Our roofs protect us and keep us dry and comfortable. That is, until the roof is leaking. If left unchecked, you could be facing a costly roof replacement. When a leak appears, the best thing to do is act quickly.
A leaking roof is a big headache for a homeowner. According to The Journal of the American Institute of Architects, about 40 percent of all building-related issues are due to water intrusion, mostly through leaking roofs.
You may think roofs typically begin to leak due to storm damage, but there are other causes of a roof leak. Architect Stan Graveline explains, “The most common thing that leads to roof failures is improper installation.” Damage from storms is also a leading cause of leaks.
Signs of a roof leak indicates that there is an issue with your roof. Most roof leaks are caused by:
Leaks can be difficult to find, can cause hidden damage, and are sometimes challenging to fix. One thing you should never do is ignore a leak. Leaks do not resolve on their own. Rather, they require repair and the sooner you start, the better it is. Leaks often show up as areas of dampness or dripping water inside your home.
There may be a wet spot on your ceiling, dampness along a ceiling line, or a bulging area of drywall. What makes finding the leak tricky is that the area of your roof where water is getting in may not be directly above the wet area inside your home. Even worse, there could be more than one source contributing to the leak.
Water can travel laterally along interior attic structures such as rafters and wall joints, eventually exiting farther away from the source of the leak. In fact, it can pool on your attic floor until it finds a means of escape. This could be along a wall, in a soffit vent, or within a light fixture. You may have to become a bit of a detective to sniff out the actual starting point of the leak.
The first sign of a leak is usually the evidence of water in the interior of your home. This can be a damp ceiling, odd smell, mold growth, or even water dripping or pooling. Use a bright flashlight to help find any leaking section or exposed area.
Often a dark or wet stain on your ceiling is the first indication that you have a leak problem. Water typically is the easiest sign of damage to detect. Water stains should never be ignored. Check the interior and exterior wall for obvious signs of a water stained roof.
You may also see sagging or swollen drywall in your ceiling or on a wall. Always check your interior walls for any signs of sagging.
There may be a musty smell, especially after a rainstorm. And of course, any dripping water from your ceiling is a sign that something is amiss.
The size of the affected area on your ceiling is not always a good indicator of the extent of the leak. Water could be pooling in the attic space itself. Before the water reaches the ceiling of the room below, it can soak into the bed of insulation. Attic access is crucial to prevent/repair roof leaks.
When looking in your attic for signs of water, watch for evidence of mold along the wood, insulation, and ceiling drywall. Use a flashlight to look along the roof for any areas that are dark or moist or to spot pools of water or wet insulation. If any insulation is wet, you can follow that to the source of the leak.
If you don’t want to climb into your attic, or you simply can’t find the specific area of the leak in the attic, use running water to track it down. Take your garden hose up onto your roof.
Begin where you suspect the leak may be originating and allow the water to flow onto that area of your roof. Start small so that you can pin it down. You’ll need an assistant who can look into the attic and use a flashlight to spot the emergence of moisture or water drips. Using a flashlight makes it easier to spot the water, as it will reflect the light.
On your roof, look for missing, cracked, or curled shingles. Removing shingles that are damaged is important. Damaged shingles can be removed with a putty knife. Also, check for missing nails. Exposed nails should also be dealt with immediately.
Damaged or missing nails lead to loose shingles, which in-turn lessens the integrity of your roof sheathing. Keep extra shingles handy in case they need to be replaced. Also, as an extra step, keep an eye out for any missing siding.
Leaks don’t only occur due to broken or missing shingles. Sneaky leaks can develop at other joints in your roof. If you can’t immediately determine the source of a leak, check the step flashing where the roof joins with the top of exterior walls and around windows and dormers.
Roof valleys (areas where corner boards of the roof meets) are also important to inspect in this case.
You should also inspect the rubber seals and flashing around roof vents such as chimneys, roof turbines, soffit vents, and ridge vents along the top length of your roof. Also look for any stray objects and other debris that have caused roof penetrations or pulled up any shingles, as this could be the source of a potential leak.
When leaks are particularly difficult to find, you may need to turn to better technology. Even roofing contractors will admit that sometimes a roof leak can be hard to solve. Sometimes, it is more of an art than an exact science.
Infrared cameras use thermal detectors to detect water in a roof or attic. The camera can be used as a handheld device or can be attached to a drone to inspect the surface of your roof.
A drone with a digital camera can also be used to visually inspect your roof for damaged areas in the roof surface and flashing. This technique is especially helpful when your roof is very high or steeply sloped, such as a vaulted ceiling.
Finding a leak may be the hardest part of repairing a leaky roof. Once you’ve found it, you can stop the damage with an effective roof leak repair. All you need to do is figure out the exact methods of repair.
If you notice a bulging in the drywall of your ceiling, you should act immediately to prevent a collapse of the ceiling material. Place a large bucket under the bulging area and make a small hole. This will allow the accumulated water to drain out and prevent a ceiling collapse.
Once you’ve pinpointed the cause of the leak, you can begin on a roof repair. On the outside of the entire roof, you may need to replace missing shingles and repair any damaged flashing. Consider your materials as well. For example, asphalt roofs will require different repair methods than say metal roofing systems.
Use roofing cement to further waterproof your roof. If the cause is damaged gutters, repairing them is a reasonable DIY project. Plumbing vent boots will aid you greatly in this case.
Inside your home, mitigate any mold damage. You might need the help of a professional. It is important to address this mold properly, as it can continue to grow even after a leak is repaired. Any wet insulation will need to be replaced. If there is extensive drywall damage, you will need to replace that and finish it by mudding, texturing, and painting.
Because roof leaks can go undetected for some time, there could be extensive damage occurring before you see the signs in the interior of your home. If you do find a leak and see damage as you inspect the area above it, you may discover it is more than you can handle yourself.
If there is any evidence of black mold growth, structural damage, or instability in the leak area, you should call in a professional to evaluate the extent of the damage and conduct proper home repairs.
The very best way to prevent leaks in your roof is to practice good inspection and maintenance habits. Benjamin Franklin’s timeless phrase applies here: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The cost of maintaining your roof is always less than doing costly repairs, especially when the repairs extend to the interior of your home.
Steve Lapp of Trademark Exteriors counsels that roof leaks, “if left unattended, can lead to a costly repair. If you’re not sure if your roof needs a major or minor repair, consider contacting a professional roofer for an assessment.”
Finally, just because you spot some water in the interior of your home doesn’t always mean you have a leaky roof. A poorly ventilated roof and attic can cause moisture accumulation. You could have some plumbing in the attic space that has sprung a leak, making it seem as if the water is coming from a damaged roof but is instead from a leaky pipe.
If you are stumped when looking for a roof leak, a roofing expert can figure out exactly where the leak is coming from and get you started on any necessary repairs, either with a roof fix, plumbing repair, or ventilation upgrade.
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