After spending thousands of dollars on a brand new roof, a homeowner’s worst nightmare is waking up to find that you’ve sprung a leak. When you pay so much for such an important part of your home, it’s natural to feel a little offended if your recently installed roof isn’t functioning as it should. That said, it’s very rare to have a leak in a new roof, and the ones that do pop up are often easy to fix. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to think about if you’ve found a leak in your new roof.
DON’T: Work yourself up.
After putting a few thousand dollars down, it’s normal to freak out a little. Try your best to remain calm, and whatever you do, do not call your roofer for a verbal beratement — there’s no way that will fix the leak in your roof.
DO: Calmly assess the situation
Before you call anyone, do your best to calm down and figure out where the leak is coming from. You’ll want to gather as much information as you can about the leak, such as:
- When did the leak start?
- How hard was it raining?
- How much water accumulated in your home?
- Has the leak stopped?
- Does the leak seem to be coming from a window or chimney area?
These are all questions you’ll need to answer when you do call your roofer to come out and make the repairs. The more calmly and confidently you can answer these questions, the better your outcome is to be.
DON’T: Exaggerate your problem
Let’s be honest, a small leak in your roof isn’t the end of the world. Yes it’s inconvenient, and yes you did just pay for a new roof, but the truth is that it’s very unlikely that your roofer tried to roof your home with a defect. Don’t go off on the roofer, don’t threaten to sue, and don’t exaggerate your problem to make it sound more urgent than it is.
DO: Present the facts clearly and request a realistic timeline
If you’re honest about what’s gone wrong with your roof, and you present your roofer with calm, confident answers to “what went wrong?”, you’re more likely to get a better response. Be firm with your timeline, but don’t expect next day service unless it’s going to be raining cats and dogs for the foreseeable future. A week is a realistic timeline to get someone out to check and repair whatever has gone wrong. Again, most reputable roofers stand behind their work and will want to guarantee their warranty. The majority of them will do their best to come out and fix your leak as soon as they possibly can.
What if My Roofer Has Ghosted?
There are very rare cases where a dishonest, disreputable roofer will take your money and put on a subpar roof, only to disappear as soon as you call with a problem. If this happens to you, again, remain calm. It’s unlikely that your entire new roof is unsuitable, and in most cases, necessary repairs will not be that costly.
Find a local roofer you can trust, who has a long-standing reputation, and is willing to come out and make the repairs for you. A quality roofer won’t doomsday you and say that you’re going to have to completely overhaul the other roofer’s job. Instead, they’ll point out key problems and offer to fix them for a reasonable price.
A leak in a new roof can feel devastating, but it’s very rarely the end of the world. Most often, leaks in a new roof are due to tricky flashing around chimneys and windows. They can be fixed fairly cheaply, you just need to find a roofer you trust to do the repairs for you. A reputable roofer who stands behind his work won’t bat an eye at coming out to make those repairs, and if you have to find a new roofer, choose one who will at least guarantee his work on the repairs.
If your roof is having issues, and you’re having trouble finding someone who can help, call Werner Roofing for quality roof repair you can trust. A local, West Michigan roofer with decades in the business, we’re here to help you. Give our office a call at 616-844-5382, or visit us online for your free roofing estimate today.
