Finding a roof leak is much easier than finding the source of the leak. When your ceiling or walls become discolored or when your ceiling starts to bulge or have water dripping through it, it’s pretty apparent that you have a leak somewhere. But it’s a mistake to assume that the source is immediately above the location where the leak is manifesting. Once water gets through your roof, it can travel down a ways before it ends up inside your home. Here are a few helpful tips that can help you find the source of your roof leak.

Inspect the flashing

When searching for the source of a leak, it’s best to start with the most likely culprit and work your way down to less likely culprits. The flashing is the most frequent cause of leaks. Flashing is a transitional roofing material. It connects the roof shingles to vents, skylights, and chimneys, and it acts as a channel for directing water towards the gutters in the valleys of the roof. These are the most vulnerable sections of any roof which is why there’s flashing there in the first place. But if there are gaps in the flashing, that’s likely where the leak is originating.

Check for damaged/missing shingles

Over time, asphalt shingles warp and curl. Roofing nails can pull loose and there can be gaps underneath individual shingles or a section of shingles. Shingles may even fly away during a strong wind. Damaged shingles are a tell-tale sign of a roof leak.

Use a garden hose to simulate rain

If you still can’t pinpoint the source of the leak and you’d rather not wait for the next good rain, you can use a long garden hose to simulate rain. With one person inside watching the area in the home where the water is coming through, a person on the roof directs the spray of water on different sections. Since it takes a while for water to travel, it’s important to hold the hose in one location for a while since it will take time for the water to travel down to the site of the leak.

Pay a professional

Regardless of where your roof leak is and how severe it is, you’re going to want to hire a Spokane roofing company to do the actual repairs. Most roofers will do the inspection for free so you can always call out a professional roofer to find the source and give you an estimate for repairing it.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com

Source: realestate.boston.com/home-improvement/2017/07/26/tips-for-locating-the-source-of-a-roof-leak/


Tags: roofing tips, roof leak, roof damage, roof inspection, roof repair, roof maintenance