Louisiana Roofing Contractor

What to Know About a Leaking Roof?


What to Know About a Leaking Roof?

What to Know About a Leaking Roof? Roofs are large, complex, and heavy structures. Thus, when anything goes wrong with a roof, trying to fix it can be daunting. Indeed, a leaking roof is not something you should take lightly. Roof leaks may be the first warning of a collapsing roof that even can put our lives at risk.

You may be wondering what causes a leaking roof and what you can do to correct it. In this sense, we compiled a list of the most common causes of roof leaks to help you avoid a situation like this.

Top 6 Culprits Behind a Leaky Roof and How to Fix Them

1. Cracks in the Flashing or Vent Booting

Flashing covers critical points of the roof where vertical protrusions stick out of the roof surface. These areas are prone to allow water filtering, and the flashing purpose is to avoid that. 

However, corrosion will damage flashing when it withstands strong winds, or your roofer employs tar to seal it. This damage will cause leaks that might lead to larger damage. Even they can affect your home structure if not addressed timely. The solution? Replace the damaged pieces with new flashing to repair the problem.

Aside from that, cracks in the vent are usually obvious. Dark areas will appear along the leak’s path, suggesting that your roof booting is failing. So, to avoid additional moisture from entering our houses, you must repair these vents as soon as possible. 

Your first step should be removing the rubber surrounding the leaky vent using a knife. Make sure you secure the new boot on both sides. Also, caulk the shingles to the new flashings.

2. Damaged Shingles

As your roof’s first line of defense against weather elements, your shingles resist their effects day after day. Thus, they will suffer damage over time. Fortunately, we can spot cracked shingles easily. 

Have you found little shiny metallic pieces scattered in your yard? This sign tells you that you likely have some damaged shingles on your roof. To avoid roof leaks it is necessary to remove, replace, and fix them in place.

3. Faults in Roof Construction

It is a shame that many people that call themselves “roofers” are not experts. Actually, the Tadlock Roofing team has had to repair many leaking roofs due to building errors of other roofers. Water will leak through if the valleys have not been adequately sealed, for example. 

When looking for leaks, we will need to search for damp patches along the roof seams. This way, you will see whether that is the culprit.

4. Ice Dam Buildup and Condensation

Ice dams in roof edges avoid water coming from melted snow to drain away from your home through the gutters and downspouts. The water goes back to your roof and tends to cause roof leaks. Besides, extreme temperature differences inside and outside your house and the weight of the snow can damage your roof.

You can remove an ice dam with the application of melting products. To prevent this problem, you can use a roof rake to get rid of the snow.

Likewise, roof leaks can also occur due to inadequate ventilation in your attic. The temperature differential between outside and inside your attic can cause condensation and leaks. The good news is that condensation is easy to detect. For most people, the mold odor will be evident.

 Hence, your attic must have proper insulation and ventilation. Ensure the roof vents are clean at all times. By doing so, you will avoid leaks due to condensation.

5. Clogged Gutters

Are your gutters clogged? Be careful. Water will pool and flow back up to the roof. As a result, the water will find any small crack through which to filter into your home. Luckily, this problem is usually visible, and you can solve it by cleaning your gutters.

6. Cracks in the Chimney

Our chimneys suffer a lot of wear and tear. After all, they are under continuous exposition to the elements. Therefore, they can get cracks through which the roof can leak. 

It is necessary to find the source of the leak. Then, you will have to replace the missing mortar to repair the damage.

Final Thoughts

Now that we are aware of it, leaking roofs are not something to take lightly. Address the problem promptly to prevent additional damage. Call Roof Crafters right away to schedule an estimate in Baton Rouge at 985-241-8045! 

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