Winter Roof Emergency: What to Do When You Can't Wait for Spring
Your roof is leaking in December, it's 28 degrees outside, and you're wondering if anything can even be done right now. Here's what you need to know.
Want a straight answer about your own roof?
Free inspection, written report, no sales pitch. We cover Johnson, Douglas, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties.
Nobody wants to deal with a roof problem in the middle of winter. But roofs don't check the calendar before they start leaking, and some problems can't sit for three months until the weather warms up. If you've got an active leak in January, water damage is happening right now. It's getting into your insulation, your drywall, maybe your electrical. Waiting isn't free. Here's what we can and can't do when it's cold outside.
What you should do right now
- Contain the water: bucket under the drip, move furniture and valuables out of the way
- If you can safely access the attic, find where the water is coming in and mark it
- Take photos and video of the damage. Your insurer may ask for documentation, so ask what it needs.
- Don't go on the roof yourself: ice, frost, wet shingles, and cold-stiffened legs are a recipe for a bad fall
- Call a roofer who does emergency work. Not every company does winter repairs
Demand for roofing crews across the year
What we can do in cold weather
A lot of people assume roofing stops when winter starts. That's not quite true. We can't do a full shingle replacement when it's below freezing, asphalt shingles get brittle in the cold and won't seal properly until the temperatures come back up. But we can do emergency tarping, temporary patches, flashing repairs, and interior damage mitigation. If a tree branch came through your roof, we can get it covered and secured the same day. If your chimney flashing failed, we can often make a permanent repair even in cold weather since it's metalwork, not shingle work.
Temporary repairs vs waiting it out
The decision comes down to how much damage is happening while you wait. A small stain on the ceiling from a slow drip? You can probably wait, as long as you're monitoring it. An active stream of water coming through a light fixture? That needs to be dealt with today. Water and electrical don't mix, and the structural damage from a significant ongoing leak can turn a $2,000 repair into a $10,000 repair in a matter of weeks.
Emergency tarping, how it works
Emergency tarping is exactly what it sounds like. We put a heavy-duty tarp over the damaged area and secure it so it stays in place through wind, snow, and ice. A properly installed tarp can protect your home for weeks or even months while we wait for a window of warmer weather to do the permanent fix. We don't just throw a blue tarp up there and weigh it down with bricks. We use industrial tarps secured with lumber and fasteners so it holds up to Kansas wind.
We do emergency calls year-round, including weekends. If your roof can't wait, neither can we. Give us a call at (913) 954-4501.
Want a straight answer about your own roof?
Free inspection, written report, no sales pitch. We cover Johnson, Douglas, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties.
