3 Common Causes Of Roof Leaks

Signs of leakage in an attic
Signs of leakage in an attic

Roof leaks are deceptively destructive to your roof.  What appears to be just a small leak often hides a path of destruction from the spot you notice to the opening in your roof allowing water in. Ruining insulation, seeping into wood causing rot, even damage to the frame itself! What causes these leaks?

Here are 3 of the most common causes:

 

Holes In The Roof

The obvious answer is there’s a hole in the roof somewhere. Finding these holes is another matter. Holes come in many forms: Damage from weather events (falling trees, limbs, hail etc), gaps caused by missing or warped shingles, openings caused by rot or rust, or even punctures caused by ornamentation and antennae/satellite. A small hole may seem to equal a small problem because the other 99% of the roof is fine, but in reality this hole is exposed to the elements and over time, even a small gap will be enough to cause thousands in damage.

Bad Flashing

The whole point of flashing is to seal gaps over joints in roofing material. It’s existence is to protect leak-prone areas such as the sides, ridges and valleys. As these areas are known for there exposure to water runoff, the smallest gap can allow large amounts of water to bypass the roofs outer protective layer. Once past this layer, water seeps into the material beneath and into your home causing havoc.

Improper Ventilation and/or Insulation

Years ago, before home builders and even roof contractors understood the full impact of proper ventilation, mysterious leaks would occur in people’s homes, particularly in sun-rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. The roofs were seemingly intact yet, the moisture had to come from somewhere!

Now we understand that poor ventilation and insulation allows water vapor to condensate in the attic. When that occurs, it’s like having an leak only the moisture is coming from inside the house! It may build up slowly, but make no bones about it, it can be just as damaging as an actual hole in the roof!

Although these are the most common causes of leaks, until you have a professional roof inspection from a reputable roof contractor, it’s tough to tell the cause and extent of damage to your roof. Finding the cause and repairing a leak should be your top priority!

You first step is to call a roof contractor, in Metro Atlanta, Atlanta Roofing Specialists offers free estimates, call today at 770-419-2222!

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