Fixing roof leaks in private homes. Elimination of leaks in houses with a soft roof

Sad statistics confirm that almost every owner of a private house has ever been overtaken by the problem of a leaking roof. This does not indicate poor quality material or poor workmanship. Over time, any products wear out and lose their properties. And more expensive and high-quality roofing materials will simply last longer and delay this problem for a longer period. But the problem when the roof flows is quite solvable. You just need to consider the possible ways and choose the most optimal for yourself.

At the most unexpected moment, it may rain from your ceiling. Most often this happens in the spring and autumn. Melted snow and rain can flow through the most inconspicuous cracks and at the same time turn small cracks into real streams of water that will pour into your home.

Of course, you can just substitute a bucket or bowl. But it is better to climb onto the roof and find this weak spot. A quick seal of the leak will help for a short time, and after a few rains everything will happen again.

In no case do not leave everything to chance in the hope that everything will pass by itself. Remember, the sooner you start solving this problem and eliminate it, the cheaper this repair will cost you and the effect will be much better. You can hire specialists to carry out repairs on the roof of your house. But it is quite possible to do it with your own hands.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of the leak and its nature. Leak occurs for several reasons. Firstly, the elements of the roofing material may be displaced, as a result of which gaps appear. This happens when the roofing doesn't match the pitch of your home's roof. Most often this occurs at the joints of the roofing material, especially in those places where the chimney and ventilation pipes pass.
Secondly, the fault of the leak is the destruction of the roof. This can happen through rusting of the canvas, damage to the roofing material, drying and crumbling of the old putty, and so on. Leakage also occurs in places where the ridge or wooden elements of the roof are rotten. Each type of roofing material has its drawbacks. So, metal tiles are prone to rapid rusting, and cracks often appear on ceramics. All these factors can create a lot of trouble for the home owner.

When the first signs of a leak appear, the very first thing you should do is find the location of the leak. It is sometimes quite difficult to do this, because water can get under the roof on one side, and flow out in the room on the other. In such cases, roofing specialists are advised to proceed as follows.

Roof inspection should start at the leak point. Then slowly move up the roof. As a rule, seal failure occurs along a vertical vector, often not very far from the leak. But keep in mind, the greater the value of the slope angle, the greater the distance to the damage. If you notice spots of a changed color, cracks, holes on the canvas, then this indicates damage.

No need to flatter yourself - metal tiles can also leak

Repairs are not difficult if the roof is covered with metal tiles, as it is enough to simply update a few elements. To do this, remove the damaged tiles, then cut out the wooden slats underneath. Prepare a piece of roofing material equal to the damaged area. After attaching it, install new strips on which the new metal tile is placed.

What to do in case of damage to the roof of iron sheets? First you need to remove the damaged leaf using a nail puller. The nails of the adjacent sheets need to be pulled out a little and the iron sheets raised. Gently place the new sheet under the waves of the neighboring one, then nail the extended nails back, and then the new sheet.

Do the work very carefully so as not to violate the integrity of nearby building materials. We advise you to find yourself an assistant, because the iron is heavy and it is easier to install it together.

But the most difficult situation arises when a leak occurs at the joints of the cover with a chimney or hood. In such cases, a galvanized sheet and bitumen-based roofing material are used.

First, the docking site is sealed with bituminous waterproofing.
Galvanizing of the required size is bent into the desired shape, after which it is attached to the pipe around which the leak occurred.
Joints and places where the galvanization does not adhere tightly to the roof are covered with bituminous mastic.

A rotten skate is also a lot of problems. To repair it, it is necessary to replace the ridge boards, the further operation of which is impossible. Unusable beams and nails are pulled out, all irregularities are cleaned, and a new skate is firmly attached.

A roof made of soft material can also be repaired. At the site of the leak, the damaged parts of the roofing material and, if necessary, layers of bitumen are removed. Carefully inspect and restore the cement screed, and then proceed with laying a new coating. Cut the roofing material of the required size and lay it in place of the old one, fill it with prepared cement mortar on top.

Leak Prevention

The appearance of a leak entails the repair of not only the roof, but also the interior decoration of the room where the water has reached. And this will entail considerable financial costs. Therefore, to prevent this, regularly inspect the roof of your house. This must be done twice a year - before the start of the winter season and in the spring, when all the snow has melted. If there are the smallest flaws, be sure to eliminate them. This will save you from major trouble when the roof leaks.

Why is this happening? Answer is here

Several factors contribute to the appearance of wet spots and leaks.

The main one is unskilled installation of the coating and poor quality of the roofing material. Do not save on cheap products, but for installation it is better to turn to specialists. After all, subsequent permanent repairs will cost much more.
The second reason is ignoring regular prophylaxis. Timely detection of damage will facilitate repairs and entail minor material losses. As mentioned above, experienced roofers recommend a routine inspection of the roof every six months.

If you are building your own house, personally control the coating process to avoid technology violations and the use of defective and damaged building materials. For slings, you need to use standard bars that correspond to the dimensions of the housing. The crate is carried out by a suitable and always the same step between the bars. A crate board is installed from each edge of the ridge, and a sealant is placed in the slot under the plank, which will prevent the snow from swirling.

When laying hydro and vapor barrier, strictly adhere to the technology, because deviation from it will lead to a violation of the insulation. Gutters are installed in such a way that nothing prevents water from flowing into them. Attach snow retainers according to all the rules, but take into account the peculiarities of the local climate and precipitation levels. Be sure to make roof overhangs. They will protect the walls of the house from oblique rains, thereby protecting them from getting wet and leaking.

Walking on the roof of a house is a very dangerous activity. Therefore, when carrying out any work at height, be sure to use a safety cable. It is better to find yourself an assistant who can always help and help out. Get also sets of standard and necessary tools that will be at hand at the right time. And remember that it is easier to prevent a problem than to fix its consequences later.

Every resident of an apartment building wants this building to be durable and in optimal condition. Therefore, if various important parts of it fail, it is required to do repair work in a timely manner. Often there are various problems with the foundation, roof or other important elements. If the roof is leaking, where to go? You should understand this process in order to eliminate leaks in a short time.

Consequences of a leak

If the roof leaks in an apartment building, then this is a negative moment for every tenant, and even for people whose apartments are located on the lower floor. This is due to various reasons:

the decoration and appearance of the furniture located in the apartments on the upper floors of the building is destroyed;
the comfort of living for all citizens is deteriorating;
fungus appears on walls or other surfaces, and it can spread to other apartments;
there is flooding of the attic and even landings;
residents develop various diseases due to increased dampness;
there is a possibility of roof collapse;
there is a possibility that moisture will get on the electrical wiring or various devices.

Various measures should be taken as soon as possible when a leak is detected. If you competently and promptly carry out repair work, then all the negative consequences of violating the integrity of the roof are prevented.

Why do roofs leak?

So, the roof is leaking in an apartment building: what to do? To do this, you need to contact the housing department or the management company, but effective repairs are possible only when determining the cause of the leak.

There can be various reasons for this problem to occur. They are presented in the table below.

Cause of the leak	Its features
Changes in the sealing system	This reason is found in old houses, and this is due to wear or deterioration in the quality of the materials used in the process of forming the roofing cake. Due to the deterioration of sealing, moisture can penetrate directly under the roof
Use of poor quality materials	Developers often use expired roofing materials to reduce the cost of apartments. They cannot provide the proper level of sealing, and also will not last too long.
Roof damage	This can be carried out under mechanical action, when snow or ice is removed from the roof.
Wrong styling technology	Often, developers turn to people who are not specialists to perform various works, therefore they make gross mistakes in the process of forming a roof structure. This causes leaks
Errors were made when installing additional items	It is not uncommon for moisture to enter through places where the roofing connects to parts of the ventilation system, chimneys, or other items required for installation on the roof.

Regardless of the cause, leaks should be removed promptly. If the roof is leaking, where to go? To do this, you must first contact the Criminal Code or Housing Department.

If this does not lead to the desired result, then you will have to go to the prosecutor's office or draw up an application to the court.

What to do if a leak is found?

If the roof leaks in an apartment building, where to complain? To do this, tenants must follow the following steps:

initially you need to call the housing department that serves a specific apartment building, which will allow you to register a complaint;
it is additionally recommended to draw up, if the roof in an apartment building has leaked, a written statement (in duplicate) in order to have evidence of notification of the housing department employees about the problem;
the application must contain the reason for the appeal, the address of the building and the full name of the applicant;
it is desirable to attach photographs to this document that are evidence of the problem.

How to make an application correctly?

If the roof in the apartment is leaking, where to go? First, it is recommended to write an application to the housing department. It is compiled according to several rules:

the problem that has arisen is described in detail, namely the location of the leak;
indicates whether the water is constantly flowing;
it is written whether the leak has already caused any damage;
at the end, it is necessary to write about the need to consider this application by the employees of the housing department promptly, as well as about the necessary measures being taken to eliminate the leak;
it is indicated that it is necessary to draw up an act on the basis of which the residents will be compensated for the damage caused;
All information must be given clearly, understandably and objectively.

The application is printed in two copies. One is given to the housing department employee, and on the second he must put a mark on the acceptance of the document.

How are utilities reacting?

Within two weeks after receiving the application, the employees of the housing department must convene a special commission that will solve this problem. An examination will be carried out, on the basis of which an appropriate act is drawn up. It indicates the date of the inspection and its results. The testimony of residents should be taken, and the damage caused to citizens should also be taken into account.

The repair process must be carried out promptly, therefore, within 14 days, the housing department employees must take appropriate measures.

What to do if there is no response to the application?

If the roof of the house is leaking, where to go if there is no answer to the application submitted to the housing department? In this case, it is required to draw up a complaint sent to the management of the housing department or the Criminal Code.

It indicates the full name of the applicant, his address, as well as the reason for compiling this document. It is prescribed that there is no reaction from the employee of the company to the previously submitted application. It is advisable to attach various photographs or other evidence of the applicant's correctness to this document.

Complaint to the prosecutor

If the housing department employees do not want to carry out repair work and the roof in the apartment building is still leaking, who should I contact? This situation occurs quite often, so residents should know what actions will allow them to influence the employees of this institution.

It is considered optimal to appeal to the prosecutor's office, and for this a special complaint is drawn up. A copy of the application and claim sent to the housing department is attached to it. Additionally, photographs must be provided confirming that there really is a leak on the roof, which has not been eliminated by the housing department workers for a long time.

On the basis of the documents received, prosecutors begin proceedings against the housing department, so various measures of influence can be applied to this organization, for example, large fines.

Solving the problem through the court

If the employees of the housing department do not perform the necessary actions to eliminate the leak, and at the same time the roof is leaking, where should I go in this case? Simultaneously with filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office, it will be optimal to file a statement of claim with the court.

For this, documentation is being prepared:

a statement of claim containing the essence of the problem;
applicant's passport;
registration certificate for real estate;
acts issued to apartment owners on the basis of an inspection of the roof or residential premises by public utility workers;
the address of the housing department where the complaints were sent;
responses received from the institution;
copies of statements and other documents related to this case;
photos of existing leaks.

When applying to the court, it is necessary to indicate in the application that some material damage was caused to the values of citizens, and you can also attach medical certificates, on the basis of which it becomes clear that high humidity led to the appearance of various diseases in people.

Litigation often takes a lot of time, so you will have to prepare for the fact that the employees of the housing department will not begin to fix the leak by a court decision soon. This may cause the house to be declared emergency, and the tenants to be relocated to other buildings.

Instead of a conclusion

The article answered the question of if the roof is leaking, where to go. To do this, you first need to write an application to the housing department, and if this does not bring the desired result, then you will have to use other methods of influencing the employees of this institution.

To increase the likelihood of winning a case in court, it is necessary to record the leak itself on a camera or video camera, as well as the consequences of water entering the attic or other rooms of the house. At the same time, the date when they were taken must be recorded on the video or photographs.

If property was destroyed due to water or high humidity, then this is also recorded. Additionally, checks are kept for paying for repairs or the purchase of new equipment and interior items.

The act of checking the apartment or attic space by a special commission must be kept.

However, often when a leak is detected on the roof, even when contacting the housing department, residents cannot receive services aimed at eliminating such a problem. This leads to the fact that they have to apply to higher authorities and even draw up a statement of claim in court. At the same time, it is important to correctly prepare the necessary documents confirming the presence of a leak and the damage caused.

Any owner dreams of a warm and cozy private home. And how much trouble a roof that leaks can bring to a person, starting with the appearance of moisture and mold on the walls and ending with the collapse of the roof.

The slightest mistake during the installation of the roof can lead to future roof leakage.

Noticing that the roof of the house is leaking, a good owner must definitely find the cause and eliminate this trouble as soon as possible.

Roof leak: causes and method of detection

One of the main reasons is that the roof in the house simply wore out after 10-12 years of operation as a result of exposure to wind and precipitation.
If the roof in the house is relatively new, then its leakage may be due to improper installation of roofing materials.
Roofing materials themselves may be of poor quality.
The roof can be damaged as a result of clearing it of ice and snow.

How can you find a leak? Inspection should begin with the attic of the house. First you need to check the condition of the rafters. But if you find that there are damp or dark spots on the wood, as well as mold, this does not mean that the place of leakage is here. After all, water can get under the roof in one place, and spreading over the waterproofing film, it can penetrate inside in another. That is why it is necessary to carefully examine the condition of the roof from the outside. By the way, at the same time it is recommended to check the integrity of the electrical wiring in the attic in order to avoid electric shock. Only after that should proceed to the external examination.

Must be carefully examined for damage. On the roof, you need to first examine its ridge, then examine the condition of the roof around the attic windows. Do not forget about the attachment points of metal aprons where they are connected to the chimney. Such fasteners must be especially tight, because most often water penetrates inside at the junction of the roof and the pipe. You should pay attention to the condition of the waterproofing. Then check for signs of mechanical damage: cracks, dents, blisters. Valleys are carefully examined (leaves and debris may accumulate there). Plant debris can also get into the drainpipe, clogging it. And, of course, it is worth inspecting the eaves, which can also be damaged by the wind.

After the owner has discovered the reasons, he should take care of its repair, and the technology in a private house depends on what roofing materials it is made of. The coating can be slate, tile, bitumen or metal.

How to repair a slate roof?

Uncomplicated. Most often, it consists in sealing chips or cracks in slate sheets. Damage occurs as a result of exposure to natural factors, as well as due to the fact that in winter the slate is cleaned with shovels, and this should be done with soft brushes. Damage can be patched up with ordinary cement mortar (cement to sand ratio 1:2).

A more modern way of sealing is the use of adhesive tapes having a butyl rubber base. First, prepare the damaged area for repair. To do this, cracks and chips must be wiped with a cotton or linen cloth soaked in gasoline or thinner. After that, the protective layer of paper is removed from the tape and sealed with pieces of damaged tape. Finally, you need to paint over the patches with oil paint. She also covers the nails with which the sheets of slate are connected. Thus, they can be protected from rust.

It should be remembered that it is a very fragile material, therefore, during repairs, it is necessary to move especially carefully along the roof of the house, using a ladder-ladder, which is able to evenly distribute the weight of a person’s body on the floor. That's all the complexity of fixing a slate roof leak.

How to repair a roof made of natural tiles?

Over time, under the influence of precipitation, the surface of tile tiles may crack. Roof leakage can occur due to the fact that the cement that holds the plates together has crumbled. Such damage is easy to repair. It is necessary to make a solution, which includes lime and a little tow (1 part) and sand (2 parts). Cracks in the tiles are covered with this solution. The crumbled old cement is carefully removed from the joints and replaced with lime mortar.

Often a tile roof leaks if the waterproofing layer between the battens to which the plates are attached and the rafters breaks. What should be done in this case? First, on the area requiring repair, you need to carefully pry off with a trowel and remove the tiles. Wooden wedges should be hammered under the plates lying above them. Then disconnect the slats from the rafters by removing the nails. Next, you need to put a piece of cardboard under the rails and cut out part of the rails above the damaged area with a hacksaw. After that, you should cut out the waterproofing section with a gap and apply a patch on top, gluing its edges to the waterproofing layer with mastic or roofing glue. Then you need to cut out new pieces of slats, lubricate them with an antiseptic and nail them to the rafters with anti-corrosion nails along with the old slats. The final touch of the repair is laying tiles on top of the slats.

Repair of a metal roof in a private house

Roofing pie for a metal roof: device diagram.

Roofing from a metal tile often leaks due to the fact that the rubber washer is destroyed in the fixing screws. In this case, all fasteners should be replaced with better ones, marked as FM, SFS. Otherwise, every 2 years it will loosen up. If in winter the roof was cleared of snow with a metal shovel, dents, scratches and even holes may form on the surface of the coating. Scratches are covered with anti-corrosion paint. Holes are sealed with steel patches. Loosely adjacent sheets are sealed with adhesive tapes or silicone sealant.

If the metal tile sheet is severely damaged, it will have to be replaced. To do this, carefully dismantle the damaged sheet, check the condition of the rails and thermal insulation from below and, if they are in full working order, apply a new sheet of the appropriate size and color on top.

Repair of metal sheet roofing

Although it is considered the most durable, time does not spare her either. The roof in a private house begins to leak due to metal corrosion, scratches and depressurization of the folds that hold the roof sheets together. Having established the place and cause of the leak, proceed to its elimination. The smallest dents and scratches are cleaned from rust and dirt with sandpaper or a metal brush and filled with red lead putty. Fistulas (small holes) are filled with bituminous mastic. Steel patches are applied to larger holes. They are cut out 10-15 cm larger than the holes themselves, and, having cleaned the edges of the holes with hot bitumen mastic, solder the patch to the edges with a soldering iron. When the solder has cooled and solidified, its excess is removed with a file. Then the patch is covered with oil paint.

You can make patches from dense burlap. Prepared patches are kept for 15 minutes. in oil paint from minium iron on drying oil. Then, removing and squeezing them from excess paint, they are applied to damaged areas. Carefully smooth the entire surface of the patches, especially the edges. After 6-7 days, the patches will dry well and it will be possible to cover the roof with weatherproof paint.

How to repair soft shingles?

Soft tile roofs tend to crack over time. Cracks are easy to repair. To do this, lift the cracked tile and grease its inside with roofing glue. After that, you need to strongly press the tile to its base and cover the front surface of the tile with a layer of glue.

If the bitumen has more serious damage, it is replaced. To do this, remove the damaged tile from under the top row of bitumen by pulling out the nails. Then the upper inner edge of the new tile is covered with glue, inserted into the place of the old one, thrusting a little under the top row of tiles, and fixed to the roof with nails. At the end, you need to glue the edges of the tiles located on top and bottom of the new, replaced tile with glue.

When is the best time to repair a roof?

Having studied the methods of repairing various types of roofs, the owner of the house may wonder: when is the best time to make this very repair? Of course, the roof in a private house can leak at any time of the year and then you will need to take emergency measures to fix the leak. To prevent this from happening, the owner should not completely forget about the roof and periodically inspect its condition. And best of all, repair work is recommended to be done either in early autumn or early spring, when it is not too hot.

Almost all residents of the upper floors of high-rise buildings, as well as owners of private houses, face the problem of roof leakage. Living in a leaky roof is completely uncomfortable: humidity rises in the house, spots appear on the ceiling, plaster crumbles, wallpaper leaves, dampness leads to the appearance of fungus and an unpleasant smell of mold. Among other things, it is also dangerous, since the electrical wiring may be closed or the floor beams may deflect, and the rafters may collapse. The roofs of private houses are repaired by the owners themselves, and in the housing and communal sector, the elimination of roof leaks is the responsibility of public utilities. For what reasons this emergency occurs and what are the ways to eliminate it - this will be discussed in this article.

To know how to deal with the problem of roof damage, you need to determine its nature and nature. The types of roof leaks are called the same as the precipitation, as a result of which they were formed:

Rain. If the roof leaks during or immediately after rain, then most likely the roof deck is damaged or the vertical junctions are depressurized. Flat roofs often leak due to the deformation of their base, which occurs due to the displacement of floor slabs as a result of natural foundation movements.
Snow. They are associated with the process of melting snow on the roof. Melt water freezes on roof overhangs, gutters, valleys - in these places the temperature is usually below zero. The resulting ice blocks the flow of water, which leads to roof leaks at the joints.
Dry (summer) leaks surprise residents, as they occur during the dry and warm seasons. They arise as a result of the formation of condensate in the under-roof space and the wetting of the insulation.
Flickering leaks are not associated with precipitation. They do not depend on natural conditions and seasons. Their cause is microcracks in the roofing material, as well as technology violations made during its installation.

Search for a leak

To restore a damaged roof, you need to inspect the roof and find the place of the leak. This should be done by specially trained people from the utility or repair organization.

Attention! All work on the roof should be carried out only in dry weather, as it is not safe to be on a wet pitched roof.

Inspection of the roof for leaks is carried out by competent representatives of the utility or management organization

Inspection of the roof is carried out in the following order:

Having risen to the attic, they evaluate the condition of the floor, waterproofing, rafters, probe the roofing material in search of wet and moldy areas that indicate places where the integrity of the roofing carpet has been violated.
An external examination of the ridge assesses the condition of fastening and insulation of aprons, especially in areas where the roofing adjoins vertical elements. At the same time, the electrical wiring is also inspected, if necessary, it must be de-energized.
Further, descending to the lower part of the roof, they examine the valleys, cleaning them of plant debris, as well as the cornice board and the lower layer of the roof, the integrity of which can be broken in strong winds and rains.
They inspect the ventilation ducts, the entire drainage system - pipes, gutters, funnels, clean it of debris if necessary, check if mosses and lichens have appeared on the slopes, if there are any dents, holes, cracks and chips on the roofing.

In some cases, the location of the leak can be determined using an ordinary tape measure, comparing the location of the wet spot in the apartment with the corresponding area on the roof, while focusing on ventilation ducts, sewer risers and other elements of the building.

It happens that external inspection failed to reveal damage, although leaks continue. Then, after the rain, you need to go up to the attic and mark with chalk the place of moisture penetration, and then patch it up in dry weather.

Causes of a roof leak

The roofing carpet, regardless of the shape of the roof, must form a continuous waterproofing. If the tightness of its layer is violated, water penetrates into the under-roof space and can moisten the insulation, while reducing its effectiveness, and can seep through the ceilings to the walls.

If mistakes were made when creating the roofing, then the new roof can also leak, especially on the valleys, at the points where the roof adjoins walls, pipes, parapets and other vertical elements. Damage can be of various sizes. Sometimes a light repair is enough to fix a leak, and in some cases, you can’t do without the help of specialists, as it may be necessary to replace the entire roofing “pie”.

Having found out where the roof leak is located in an apartment building, you need to determine its cause in order to proceed directly to the repair work. The main causes of roof damage include:

exceeding the service life of the roofing;
damage to the roofing carpet during work and snow removal on the roof;
biological violation of the tightness of the roof due to damage by mosses and fungus;
decrease in the elasticity of the roofing material due to sudden changes in temperature;
natural aging of the roof under the influence of wind, moisture and sunlight;
improper arrangement of the lawn on the roof, as a result of which the structure of the roof is destroyed by the roots of plants;
consequences of improper design of the roof device or technological installation violations.

It is not always easy to find the cause of a leak in practice.

One of the reasons that provoke damage to the roof is the excess of the service life of the roofing material.

This is especially true for pitched roofs, where water flows in one place, but can drip completely in another. After all, even the most reliable roofing is not perfectly sealed: gusts of wind blow under it both raindrops and snow.

Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, rain and snow, natural aging of the roofing occurs. This is another reason for roof damage and leakage.

Therefore, if a roof leak occurs, a complete inspection of the roof with the involvement of specialists is necessary.

Roof repairs are the responsibility of the utilities. Therefore, you should promptly write an application to the Housing Office for roof repairs.

Moreover, it is not enough just to write that a roof leak has occurred - the statement should reflect the whole picture of the problem, namely: by whom and when the leak was noticed, the number of the apartment in need of roof repair, the approximate amount of damage caused, the requirement to take measures to eliminate the leak. Representatives of the housing office must arrive and draw up an act on the leakage of the roof, and then the organization is obliged to eliminate the leakage within 24 hours.

Roof repair from different materials

The procedure for repairing a roof depends on the nature and extent of the damage, as well as on the roofing material. If, for example, a bitumen roof leaks, repairs can be local or major.

Local repairs are carried out on relatively new coatings, where most of the roof has still retained its performance:

a piece of roof is cut around the damaged area, indenting at least 50 cm;
the resulting hole is filled with liquid rubber, and it is possible with polymer mastic.

The damaged section of the bituminous roof (and, if necessary, the entire surface of the roof) is filled with liquid rubber or bituminous mastic

If the coating has lost its elasticity over time, patching will no longer save: leaks in different places will constantly occur. In this case, you need to clean off the old coating to the ground and completely replace the roofing carpet.

Roofing from a metal tile

Leaks on a metal roof occur due to improper installation or violation of the technology of the roofing pie. In this case, depending on the cause of the defect, it is recommended to carry out the following work:

The resulting through damage should be soldered and then treated with an anti-corrosion compound. If there is a large amount of damage, the entire sheet is replaced.
If the screws are loose, they must be replaced with new ones. It does not make sense to tighten old fasteners - the result will be short-term.
Leakage due to improper selection of materials for the roofing "pie" is eliminated by the complete replacement of roofing films

Roof leaks can be caused by loose screws. They are replaced with new ones

seam roof

Defects on such a roof usually occur at the joints of the sheets. Leaks are eliminated by re-rolling the seams using a special tool. Additionally, the joints are sealed with silicone or bituminous sealants. Here, just like in a metal roof, you can completely replace the sheets, or you can make a patch, which is fixed with soldering or self-tapping screws for aluminum.

Defects in seam joints are eliminated by re-rolling them using a special hand tool

Roof tiles

The main problem of this material is cracks resulting from expansion from temperature changes and non-compliance with installation rules.

The process of eliminating leaks in a tiled roof consists of complex work that requires high professionalism.

Types of repair work will depend on the cause of the defect:

Strengthening the truss structure will make it possible to avoid cracking during thermal deformations of the roof sections.
The new cementing of the joints will reduce the amount of damage.

If the cause of the leaks is a gap in the waterproofing between the rafters and the crate, then more complex work is ahead and they are carried out in the following sequence:

tiles are removed from the repaired area;
remove the desired part of the rail and remove the damaged section of the waterproofing;
put a patch, fix it with mastic or special roofing glue;
install removed or new fragments of rails;
restore tiles.

Performing such repairs requires great professional skills.

So, the roof was inspected, the cause of the damage was found out and eliminated. In such cases, the main thing is to act quickly in order to prevent the spread of dampness in the apartment, spoiling the quality of life and general mood. Tenants should be aware that in order to prevent unpleasant situations with leaks, housing maintenance organizations are required to conduct a scheduled inspection of the roof condition every six months.

A huge number of individuals who live on the top floor are actively interested in what to do if the roof in an apartment building leaks. Most tenants, due to ignorance of their rights, regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, repair the premises at their own expense. In this regard, we propose to talk about which articles of the current legislation should be referred to in this situation, where to apply in order to compensate for the damage caused by a roof leak, and also how to correctly draw up an appropriate application.

Such a phenomenon as roof leakage in houses built more than twenty or even less years ago is quite common. During rainy seasons, as well as when the temperature changes dramatically and the snow begins to melt, it is likely that the apartments located on the top floor of the house will be flooded. Unfavorable consequences of this kind should be compensated for affected individuals. However, before claiming damages, we strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the articles of the Housing Code, on the basis of which this action will be taken.

The legislative framework

In order for any individual whose property object was damaged as a result of a roof leak to easily defend their rights, and also to be sure that they are acting within the law, it is necessary to consider the following articles of the Housing Code:

№ 162 – this piece of legislation deals with an agreement related to the management of an apartment building. The first paragraph of the article states that such an agreement is drawn up with a management service that has a license to perform this activity. The second paragraph of the article states that on the basis of the contract, the management organization that signed the document with a certain circle of residents of an apartment building is obliged to properly maintain and repair the relevant property object.

№ 36 – This law is related to the ownership of property in common use. For example, this is an entrance and a roof in apartment buildings. The article reflects the fact that the roof belongs to all the owners of apartments located in this house, but on the basis of common ownership. Thus, in the event of a roof leak, the residents of the upper floors can safely complain and seek compensation for the harm caused, since by law they are both the owners of the roof and the apartment.

According to such a document as Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation number 491, which entered into force on August 13, 2006, namely Articles 40 and 42, the managing organization is obliged to repair the roof. If the residents of the house notice that a water leak has begun, then this office is obliged to fix the problem no later than twenty-four hours later. If this did not happen, then the management service must either reimburse the monetary costs associated with forced repair work or make repairs to individuals whose property objects were damaged.

What to do if the roof is leaking

If the roof in an apartment building has been leaking for more than a day and, accordingly, more and more damage is continuously being caused to apartments located on the top floor, then their owners need to act urgently. First you need to calculate how much money is required for repairs. The owner of the apartment can independently assess the damage caused as a result of a leaking roof, but this must be done in front of witnesses. In most cases, management offices do not agree to compensate this amount, because they consider it biased. In this regard, we recommend using the services of independent appraisal experts.

Attention! Calling an expert to the house, whose duties include assessing the amount of damage to property after the roof began to leak, as well as issuing an appropriate document, is not a free service. However, the victim is not required to pay for it. The expert must issue a check for the provision of his services, which will be paid by the owner of the housing, and subsequently this amount will be compensated by the managing body.

Making an application

After the owner of an apartment requiring repair work has a document containing the exact amount of damage, he can proceed to submit an application. As for where to deal with it if the roof is leaking, it was repeatedly mentioned above - to the management service with which the contract was concluded. The application must be drawn up in accordance with a certain form: the “header” of the document (written in the upper right part of the sheet), the name in the center of the line, and then the main text and details. The document must include the following information:

Information of a general nature. First of all, the position and name of the individual who has the authority to consider such an application is displayed. Typically, this is the CEO. After the name of the position, written in the dative case, comes the abbreviation of the service (“UK” - management office), and then in quotation marks directly its name itself. The line below prescribes the surname and initials of the head. The surname, as well as the first letters of the name and patronymic of the applicant, are put down on a new line, and then the address of his residence and contact phone number are displayed.
Description of the situation. Before presenting any text, the applicant needs to write on behalf of whom this information is being received. This can be done as follows: “I, last name, first name and patronymic”, and then the text itself. It is indicated from what year and on what floor the victim lives, and also from what date the roof began to flow. After that, it is written that due to the emergency state of the roof at the time of precipitation, the apartment was flooded with water, and then it is listed in detail which objects were damaged as a result of this (for example, the ceiling in the corridor, such and such a wall in the bathroom, and so on).
On the measures taken to prevent leakage. If an individual who wishes to compensate for the damage has repeatedly tried to avoid causing it by filing a complaint with the control room, then it will not be superfluous to report this in the application. The dates for filing complaints are written, as well as how they were reacted to in the control room. Most often, in such situations, dispatchers come, draw up an act on the fact of the roof leaking and record how these adverse effects were displayed in a particular apartment. Often, dispatcher employees cannot give an answer to the question of when the roof will be repaired, explaining this by a lack of financial resources for its restoration, and they stop returning calls at all.
About payment of utilities. In order for an individual to make any claims to the management office, he is, first of all, obliged to pay for its services. In this regard, the document states that the applicant pays every month on time and in full for utilities, which include the repair of the roof. Further, a reference is made to the legislative act, according to which the management office, which is the recipient of the application, is responsible for maintaining the roof in proper condition.
About the purpose of submitting the document. And as the final stage is the summing up of the above text. If the individual whose apartment was damaged did not call the appraisal experts, then it must be indicated that he asks to do so. If this action was committed, then the established amount of damage is prescribed, and the corresponding document is attached to the application. After that, a request is made that a team be sent to the applicant's apartment to carry out repairs, and that the roof be put in good condition, guaranteeing that such adverse effects will not recur.

It should be noted that the application can be written both by hand and drawn up on a computer. However, in the case of using the latter method, the details, which include the date and signature, must be affixed by the applicant himself. The document must be drawn up in two copies.