The leak may result in mildew issues in your insulation, the requirement to switch ceiling drywall or tiles and similar damages. It is advised to fix your roof straight off. The good thing is that it’s fairly easy to repair a crack within the roof.
Locating the crack
Safely climb over the roof with a ladder. Find the crack within the roof by inspecting the tiles or alternative surfaces. Use the visible leak within the roof to find the overall space where the crack needs to be fixed. Bear in mind that water will travel horizontally before it’s apparent within. Once set, you’ll begin repairs and stop the leak quickly as follows.
Apply roofing mastic to the crack
This compound is extremely sticky and usually black in color. Dip it out with a trowel and spread it evenly over the crack – 1 / 4 inch thick. It looks messy, however, it’ll seal that crack fine. Unfold the mastic over the whole crack and add some further on the far side of the perimeters of the crack to confirm a good seal.
Unroll and cut a strip of reinforcement webbing
You can get this product from your local hardware store. It reinforces the mastic to form a powerful base as strong as the original building material – probably even stronger. Wear your rubber gloves and work the webbing down into the wet mastic. Simply press it into the mastic so it stays in place and covers the whole cracked and damaged space.
Smooth the webbing out along with your hands so it doesn’t bunch up. Your hands will get dirty while doing this step, however, it’s necessary to make sure the webbing is as smooth as possible to create a good seal.
Add another 1/4 inch of mastic over the webbing. Use the trowel once more as you did with the primary coat. This extra layer of mastic covers the webbing entirely, rendering it invisible to the eye. A floor covering will be formed – a waterproof seal that will erase the crack in your roof.
Materials that you will need
1. Roof mastic
2. Trowel
3. Reinforcement webbing
4. Scissors
5. Rubber gloves
Tip
It’s best to perform a crack repair on a dry day. The mastic works better to cover the affected area in low humidity temperatures. If you need to prevent a leak from a crack during a rainy period, the best you can do is to use a piece of tarp weighted with bricks to keep the cracked space from getting wet.
Finally, you can always call a professional if the job is too difficult to perform on your own.
