Short answer
Contain the water, protect your belongings and stay off the roof. Put down buckets, move valuables, and if a ceiling is bulging with water, keep people away from it. Take photos for insurance, then call a roofer. A professional repair fixes the cause, not just the drip.
A leak is stressful, but a few calm steps in the first hour can save a lot of damage.
1. Contain the water
Put buckets, pots or bins under the drips. Lay towels around them to catch splashes. If water is running along the ceiling, find the lowest point where it’s collecting.
2. Protect your home and belongings
Move furniture, electronics, rugs and anything valuable away from the leak, or cover them with plastic sheeting. If water is near light fixtures or outlets, switch off power to that area at the breaker panel.
3. Watch for a bulging ceiling
If a ceiling is sagging or bulging with water, it can come down suddenly. Keep people and pets out of the room.
4. Stay off the roof
Don’t go up in rain, wind, snow or the dark. Wet and icy roofs cause serious falls every year, and walking on damaged roofing can make the problem worse. A temporary fix from the ground isn’t worth the risk.
5. Document the damage
Take photos and video of the water, stains and damaged belongings, and note the date and time. If you make an insurance claim, this record helps.
6. Call a roofer
For an emergency, call us at (416) 760-7663. We assess the damage, make the roof watertight, and then repair the cause properly.
Why leaks happen
In Southern Ontario the weather is usually the trigger: snow, ice and heavy rain build up, eavestroughs clog and water can’t drain. Ice dams, cracked shingles or vents, broken skylights, storm damage and poorly installed roofing are the other common causes. The spot where water appears inside is often not where it gets in, which is why a proper inspection matters.
Why a DIY patch rarely works
A tube of sealant might stop the drip for a while, but it doesn’t fix the cause, and a bad patch can trap water and spread the damage. Without training you also risk injuring yourself or causing damage that means replacing the whole roof, which costs far more than fixing the leak properly the first time.