How Pros Locate Roof Leaks in Your Home

Is your residential roof leaky? Roof leaks are one of the most dreadful problems you may experience in your home. Aside from causing water damage to your home, they can lead to moisture and condensation problems such as mould and mildew growth, posing health risks to you and your family. 

Roofs that leak may also lead to wet floors, posing slip and fall hazards in your home. 

Locating leaks is the first step in dealing with a leaky roof. Unfortunately, detecting a roof leak is usually the most challenging part of repairing the problem. Water does not flow in straight lines, so it can easily travel away from the source of a leak.

Read along to know how a professional roofer can identify leaks in your residential roofing system.

Go up into the attic

Blistering drywall or water stains on the ceiling of your house are not always signs of a leaky roof. Several factors other than a roof leak can lead to this problem. These include:

1. Water pipes running in the attic
2. HVAC piping system
3. Leaks in attic-mounted water storage tanks
4. Poor attic ventilation

With this in mind, the first thing that a roof leak detector will do is go up your attic to confirm that your indoor water leaks are coming from your roof and not from other sources. If they rule out other potential water leak sources, they will start looking for leaks in your roofing system. 

Since your attic may be unlit or dimly lit, your roofer will likely bring a flashlight to see the signs of moisture or water damage to your roof. 

What do roofers look for during attic inspections? 

Looking for moisture damage in your attic is essential for ascertaining that you have a leaking roof. Some common signs of a leaky roof include:

1. Visible mould and mildew
2. A musty smell (usually associated with mould and mildew growth)
3. Damp roof insulation
4. Wet roof frames or trusses 
5. Wood rot
6. Sunlight coming in through the roof 

Once they have seen the signs of moisture, your roofer will turn off the flashlight momentarily to check for areas where natural light is poking into the attic. If they find the leak, they will mark it by spraying a little silicone sealant on the area surrounding the leak.

Go to the rooftop

If your home does not have an attic or lacks attic access, your roofer will go on top of the roof to check for leaks. Some common signs of roof leaks that they will look for include the following:

1. Cracked, broken or missing tiles
2. Rusted or damaged screws
3. Damaged or deteriorated roof flashing
4. Holes in the roof sheets
5. Cracked or missing ridge cap pointing
   

Any factor compromising your roof’s ability to keep out rain and other weather elements will require immediate corrective action. 

Is it safe for roofers to climb on top of your roof?

Inspecting the attic during a rainy day is the best way to locate a roof leak, as you can see the trouble areas firsthand. Unfortunately, this rule does not apply to rooftop inspections.

Almost all roof surfaces become slippery when wet, increasing slip and fall hazards for roofing crews. Traditional rooftop inspections increase this risk since they require working at height.

Don’t let roof leaks wreak havoc in your home. The best way to identify and eliminate roof leaks in your home is to let a roofing contractor inspect and work on your roof. 

Get in touch with us to get a quote for your roof leak detection job.