A leak in your home is never a good sign and something you want to put a stop to as quickly as you find it. When it comes to your roof, it’s the part of your home that’s protecting it from the elements, and sometimes damage can occur. That roof damage can allow water to leak through and disrupt other parts of your home, including its foundations. With that being said, here are some tips on how to find a roof leak.
How To Find A Leak In Your Roof
When it comes to how to find a roof leak, the first thing you want to do is to look upwards from the stains because they’ve likely dripped from a particular point. Take a good look at your roof and for any obvious roof penetrations. Anything that doesn’t look as if it should be sticking out is often the culprit. It should be noted that you should also be listening out for any signs of dripping or trickling, which are most noticeable after a heavy bout of rain. Look at places like your plumbing, roof vents and chimneys as these are classed as penetrations. A leak is unlikely to develop in any open areas unless it’s been caused by an impact from the outside, like a fallen tree branch, for example.
It’s good to have attic access as this can be a great way of to see it from the inside, and it’s worth looking up there with a flashlight. That way, you can see everything clearly.
Is a Home Roof Leak Something You Can Fix or Repair Yourself (DIY)?
There are a number of solutions that you can take should you discover a leak before you call a professional. For small leaks, it can usually come from a nail that’s missed the framing of your roof and has since frosted over, melting and then re-freezing. For this roof repair, you can simply take some side cutting pliers to cut it short. Small holes that have formed can also be fixed easily using flashing. This is using materials that are weather-proof and thin to help prevent any leaks from occurring.
For more complex roof matters, it might be that you have to remove or replace the shingles and any broken tiling that might have occurred. For some, that might be out of their skillset, and so it’s not worth trying to fix yourself if you don’t have the experience.
If it’s something you can fix yourself, then great! However, for those who are unsure or simply can’t fix what’s occurred, then it’s important to contact your local roof repair company for professional help. Make sure you get in touch with the roof repair company as soon as you’ve noticed the leak and ideally if you know where it’s coming from. This will help those coming onto the roof site, the guidance they need to start working on the leak straight away.
Leaks can be incredibly dangerous for your home, and so it’s important that if you experience a roof leak, then you’ll want to fix it as quickly as you can.
If you’re in the Greater Northwest we’d love to serve you! Our roofing contractors and roof installation specialists in Portland, Vancouver, and Salem serve all of NW Oregon & SW Washington.
