How to Detect a Roof Leak
As most people know the roof of your home or business is vital to the protection of the assets and belongings within. The most obvious sign of a roof leak is water on the floor of the structure, however their are other ways to find a roof leak before it gets to that extreme. When a roof is leaking bad enough that water is making its way to the flooring system, their is probably already a lot of other damage to other aspects of the building. Most structures have a ceiling and insulation between the roof and the living space to help improve the energy efficiency of the HVAC system. If a roof is leaking bad enough to make it through the insulation and ceiling material, then you have probably incurred a lot of damage already. By this point your not only looking at the cost of a roof repair, but also cost to replace damaged insulation, sheetrock, and maybe even structural repairs as well. In this blog post we hope to educate customers on how to detect a roof leak before it gets extreme. We are going to list common signs of a roof leak, common causes of a roof leak, how to prevent roof leaks, and reasons why you should use a roofing contractor instead of hiring a handyman to work on your roofing system. The first thing we want to talk about is how to detect a roof leak. There are a lot of ways homeowners can inspect their home without getting on the roof. Here are some signs we look for when inspecting roofs for homeowners.
- Checking the plywood or underside of the roof sheathing material for dampness or water stains. This is the easiest way to spot a roof leak, as the plywood will retain water for a short period before it starts to make it through into the structure.
- Checking the side walls or gable ends for water stains coming down the wall, especially where there may be a change in elevation on your roofing system. If you have a leak in this area, your probably not going to see it on the ceiling in the home because it may be going all the way down the exterior wall of your home causing major damages.
- Looking for missing shingles, damaged tile, blown off metal, or any breaks or damages to the roofing material on the roof. These are obvious signs, but the underlayments on the roofing system will protect the home for a short period, however these repairs should be made immediately because underlayments are not designed to be exposed to the elements.
- Water marks on the ceiling of your home. Even though most leaks that make it this far into the structure can cause a lot of damage, if you catch it on the first time then you can save a lot of money by having your roof repaired immediately.
- Storm/Wind Damage - One of the most common causes of roof leaks on a properly installed roofing system still within the warranty of the roofing product.
- Old Roof - Over the life of a roof, exposure to the elements begin to deteriorate the roofing system leading to failures in the product.
- Improper Flashing - If steps in the roof, chimneys, skylights, etc. are not flashed properly then water will eventually find its way into the home. Flashing around these areas correctly are very important to installing a quality roof, so its important that you hire a roofing contractor that has the experience to know how to do this.
- Missing Shingles/Damaged Tile/Raised Metal Panel - Sometimes roofing systems may be damaged by a neighbors limb, an animal, or a number of other reasons and obvious sign that your home or structure has a roof leak. Also some roofing systems can be damaged from walking on the roof improperly as well.
- Skylight Damage - A number of our roof repairs come from damage or aging of a skylight. Skylights have a lot of different problems over the life of the window, so sometimes roof leaks either get in through the skylight, flashing around the skylight, and sometimes condensation. In these instances the skylight should be repaired or replaced immediately.
Retro-Solutions Construction Company
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: 706-951-0158
http://www.scroofingcontractors.com
Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |
You barely noticed the stain on your ceiling at first. It started as a shadow, a trick of the light. But the next time it rained, it turned into a brown stain. Later, it spread. You realized, you had a major leak, and you needed a serious roof repair.
ReplyDeletemaintenance Beverly MA
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Don’t let minor roof leaks be a major house problem. Don’t take any of them for granted. Take time to inspect your roof, and if there's any leak, have it repair while it's still manageable.
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ReplyDeleteThe state of California has a particular licensing process for roofers. To get a state license and become a licensed roofing contractor in California, one needs to obtain a C-39 license before contracting any roofing jobs over the amount of $500.00. If the work is performed without a license, the homeowner may be stuck with unsatisfactory results and have no way to get assistance to correct the problems. If a licensed roofing contractor has problems that relate to unfinished work or the work is faulty in any way, the homeowner or property owner can at least file a claim against the roofing contractor's performance bond for the cost of repairs, damages or unfinished work that must be still be completed. Obtaining a bond is a prerequisite before any license will be issued and it must be in good standing and renewed every two years or the contractor's license could be revoked.
Rubber is in place since the 1960s, common for a low-slope roof, east installation, will last between 12-25 years.
Roofer Salem NH