Identifying roof leaks is hard, but it gets even harder when you don’t know where to look. Water leakage could happen anywhere, but it occurs more often in certain areas.
Hinkle Roofing recommends prioritizing these places:
Attic
One of the first areas to check is the attic. Wet marks on the ceiling or walls indicate the presence of water. Damaged insulation and mold growth may be telling signs that your roof is shot. If shingle problems could affect non-roof areas, like your vinyl siding, just imagine how much they could compromise the integrity of your roof deck. Any amount of water infiltration would suck the life out of your wooden deck, weakening it slowly but surely over time.
Red flags in the attic don’t always indicate roof holes, though. The high levels of moisture could be due to poor ventilation or plumbing problems. To better assess the situation, it’s best to schedule a thorough roof inspection and leave the inspection to someone with a trained eye.
Gutters
Any gutter clog, sag, or crack would pave the way for roof leaks. If the rain doesn’t travel safely to the ground, the water would pond and seep into the cracks of your roofing system.
Cleaning your gutters is perhaps the best way to prevent roof leaks. Schedule a meticulous inspection immediately for timely repairs or even replacement. Better yet, go seamless and invest in gutter guards to keep the risk of clogging to a minimum.
Penetrations
Anything that pops through the plane of your roof uses a piece of metal for waterproofing. Unfortunately, even perfectly installed pieces of flashing around your vent pipes and skylights would eventually fail sooner than you expect. Their sealants deteriorate with time and develop cracks where water could easily seep into.
Unaddressed damaged flashing might not only call for re-roofing but also increase the need for replacement windows. We don’t recommend climbing up there yourself; a professional inspection is key to assess any flashing damage accurately, efficiently, and safely.
As one of the most well-rounded Alabama home improvement companies, Hinkle Roofing can protect your home in Tuscaloosa, AL, against the specter of roof leakage. To ensure your roofing system is free from leaks, call us now at (205) 352-1940 for inspection and a free estimate for any necessary service.
