What Do I Need to Know About Roof Leaks?

At first, it might seem like just a bit of a nuisance, but the fact is that a leaking roof can be so much more than that. If you leak in your roof, you want to deal with that immediately. A leaking roof can cause a lot of damage to your home, not just to the roof of your house. And, of course, the consequence is that you wind up spending a lot more money than had you fixed the problem before it got too big.

This article will inform you of everything you need to know about the causes of roof leaks, what you can do about them, and when you should be worried.

Signs That You Have A Leak In Your Roof

You might leak into your roof and don’t even know it. That is why knowing the signs of a leaky roof is so important. By understanding and knowing the signs of a leaky roof, you can fix the problem before it becomes much bigger.

• Water stains

Sometimes a leak in the roof doesn’t present itself as an actual drip but instead will present itself as stains in your wall or ceiling. If your walls are starting to stain, this is a good sign that you have a leak where the roof meets the wall. What do these stains look like? Often, they are some forms of brown or yellow or discoloration of your paint job in your home.

Water is always trying to find the lowest point that it can reach, so if you notice these stains, it is likely that you will leak. It is important to fix this ASAP because it could cause damage to the actual frame of your home. You don’t want support beams in the house rotting out.

• Mold on the outside of your house

The interior walls are a dead giveaway, but you also want to pay attention to your home’s exterior. Pinpointing the problem is key, and your next step is to call an experienced roofer. The earlier you catch this; the easier and less expensive it will be to fix.

• Dripping

If you have a drip in your house, that is most likely a leak in your roof. There are other causes, such as damaged condensation lines, but it is likely a leak. The severity of the leak could vary. For instance, you might wonder, “Why does my roof only leaks sometimes?” That could be because your roof is damaged but doesn’t present itself that way unless you experience some nasty weather. Remember, our roof keeps us safe from the outside elements, and hail storms or wind storms can cause quite a bit of damage as the years go on.

Ice dams can also cause intermittent dripping. This happens in areas that experience colder climates or winters. Ice or snow builds up, and as the weather warms up, the ice or snow turns into water. This water could then start dripping.

Whether the drips in your house are intermittent or not, you want to have them checked out immediately by an experienced roofer.

Causes Of Leaks

The roof takes a lot of damage, and there are several reasons your roof might leak.

• Missing flashing

It might not be a roofing issue at all. If there are spaces between your chimney or air vents outside your house, it could cause a leak in your roof. It could also be water leaking through nails in the roof.

• Damaged shingles

Part of the damage that comes over time can be seen in the shingles. Windstorms, snow storms, hail storms, you name it; they all take their toll on the shingles on our roof. You might need to have a few replaced; you might need to have the whole roof replaced, but if your roof leaks, you should have a roofer over to check out your shingles.

If you have a leak in your roof and need an experienced roofer, please contact Findlay Roofing today!