The rainy season in Ghana typically lasts between May and September each year. During these times, having a leaky roof can cause sleepless nights as well as considerable damage to your property. Here are some practical ways to fix a leaky roof in Ghana. If you are not one yourself, always hire an expert when it comes to fixing your roof. The tips outlined here are to aid you in identifying the problem and applying basic fixes that you can do yourself. If climbing up onto your roof is not an option for you, please call an expert.

READ ALSO: How To Declutter Your Closet

All methods here must be attempted by experts with all the necessary protective equipment.

Types Of Roofs in Ghana

There are no limits in Ghana’s building law as to which type of roofing that you can use on your building. So you may find just about any type of roofing you can imagine in use in Ghana. The most common roofing methods in Ghana are:

• Clay Tile Roofing
• Aluminium Roofing
• Metal Roofing
• Slate Roofing
• Rubber Roofing

Repairing a Leaky Roof

If you’re searching for how to fix leaks within your roofs you’ve likely got a problem on your hands.  Water coming through your roof can lead to problems like damaged insulation, ruined ceilings, and needing to replace tiles, carpets, and much more. Roofs can be susceptible to leaks which are caused by various problems including the installation methods; type of roof; weather and age. The way that the leak can be repaired will differ based on the cause of the issue.

Inspect the Roof

You will need to, first of all, identify the cause of the leak. It could be from the following reasons:

1. Broken tiles
2. Cracked tiles
3. Collection of debris on the roof valley
4. Worn out or defective waterproof membrane

Once you know the cause then you can decide on which form of action to take in the fixing of your roof. A thorough inspection of the entire roof is necessary to find out if there are other leaks or weakened portions of the roof that can be changed before new leaks spring up.

Get Your Equipment

Gather the equipment and gear you need to effectively work on the leak. Wear solid non-slip shoes, thick gloves, a helmet, overalls and other protective gear. If your roof is a clay tile roof or something similar, then you can get more tiles to replace the worn-out ones.

Here is a list of some of the materials that you may need:

• Nails
• Wet saw
• Hanger strap
• Pry bar
• Hammer
• RT-600 Tile Roof Sealer in Terracotta colour
• Caulk gun
• Waterproof membrane
• Mortar

Remove the Tiles

Once you identify the source of the leak, what’s next is to remove the damaged area. You can call an expert with experience to do this for you. You might need to use a crowbar to remove some roofing material based on the type of roof you have.

Fix Cracks

If you happen to find any cracks on your roof then you should proceed to fix them as cracks are the first sign of a damaged roof. Some sealants can work on certain types of cracks especially cracks on clay roofing tiles. Replace broken parts of the roof as well.

Test

Once the roof is fixed, you should test it by pouring a bucket of water on the fixed spot and monitor the effect. If the leak stops, then congratulations! You just fixed your leaky roof problem! If there is still leakage, you can go through all the steps outlined again and have it fixed before the rains hit the roof.

READ ALSO: The Lands Commission And Its Functions

As stated earlier, if you are not experienced in roof repair, kindly hire the services of a professional to get that done. Fixing a leaky roof is challenging but it is always worth it in the short and long term.