Fixing Roofing Felt

Some roof leaks are tough to locate.

Fixing roofing felt.

If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures. Pull out nails that are holding felt to the roof using the sharp end of a claw. If you just want to patch a hole in otherwise good felt take a look at our patching roof felt guide or our guide to repairing roof felt for some general flat roof repair tips. Blisters in the felt.

Generally the felt is tacked all the way along each edge. For pieces that aren t coming loose press a putty knife underneath it. Carefully clean the surface over and around the blister of any chippings mould and dirt. For any repair always clean the area thoroughly removing any chippings and use a fungicide to kill any mould growth.

The cost of replacing roof felt under tiles will be included in the overall tiled roof roof repair costs. Grab loose pieces of felt and pull them off the roof with your hands. Apply pressure and chisel away at it until it comes loose. Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak.

Removing the old felt and nails. Many roofs function quite well without any roofing felt so small tears and damage to roofing felt are not in themselves reasons to spend money on repairing it. Where wind driven rain is working under the roof and causing leaks then the felt will need to be replaced. Remove old felt from the roof with your hands and a putty knife.

Roofing felt is essential to ensure your outbuilding is ready for all weathers by providing a waterproof cover to the building s roof. A repair is best made after a long period of dry weather has allowed any moisture in the roof felt to dry out.