Ingrid: We have a two-story house, and where the lower level roof attaches to the external wall, there is a leak over the garage door. So my question is, can I put a fan in that area of the attic to blow it dry, and then seal it? Or would we have to get a contractor to remove the wood and put new wood in?

Jared: The very first step is to stop the source of the moisture. That's the most important thing with leaks - making sure that wherever the water was coming in has stopped. Roof leaks typically are not something a homeowner or do-it-yourselfer can do; usually it's not just a hole that you caulk.

There is probably some sort of flashing issue or something like that. So first thing is that you're going to stop the source of the moisture. I recommend that you hire a professional for that.

In regard to drying it out, here in Florida it is so hot if it just gets wet once or maybe twice, usually the heat will actually dry that out fairly quickly and you don't have to worry about wood rot or anything like that.

If it has rotted - and the best way to determine if it is rotted, is to go up in the attic and actually look at where the water was coming in and see if there's any rot in the wood - then that section of wood is going to have to be replaced.

If not then, yes, you can use a dehumidifier or you can use some sort of fan to help dry the water out. But attics dry out pretty quickly.

We're more concerned drying the water that has made it to the inside of the house. Once it makes its way down into the drywall and carpet into the air conditioned space of the house - it doesn't get as much heat and doesn't dry as fast.

That's really where I recommend you use some sort of drying mechanism.

Ingrid: Okay. Thank you very much.