Crumbling roof tiles, clogged rain gutters, backed-up drainage systems and unstable retaining walls have forced hapless homeowners unprepared for last weekend's drenching rainstorms to rely on tarps, pumps and hammers to contain the mess while they scramble for professional help that may be weeks in coming.
The deluge -- up to 31 inches of rain pounded parts of Los Angeles County in the most recent storms -- has spotlighted for many homeowners the pitfalls of deferring maintenance and has forced them to take temporary steps to safeguard their homes before the next storm rolls in.
"People ignore home maintenance in Southern California, and we have the type of soil that gets you into trouble really quickly when the water begins pouring in," said Dwight Dreyer, owner of Mr. Penny Custom Gutter Systems in Pasadena. "People in Seattle are prepared for these storms. Californians aren't."
Prepared or not, many homeowners have quickly learned how to spread tarps on leaky roofs, a tricky proposition while battling the elements but necessary to preserve drywall and interior paint jobs. Homeowners with flat-roofing systems are the most vulnerable to leaks, said Silver Lake roofer Mike Glass of J&J Roofing.
"When 3 inches of water sits on a roof, it will find a way in, no matter how well the roof is designed," Glass said. "Water is heavy."
Glass recommends that during a break in the weather homeowners with leaky roofs cover the area with large tarps, secured with nails driven into the eaves. Cinderblocks or bricks can be used in a pinch to hold the tarps down, but they should not be placed at the roof's edge. Fastenings should not be bored into the roofing material, as water can slide into screw threads, Glass added.
Roofers typically cannot fix rain-related problems during storms, and most will not spread tarps, a time-consuming project that contractors and handy- men are more likely to tackle. Glass and other roofers say they are backlogged with hundreds of calls, so it is likely some jobs will be delayed until spring.
That does not mean homeowners should do nothing. During a dry spell, they are advised to clear rain gutters with a trowel, snake downspouts and remove standing water from flat roofs by directing it down the drainage system.
Debris built up in gutters can result in water pooling in the wrong places, usually at the home's foundation. If water saturates the area under a house, termites and mold often appear later.
