7 Causes of a Roof Leak

Roof leaks can be a major nuisance for homeowners, as they might lead to costly repairs and damage to the interior of the home. Discover seven common causes of a roof leak and how you can identify them. Understanding the root cause of a roof leak can help you take the appropriate steps to address the problem and protect your home from further damage.

1. Damaged Flashing

Flashing sits near joints to protect the components underneath from water damage. Damaged flashing compromises these vulnerable areas, exposing them to rain, ice, and other forms of wet elements that can trickle underneath shingles.

Flashing might come loose, which can make joints near chimneys where the flashing redirects water from the shingle edges vulnerable. Flashing can also get damaged when the seal that secures it in place, usually tar, cracks from exposure to the elements.

2. Damaged Shingles

Shingles are the primary defense against elements on your roof. If they fail, you can often expect extensive water damage to your roof and house. Fortunately, you can spot broken or missing shingles easily if you inspect your roof by yourself.

Extreme weather events like storms can chip, break, or loosen shingles on your roof. Additionally, these events usually deposit debris with high-impact force that will break even the sturdiest shingles. Have a roof technician inspect your roof after such events to immediately discern the damage, replace affected tiles, or replace your roof.

3. Shiners

Shiners are nails that have missed roof beams or supports. These nails can provide moisture with a surface to condense and accumulate. Check your attic for shiners during cold nights, as they can visibly show ice that froze on them. Ice on shiners provides sufficient evidence that water has leaked through the gap the nail formed.

4. Improper Installation

Technical issues can arise when a roofing technician installs your roof improperly. For example, they could use the wrong materials in the installation. Each material requires some consideration, like roof pitch, environment, and protection like waterproofing. If the roof installation service does not consider such factors, they can create vulnerabilities where water can enter your roof.

Another example is an improperly sealed valley. A valley is a section in your roof where two slopes meet. Due to the complexity of valley fitting, only professional services with adequate experience and knowledge should do it. Do-it-yourself attempts and installations by unqualified technicians can compromise the region and lead to leaks.

5. Damaged and Missing Gutters

Gutters help your roof redirect water to proper drainage. However, several issues like debris and ice dams can clog gutters. Clogged gutters will pool water that is more likely to enter through gaps, cracks, and other spaces in between your roof. You can notice gutter clogs if you see no water flow during wet seasons.

Additionally, some sections on your gutter might peel away or loosen or have cracked seals that waterproof susceptible sections. Also, rust and corrosion can compromise the gutters. Sections these factors affected will need a replacement to restore the gutters' functionality.

6. Drilled Holes

If you had a recent installation on your roof that needed holes as a pass-through, the technicians who drilled the holes might leave some of them unsealed. The technician can avoid this situation if they carefully inspect the roof after their installation. If they forget about it, these holes could require extra money to fix and reverse the water damage from leaks.

7. Age

Roof shingles have a lifespan that extends to a few decades. However, continual exposure to elements will gradually wear them down until they lose their protection. Have a roof inspector investigate your roof's quality and check the paperwork on the last installation. If your roof is too old, it could leak water through deteriorated components.

Contact us at J Taylor Construction for roof inspection, maintenance, and repairs.