Roofing Repair

Roofing Repair-How to Find and Fix a Leak

One of the most common problems roofs suffer is leakage. Leaks happen anywhere the water-tight seal of the roof is compromised, and if not repaired quickly and properly, can cause major damage to a home. Fortunately, many leaks can be easily identified and fixed using a few simple roofing repair techniques.

Roofing repair-finding a leak

The best time to look for the source of a leak in your roof is during or after a rain. If you have to go out on the roof, obviously wait until the rain stops. The attic is actually a better indicator of where your leak may be; go up during a rain and see if you can determine the location of the leak. Once the rain has stopped, you can look on top of the roof above where you found the leak in the attic and see if you see where it is coming from. Common culprits are flashing or seals around skylights, exhaust pipes and chimneys. Other indicators that may point to a leak are curled shingles, broken or cracked tiles (if clay), bent panels (metal roofs) or rotted shakes (wood shingles).

Roofing repair-fixing a leak

Areas around flashing, chimneys, exhaust pipes or skylights are especially vulnerable to leakage because the caulking used to seal the seams can deteriorate over time. Fortunately, this is an easy fix. Just remove the old caulk with a utility knife and run a new bead along the seams. As long as the caulk is allowed to dry for the recommended amount of time, your problem should be fixed.

If, during your inspection, you find that the leak is coming from something other than a seam, you will need to have a licensed roofer come out for further inspection.