Roof Leak Repair in Minneapolis

A leak in a Minneapolis house can come from four different places, and only two of them are the shingles. Finding which one is most of the job.

A plaster ceiling that has fallen away, exposing the wooden lath above

Call (651) 381-5283 Ask about your roof

The first ten minutes

Move furniture, rugs and electronics out from under the drip, and put down a bucket and towels.
If the ceiling is sagging with water, push a screwdriver through at the lowest point so it drains into the bucket instead of collapsing.
If water is near a light fixture, outlet or the panel, switch that circuit off.
Do not climb onto a roof with snow or ice on it, and do not chop at ice at the eaves.
Photograph the ceiling, any attic you can reach, and the eaves from the ground. Insurers ask for these.

Once that is done, call. The company will ask when it started, whether there is ice at the eaves, and whether it only leaks during a thaw or also during rain. Those three answers narrow it down a long way.

Four kinds of leak

Ice dam backup

Leaks during a thaw, close to an exterior wall, often along a long run of ceiling at the edge of an upstairs room. There will be a ridge of ice at the eave above it. The water is coming in under the shingles from behind the ice.

Flashing and penetrations

Leaks in rain as well as thaw, at a fixed spot near a chimney, skylight, vent pipe or wall. The stain grows from the same place every time.

Attic frost melt

Drips in several spots at once on a mild day after a cold snap, sometimes with no snow melting on the roof at all. Moisture from the house froze on the underside of the deck and has let go. Air sealing fixes this, not roofing.

Worn or damaged shingles

Leaks after heavy rain across an area, on a roof with bare patches, cracked tabs or hail bruising. This is the one most likely to turn into a replacement.

Temporary versus permanent

In winter, the honest repair is often temporary: steam off the ice dam, seal a flashing on a dry afternoon, or tarp a damaged section, with the proper repair booked for spring. That is not a company dodging the work. Shingles and sealants need warmth to bond, and a permanent repair done at 10 degrees is usually done twice.

Leaking now? Call and describe what you are seeing. The company will tell you on the phone what can be done today and what has to wait for warmer weather.

Call (651) 381-5283 Book a roof look

Common questions

Is a roof leak covered by homeowners insurance?

That depends on your policy and the cause. Sudden damage from a storm or an ice dam is often treated differently from wear. Ask your insurer or agent; the roofing company is not allowed to interpret your policy for you in Minnesota.

Why does my ceiling only leak when it warms up?

Usually an ice dam, or frost in the attic melting. Both are winter problems with causes inside the house as much as on the roof.

Other roof work in Minneapolis

Also serving

Roof Leaks is available beyond Minneapolis, across Southwest Minneapolis , Northeast Minneapolis , Edina , St. Louis Park and Richfield .

Ask about roof leaks

Say what you are seeing: a stain, ice at the eaves, shingles in the yard. A local roofing company will reply and arrange a look, usually within a few days, sooner for an active leak. Answered Mon–Sat · leave a message after hours and you get a call back Or call (651) 381-5283 if it is leaking now; a person picks up faster than a form gets read.