Leaking Roof

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ChoppingAccountant

Member
Nov 13, 2009
38
Central WI
Does anyone have a suggestion on low-cost roof repair option?

Background, when I purchased my house a few years ago, the plan was to tear down the shed quickly and build a new, larger one. Shed and siding are original to it from 1984. Needless to say both are in very poor shape. Shed rebuild is about 2 years out and the roof is starting to leak badly. I don't want to re-shingle it because I plan to demolish the whole thing. Any good ideas on what to do in the mean time? Any sort of coating I could apply to get another year or two out of it?

Thanks for your help.
 
Staple a tarp over the roof. Get a black one and it wouldn't look too ghetto.
 
Roll roofing. A black tarp is cheaper, though.
 
Well, you could try fixing the leak. chances are that the leak is originating far higher than where water is actually penetrating. Finding a leak is the hard part, patching is easy. I found a leak in my roof by dragging a garden hose up there and turning on the water. I started low on the roof and kept moving higher bit by bit. Sure enough, I got tot a point where water started leaking in. That gave me an exact idea as to where the actual leak was, and the problem was solved with a $15 bucket of roof patch. I scooped up asphalt crystals that had worn off and washed into the gutters, sprinkled them on top of the black roof patch, and unless you were standing right over the patch, you'd never know it was there.
 
If it is coming down anyway, I'd tarp it and then lay 2x4s over the top every 2 feet or so and screw into the roof. Unless it is falling down, I would consider repairing rather than replacing. A wet building will dry out if you fix the roof and leave the building open for a while.
 
Thanks for the ideas, I will look at tarps today. One more idea to bounce off everyone, would a liquid coating like a asphalt sealer or some sort of rubber roof compound work and be a little less "visible"? I have no clue, but wanted to see if anyone else has tried this?

Also, it is coming down in a couple of years due to the fact that I would like a much larger space, not because of the roof and siding. Structurally, it is sound.
 
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