English: A roll of transparent scotch duct tape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A leaky house is never much fun and can be very annoying for the whole family. Luckily, with the help of special materials and a suitable adhesive, there are quick and temporary fixes you can do yourself before you call a professional repair specialist. Read on for some DIY repairs for a leaky roof and window.

Leaky Roof

A roof can become leaky from heavy rain, violent storms and deterioration. There are four main quick fixes you can do yourself to deal with the leaking before you call a local roofing contractor to help you with it after the bad weather is over.

Buckets

This is probably the most popular instant fix for a leaky roof. Place a bucket under the leak if water is leaking inside your house from a specific spot in the ceiling. If water is coming from lots of spots, place other buckets and containers under as many places as possible and empty when full. You can also use a plastic top or garbage bags to cover the area on the floor where the leaks are dripping.

Apply roofing cement or putty

You can do an emergency patch from inside your house by locating the leak.

1. You’ll need to enter your attic or overhead crawlspace. Use a torch to check for any water stains, wet wood, soft spots or dripping water among the beams and rafters.
2. Use a hand trowel, spatula or putty knife to spread roofing cement or putty into the leak spots. Make sure you apply a good amount back and forth over the cracks and holes until it is completely absorbed.
3. This step requires using a ladder to go up the roof to insert a temporary shingle. Only do this when it is not raining and when the roof is dry. Once you are up on the roof, locate the area directly above the spots from the attic. Then insert a thin piece of galvanised sheet of metal between the good shingles and just above the damaged or missing ones.

Roofing tape

Roofing tape is another one of the suitable adhesives on the market that can temporarily fix a leaky roof. You can apply it to the inside of the roof in the attic or overhead crawlspace among the leaky spots. It can also be applied to the outside on the roof directly on the damaged areas or where loose shingles are causing water to drip through the inside of the house.

Tarp cover

A plastic tarp can be used to cover the damaged area on the roof. You will need to cut a sufficient amount of tarp to cover it completely, leaving at least about an extra metre on each end. Then you can use bricks or hammer small nails into the tarp to secure it as much as possible.

Leaky Window

A leaky window is due to a hole or gap where water or rain may come inside. Use duct tape to seal the leaking joint for a quick fix. You can also tape foam to cover the leaking area on the window. This is a temporary option before the window manufacturer or installer can repair the leak.

Another option involves removing the old caulking around the outside of the window frame. Then you can caulk both the interior and exterior of the leaky window. The window will not be removed throughout the whole process. You will need to use insulation or foam spray, and silicone caulk or a sealant recommended by a hardware store.