Who Can Help With a Leaking Roof in Omaha?

Keep people and anything electrical away from the water, catch what is dripping, and take photos. None of it needs a ladder, and none of it has to stop the leak: that is the roofer's job.

• Stay clear of wet wiring. If water is coming through a light fixture or near outlets, keep out of that area, and do not touch electrical equipment that is wet or while you are standing in water. Have an electrician check it. If anyone is hurt, or you see sparks, smoke or fire, call 911 first.
• Keep out from under a sagging ceiling. A ceiling that bulges is holding water.
• Catch the water. A bucket or bin under the drip, towels around it, and furniture, rugs and electronics moved away or covered with plastic.
• Take photos and video of the ceiling, the wet things and the outside of the roof from the ground, before anything is cleaned up or thrown out.
• Dry what got wet. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to keep mold from growing.
• Stay off the roof. A wet roof is slippery, and a damaged one can have loose shingles and soft spots. Covering it is a job for a roofer.

Often, but not always, and the stain is rarely right under the opening. Water that gets past the roof runs along the decking and framing before it drips, so it can show up some distance from where it got in.

Common places water gets in:

• Flashing where the roof meets a chimney, a skylight, a wall or a vent
• A cracked pipe boot, the rubber collar around a plumbing vent
• Missing, creased or damaged shingles after wind or hail
• Valleys, where two slopes meet and the water runs together
• Gutters that overflow and send water behind the fascia
• Around windows or behind siding, which can look like a roof leak from inside

If water shows up when it has not rained or snowed, it may be plumbing, and a plumber is who to call. In winter, an ice dam at the eaves can push meltwater under the shingles, and frost melting in the attic can wet a ceiling with no opening in the roof at all. Rocket Roofing General Contractor works on gutters and siding as well as roofs, so the inspection follows the water wherever it starts.

As soon as you find it. A slow drip is not an emergency, but it does not stay small: water that gets past the shingles soaks the decking and insulation out of sight, and every rain adds to it.

Call right away when:

• Water is coming in faster than you can catch it
• A ceiling is sagging, or water is near wiring
• Part of the roof is missing or open after wind, hail or a fallen limb

An old, dry stain is still worth a look: an inspection tells you whether the leak is active and whether it was ever fixed.

It finds where the water gets in, stops it, and tells you plainly whether a repair fixes it. On a leak call:

• A free inspection, with no obligation. The roof, siding and gutters are checked in the same visit, so a leak that starts at a gutter or a wall is not missed. Plan to be there for the visit.
• Photos of everything flagged, by drone or by phone, and yours to keep.
• Emergency tarping when the roof is open to the weather, to keep water out until the repair.
• The repair itself: flashing, pipe boots, shingles and the decking under them, on houses and on flat and low-slope commercial roofs (TPO, EPDM, metal and modified bitumen).
• A price in writing for the work, and a straight answer if nothing needs doing.

A leak in one spot is often a repair. Leaks that keep coming back in new places, or wear across the whole roof, usually mean a replacement; the repair or replace guide walks through that decision. Rocket Roofing General Contractor also works on gutters, siding and windows, so the fix does not stop at the roofline.

It depends on the policy and on what caused the leak. Policies often cover sudden damage, such as hail, wind or a fallen tree, and usually do not cover wear and tear; your own policy and your insurer decide.

If storm damage caused the leak and you plan to file a claim, the Nebraska Department of Insurance says to:

• Report the damage to your insurance company or agent as soon as possible
• Make only temporary repairs to prevent more damage, and keep the receipts
• Take photos and video, and keep damaged things such as carpet for the adjuster to see
• Make no permanent repairs until an adjuster has inspected the damage

Rocket Roofing General Contractor's inspection photos document what it finds, and the Nebraska roof insurance claims guide explains deductibles, adjusters and your rights under Nebraska law.

If you rent, tell the owner, landlord or property manager right away. The EPA's advice to renters is to report leaks and moisture problems immediately to the building's owner, manager or superintendent, and the steps above still apply while you wait.

If you own or manage rental, multifamily or commercial property, Rocket Roofing General Contractor works with property managers and business owners, and the leak call is the same for a house, a multifamily building or a flat commercial roof: an inspection, photos, and the repair.

Call (402) 291-8888, or ask for a free inspection on the quote page. If water is coming in now, say so when you call.

Rocket Roofing General Contractor is headquartered in Omaha, at 5634 S 85th Cir Ste 204, and serves the Omaha metro, Lincoln and the rest of Nebraska.