How to repair small leak in roof

[ef9]

Hello,

I just found a small leak in my roof! I would want to know what materials are okay to repair such a leak (being that I am on catchment and plan to drink the water in the future).

Thank you,

Stan

[Carey]

Stan, If the roof is a metal roof & the leak is small (nail hole type) you can use the foil faced rubber roof repair tape....not much to it, clean the area (no waxes , oils anything - don't scour it)& make sure it is dry, tape the repair. Many vent stacks are flashed with this tape here, so it does hold up fairly well. Our lanai has a few nail holes taped from when the last owner screwed in a tarp to the roof....not the worst of their bone head ideas....but....
The tape has held nicely for a year & 1/2.

[ef9]

Hello Carey!

Where do I get this "foil faced roof repair tape?"

Also, on a side note, can we use galvanized screen mesh to act as a gutter guard? It won't be submersed in the water, but will filter out leaves and debris before it enters the gutters.

Stan

quote:

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Stan, If the roof is a metal roof & the leak is small (nail hole type) you can use the foil faced rubber roof repair tape....not much to it, clean the area (no waxes , oils anything - don't scour it)& make sure it is dry, tape the repair. Many vent stacks are flashed with this tape here, so it does hold up fairly well. Our lanai has a few nail holes taped from when the last owner screwed in a tarp to the roof....not the worst of their bone head ideas....but....
The tape has held nicely for a year & 1/2.

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[Les C]

quote:

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Also, on a side note, can we use galvanized screen mesh to act as a gutter guard? It won't be submersed in the water, but will filter out leaves and debris before it enters the gutters.

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You can try it, but I think there may be a reason that gutter screens are usually more coarse (meaning, they have larger holes) than window screens. I suspect that leaves and other stuff larger than the screen holes may easily plug up and block off the screen material causing the rainwater to cascade over the outer edge of the gutter. Also, lichen and moss could grow with just a bit of organic matter on the screen.

Edited by - Les C on 07/02/2007 00:58:43

[Kapohocat]

For those of you in Puna, the foil tape is called "fodacar".... aka Peel and Seal or Ridge tape. Fodacar is also used to cover rust spots on puna autos....

This is a true story - a carpenter was in HPM, and asked for Ridge seal, got a confused look from the clerk.... the carpenter said "you know the tape you put on the ridge".... the clerk said (in pidgeon) oh the stuff fo da car...

[Carey]

Stan, Most of the hardware store have it, usually with the rest of the roofing supplies, but the may have Fodacar in auto, too.
As to the screen (were you thinking more like hardware cloth, with 1/8-1/4" mesh?)...cut edges could rust...& could also scratch your roof paint, so be aware & careful of your roof. You will probably get a little more zinc in the water, but I would not think there would be enough to matter.

[ef9]

Would I be able to paint the repair tape to match the color of my roof?

If so, where can I get the special paint?

Thank you,

Stan