How to Find Your Roof Leak and Fix it Fast

How to Find Your Roof Leak and Fix it FastThe consequences of leaks are well known: they are spoiled property, damaged house structures and troubles associated with repairs. Timely and rapid elimination of roof leaks allows to avoid large expenses and prolongs the life of the house as a whole.

There are several types of leaks. To find a place where water penetrates, and quickly eliminate the problem, it is necessary to know the nature of the leakage and the reasons for their occurrence. Regular inspections of the roof can reveal defects in the early stages, and simplify the elimination of roof leaks.

Main types of leaks

According to the main signs and causes of the leak, they are divided into four groups:

  1. Rain leaks. The main sign of a rain leak is the appearance during the rain, or immediately after it.
  2. Summer “dry” leaks. They appear in warm, dry weather with temperature changes.
  3. Flickering leaks. This type of leakage is caused by defects in roofing materials and mistakes made during construction. Flickering leaks appear in any weather.

The causes of leakage and their detection

The method for eliminating roof leaks and the types of repair materials depend on the cause of the defect.

Common causes of leakage are:

– errors in the design and construction, violation of the instructions for installing the roofing;

– natural wear of the roof;

– improper operation of the roofing (irregular and poor maintenance, excessive load, exceeding the service life, etc.);

– mechanical damage to the roof (during installation or maintenance of equipment, etc.);

– breach of tightness due to the appearance of moss, mold.

The reason for the appearance of rain leaks is a violation of tightness of junctions, mechanical damage to the roofing, etc.

The reason for “dry” leaks is condensate. With changes in temperature and high humidity, it forms even in warm weather.

The cause of the appearance of flickering (periodic) leaks are microcracks in roofing materials, violation of the installation instructions, and so on.

Detection of leakage location is performed in the following sequence:

– the roof is inspected from the inside. The state of the rafters and the floor of the attic is assessed. Dark spots and nailed dust on the structures indicate a leak. In hard-to-reach places, the roof covering and wooden structures are palpated;

– the condition of the ridge, the ends and cornices is evaluated.

– assesses the condition of all elements of the roof. Particular attention is paid to the tightness of the roof adjoining to vertical surfaces;

– inspection of drainage and ventilation systems is carried out.

Removing roof leaks

The method of eliminating leaks depends on their type:

– For fast elimination of rain leaks waterproofing tapes and sealants are used. On large holes are installed patches of roofing material;

– To prevent “dry” leaks, a vapor barrier barrier and under-roof waterproofing are installed;

– The elimination of flickering roof leaks consists in eliminating installation errors, replacing defective materials, and sealing the junctions.

Sealants and repair materials to eliminate roof leaks should correspond to the type of roofing material.

Image credit: Mark McCammon