Are you suspicious of damp-looking paint near your ceiling? Does it have you wondering whether or not your home has suffered water damage from a roof leak? Perhaps you’ve even taken a look at your roof and noticed that it appears to be on its last leg.

Whatever the case may be, roof damage is a common occurrence, and it’s something that should be taken care of sooner rather than later. If left unchecked, a persistent water leak can cause severe damage to the home’s structure and lead to unwanted mildew and lead.

The first step is to locate the source of the problem. Continue reading this article to learn all the ways to correctly identify a water leak and learn how to determine when it’s time to allow a professional to fix the problem.

Water Damage

Water damage from a roof leak can be tricky. Small roof leaks are deceiving because they can seem like an insignificant spot at first, but then they quickly morph into something more serious.

Damp walls only serve to facilitate the growth of mildew and mold in your home. These harmful substances can then travel through your HVAC system and cause you and your family unwanted health problems.

Additionally, issues such as dripping water can cause damage to any belongings that you may have in your attic and to your wallpaper if you have any. Leaks that go unchecked can leak through your attic floor, causing stains, spots, and damp patches on the walls and ceilings of your home.

The worst-case scenario is that the moisture from all of the leaking causes the wooden structure of your home to rot. Furthermore, this will begin to weaken the integrity of the home, causing part of the home to be unstable.

Later down the line, this can cause complications for future renovations and ultimately make your home more difficult to sell.

Finding the Source of the Leak

Besides routinely monitoring the condition of your roof, and looking for signs of water damage from a roof leak in your attic, there are other ways to find the source in your home.

If examining your attic daily and checking the outside of your home for any signs of potential damage isn’t something that you commit to, then we suggest that you do so on a bi-annual or seasonal basis.

You should act quickly if you see any signs of damage to the exterior of your roofing or water damage in your attic or any area on your top floor.

Begin by discovering the exact location of the leak. If you have an attic, simply waiting for a rainy day will allow you to go up and see the source of the leak firsthand. Apart from this, you can search for signs of a leak such as water stains or mold growing on your ceilings.

roof leak

Wherever you find the spot, the leak is likely to be found upstream so to speak. Leaks gave a tendency to form around structures that penetrate the roof such as vents and chimneys.

Investigate the extent of the leak: Take note of every area of that home that has been damaged by leaking water. Moreover, remember to check your basement or your belongings on the floors beneath the leak.

Make a list of potential causes: Think back to any recent weather events that could have damaged your roof. If there has been any incident that could’ve compromised the integrity of your roof in any way. Whatever the incident this could be the cause of your leak

Call in a Professional

professional inspecting roof damage

Once you’ve investigated the leak and discovered its location, resist the temptation to climb on your roof and repair your roof yourself. Remember that roof repairs require professional expertise and are inherently dangerous to boot.

Climbing onto a roof requires special safety equipment and experience that the typical person doesn’t have. So the rule of thumb is that roofing should get done by professionals.

Water damage repair is a process involving multiple steps; the affected space must get dried out, structural repairs must be identified, there needs to be a mold inspection, and preventative measures must be taken.

Wrap-Up

In the end, remember that leaks are inherently deceptive because they can start underwhelming, allowing you to think that it’s no big deal. And every day that you neglect to fix the leak, the leak and the problems that it causes grows exponentially bigger. So it’s always best to handle water damage as soon as possible! Contact us today, and we’ll help you take care of any roof leaks you may have.