Having a leaky roof can be quite a frustrating experience. In addition to the nuisance of the leak itself, there are also plenty of frustrations that come with trying to pinpoint the location of the leak and evaluating any damage that may have resulted in areas surrounding it.
With this post, we hope to give you a bit of information regarding leaky rooms, including the challenges of evaluating the situation correctly and how we can step in to assist you.
Determining the cause
By knowing a few common causes of leaky roofs, you can both prevent and catch issues early on and get a specialist to take a look before they become major, damaging ones.
1. Cracked flashing
‘Flashing’ refers to the thin metal sheets that are installed under shingles. These often have a rubber coating between them and the actual shingles. If the rubber or metal sheeting itself is corroded or torn, it will result in roof leaks.
2. Broken shingles
Broken shingles can be spotted by simply looking at your roof from a good vantage point. The issue is indicated by various patches and colours on the roof, indicative of the surface not being uniform. Broken shingles are commonly caused by heavy rain and high winds.
3. Improperly sealed valleys
The term ‘valleys’ refers to the point at which sides of the roof meet. For sloped roofs, this is the tip of the triangle that both roof sides meet at and form. It’s not uncommon for the seal between these two points to become weakened with time, especially after an unprofessional roof ‘repair’ when this point often gets stepped on and weakened.
4. Improperly installed skylights, vents and pipes
It’s crucial for the area around roof vents and skylights to be sealed properly in order to ensure that leaks do not occur around these areas. In some leaky roof cases, these areas were either not sealed properly at all from the beginning or have simply worn down over time. If you recently had work done on a roof vent or skylight and are experiencing leaking, this very well may be the cause.
Identifying the location of the leak
Depending on the exact cause of the leak, identifying the point at which it has occurred can be a challenge. Particularly on sloped roofs, water often travels from the leak point to another section of the home and makes it appear as though the leak is occurring elsewhere.
This is where a specialist can definitely come in handy. Instead of climbing up onto your roof and potentially causing even more damage or harm to yourself, get a roofing specialist to take a look at the issue. Someone who knows what they’re doing should have no issue assessing the situation and pinpointing the spot where a leak is most likely to have originated.
Conclusion
Hopefully this post has given you a bit of information regarding roof leaks and how getting a roofing specialist to take a look at the issue can be a huge benefit.
If you’re facing a troublesome roof leak issue, why not give us a call? We’ll gladly take a look at your issue and provide you an evaluation and quote.