How to Fix an Attic Leak

Check the roof valleys, the head walls where the roof meets a vertical wall, the chimneys and roof vents for damaged or missing flashing. Pull up the damaged flashing. Nail down new flashing with a hammer.

Examine the roof for missing or cracked shingles. Remove any damaged shingles with a shovel. Pull up saturated roofing felt. Check the roof deck for nails that have worked loose and created a hole. Replace the missing nails. Examine the roof deck for rotted areas. Remove them with a portable power saw.

Nail down a new piece of roof decking. Nail on new roof felt and add an extra layer of waterproof roof underlayment if the affected area is near the eaves. Replace the damaged shingles with new ones. Replace any wet and rotting attic insulation with new insulating materials.

Aim a fan from inside the attic at the roof where ice dams are forming to melt the dams and allow water to freely run into the roof gutters. Open a gable window slightly to keep the air pushed around by the fan cool.

Fill one leg of a pair of panty hose with calcium chloride ice melter to create an ice dam breaker. Lay the panty hose on the roof over the ice dam. Hang it down into the roof gutter to melt the ice and create a channel that guides water into the gutter.