In The Context Of Any Emergency Roof Repair It Is Vitally Important To Seek To Control The Damage That It Is Presently Being Caused And Minimise It.
Water Penetration
Where Water Is Dripping Or Streaming Continuously It Is Necessary To Act Quickly To Place Some Storage Method In Its Path. Plastic Dustbins Are Particularly Useful Since They Hold A Significant Volume And Can Be Used In Relays To Drain Their Water Content. Since Additional Water Damage May Be Hidden Behind Wood Or Plaster, Water May Be Travelling Its Vertical Path To Ground Undetected.The Actual Flow Of Water May Be Partially Blocked And Cause The Water To Displace Thereby Creating More Damage. If You Consider That The Existing Water Hole Or Penetrated Area Could Be Widened To Allow Clearer Transmission Of Water Then It May Be Useful To Conservatively Widen It With The Reverse End Of A Paintbrush.
Electrical Safety
A Thorough Inspection Should Be Made Of All The Surrounding Areas And Where There Are Multiple Levels Within A Building Other Floors Should Be Checked For The Sake Of Completeness.It Is Highly Likely That Electrical Cables And Fittings Are Within Reasonable Close Proximity To The Obvious Leak Ingress Point. Wherever Possible The Electricity To That And Other Areas Should Be Switched Off. It Is Highly Likely That A Qualified Electrician Will Be Required To Check The Safety Of The Electrics Before They Can Be Re-Established. For Insurance Purposes It Would Appear To Be Important To Have A Contemporaneous Record Of Events At Least As A Still Images Or Even Video Taken Via Mobile Phone.
Damage Assessment
The Householder Is Going To Need To Make A Judgment Call As To The Severity Of The Problem. In All Instances The Household Insurance Company Is Going To Need To Be Informed Immediately, As Much Because They Have Great Experience In How To Triage Damage And The Required Practical Actions That Flow From Their Categorisation Of The Cause Type. They Are Also Likely To Be Able To Provide A List Of Approved Suppliers Qualified To Act Quickly In The Interim Or Supplier Association With Contactable Accredited Members.
Insurance Policy
Assuming The Building Is Covered By Insurance It Is Hard To Conceive Of A Circumstance In Which The Owner Would Want To Go To The Trouble Of Isolating The Leak And The Performing The Repair. The Only Stimulus To Do So Might Be In Circumstances Where The Buildings Insurance Policy Covers A Significant Excess Which The Policy Holder Is Likely To Pay. This May Be Invoked In The Case Of A Pre-Existing Untreated Known Fault, Or Alternatively The Oft Trotted Out “Wear And Tear” Exclusion.
Roof Accessibility
Where The Leak Can Be Reasonable Quickly Identified And The Flat Roof Surface Is Easily Accessible It May Be Possible To Directly Inspect The Area Close Up Or Via Binoculars And Then Seek To Effect The Repair. Care Is Advisable To Only Seek To Do This In The Safest Of Circumstances. The Same Adverse Weather That Caused The Difficulty May Place The Would-Be Repairer In Direct Jeopardy. Roofers Are Familiar With Their Own Limitations And Safety Requirements For Working At A Height. Householders Do Not Have That Experience. In All But The Simplest Of Circumstances Where The Risk Factors Can Be Controlled It Always Better To Employ A Roofing Contractor Or Roofing Company To Perform The Required Work.