If you have a roof leak and the roofer checks your roof and discovers there's a large area where the deck has water damage, you might be looking at extensive repairs. Your attic might even have water damage, too. If a big patch of the deck is wet, the leak might have been going on for quite a while. It may be inconvenient, but you'll need to have the deck patched to stop it from rotting further. It's possible for the deck to get so weak that it eventually falls into the attic and you don't want that to happen. Here's how this roof repair might be done.
Start By Finding The Edges Of Water Damage
The roofer might lift shingles to look under them to find the edges of the water damage. They might use a moisture meter or other tool to locate the line between wet and dry decking. This lets the roofer know how much of the deck has to be removed. If it's a very large area, they might discuss installing new shingles on the entire side of the roof or getting a completely new roof if your roof is old and needs to be repaired soon.
One problem with replacing old shingles is the new shingles look new and bright so the repaired area stands out. If some of the shingles above the water damage are still in excellent shape, the roofer might be able to use them so they color-match. However, it's likely the water-damaged area will need new decking and shingles, too.
Replace The Water-Damaged Area
The deck of a roof is usually made of plywood. Replacing it is a fairly easy roof repair. The roofer needs to use a saw to cut out the wet portion. The deck is nailed to the rafters, so when the wet deck is pulled off, the roofer can check the rafters underneath to see if they have water damage, too. If so, they might need to have work done to provide extra support if they're starting to rot.
The roofer takes measurements of the opening left when the rotted deck is pulled out so a patch can be cut from another piece of plywood. The plywood is then patched in and nailed to the rafters. Once the deck is finished, new underlayment is put on and then the area is covered with shingles. The result is a dry roof that no longer leaks, so the roof repairs are worth it even if the new shingles are noticeable.
Reach out to a roof repair service near you to learn more.
Once you watched someone put a roof on a home, you have a much deeper understanding of what's involved in this sort of work. Roofing is not easy. There's a big mental component since the roofers need to decide how how many shingles to use, how to best lay them out, and so forth. Then, there's the physical aspect of roofing. Lugging packages of shingles onto the roof is not easy, and nailing them down take a lot of work, too. With that in mind, we welcome you to read more about roofing on this blog. Let the articles inform your opinion of the profession.