Sometimes it’s necessary to get up on the roof to see exactly where the leak is — just be careful up there!
With all of this snow melting (finally!), and the upcoming rainy season that we have to look forward to on the other side of this nastiness they call winter, there’s a lot of…wet…going on outside. We thought it would be pertinent to use this time, and our knowledge as a roofing service company, to help you know how to identify roof leaks, get them patched up, and prevent future ones from occurring.
Finding Roof Leaks
It’s our guess that after all this snow melt that we’ve endured over the past week, you know by now whether you have a roof leak or not. Roof leaks are by far most commonly identified by the resulting water that, y’know, leaks into the house — usually creating stains, sagging, or cracking in the ceiling of the uppermost level of your home. If you have an attic and the water damage is manifesting itself underneath it, it might be time to venture up there. Pro tip: water reflects light pretty well, so a flashlight in an otherwise dark attic should help you find the source pretty quickly and get a bucket or other temporary solution in place. If you: a) can’t or don’t want to get into your attic, or b) don’t have an attic and can’t or don’t want to get up on the roof to find the leak, then feel free to call in a roofing service to come take a look and start getting a fix underway.
Fixing Roof Leaks
If you can’t or won’t get up on your roof to fix the problem, give us a call and let the roofing service experts handle the problem. If you’re a do-it-yourself-er and you’re feeling gutsy, here are some common roof leaks and simple fixes:
- Broken roof vents: Replace ‘em! While duct tape or caulk might be tempting and fix the problem for a while, these likely won’t be permanent fixes. The most surefire fix here is to replace the broken unit
- Cracked shingles: Usually the result of heavy storms or ice dams, this problem should be easy to spot from outside your house. Carefully pry off the broken one and replace it with four nails
- Cracked flashing: Flashing are thin metal sheets installed under shingles and at roof joints. You’ll have to move away any adjacent shingles to replace the broken flashing
- Poor skylight installation: If your skylight wasn’t put in properly or the insulation along the edges is decaying, this is the source of your problem. Clear any debris from the top of your skylight and check for cracks in the window and in the seal around it
- Clogged gutters: Easy find, easy albeit unpleasant fix. Break out the ladder and go dig out the leaves and debris that are clogging it
Again, these are only some common sources of roof leaks and this isn’t an exhaustive list. If it isn’t any of these things and you can’t spot any other prevalent issues, call in the experts, and get down from the roof for goodness’ sake.
Fending Off Future Roof Leaks
Luckily, all the fixes mentioned above, and any roofing service expertise we might have if you call us to come fix the problem, will (hopefully) fend off future roof leaks for a while. The best thing you can do in this instance is be vigilant for more indications of roof leaks and act quickly if you notice anything fishy.
Roofing and Siding Contractor in MD, PA, DC, VA, WV, & DE
Founded in 1988, Topper Construction has quickly grown to become one of the largest roofing and siding contractors in the Mid-Atlantic region thanks to our commitment to providing clients with quality work at a competitive price. We install the full range of vinyl siding from major brands, giving you a wide variety to choose from.
For immediate assistance or questions about slate roofing or roofing material, please call 301-874-0220. We are headquartered in Frederick, Maryland with a satellite office in Pittsburgh to help us better serve you, our customers.
We proudly service areas throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Northern Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware.
