Rooftops are inherently dangerous places to work.
How to inspect a roof for leaks.
There are a few telltale signs that can point to a roof leak.
They never occur at a time which is convenient and they can lead to significant damage to the interior of your home.
A leaky roof can cause extensive damage to your home and to your belongings and result in expensive repair costs.
Assuming you are safe comfortable and know how to walk inside an attic let s take a look at how you can spot roof leaks.
Their effects can linger long after the repair has been made in the form of mold growth on the interior surfaces of your home.
Some roof leaks are tough to locate.
Roof leaks present multiple challenges for homeowners.
Most importantly it can help you make repairs quickly without having to replace your entire roof.
Inspecting your roof for leaks helps you in a number of ways.
We recommend you leave roof repairs to a professional.
The goal is to identify and treat minor problems before water damage is visible in your home.
Inspect the underside of the roof for objects that have pierced it or have been attached to it.
By gary hedstrom peg hedstrom judy ondrla tremore.
Inspecting the attic for leaks.
Know the signs of a potential leak.
Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak.
If you notice visible damage leaks or other problems be sure to call your roofing contractor to inspect your roof or ask around for a reputable contractor if you don t already have one on speed dial.
A small leak may be doing slow damage but hasn t gotten bad enough to give you any obvious clues like a stain on the ceiling or worse.
Eaves where the roof meets the wall penetrations flashing areas.
Sealants are extremely affordable and can be found at your local hardware store lowe s or home depot.
Most noticeable to the eye are leaks caused by an object for example an errant nail that s.
You can prevent leaks and minimize damages by inspecting your roof twice a year early spring and late fall.
How to inspect a roof for leaks.
Our final step of inspecting is looking inside the attic for leaks.
If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures.
How to find a leak in a roof may be the hardest part of fixing a leaky roof.
Here is a quick roof inspection video to get you started.
You can have great success sealing roof leaks yourself using clear silicone based or copolymer synthetic rubber sealants and without having to pay a roofer.
Finding the actual spot where the roof leaks is difficult because water can enter the roof in one place and run down to another before it starts soaking into the ceiling.
