Roof Leak Signs and Symptoms
With April showers just around the corner and storm season this summer we are coming into the season of roof leaks. Roof leak damage can range in size and occur anywhere on the top level of your home. Stay aware and check areas and rooms that you don’t frequently go into for signs of roof damage. Here is what you should look for.
There’s a water stain: A water stain may look like a large puddle on the ceiling, often ringed with brown. However, it may not look like that at all. Some stains are difficult to see as they occur in darker corners, while others are small stains that could be a sign of a much larger leak. If you notice discoloration on your ceiling or walls, take a closer look for mold, moisture, and other telltale signs of a leak.
Sometimes there’s a drip: If you see drips, moisture on the walls, or moisture stains but don’t see them often, you may still have a leak in your roof. Even if that leak seems to go away, get it checked. You may have an ice dam caused by the freezing and thawing of melting snow and ice. This thawed water moves under the shingles and then freezes again, causing intermittent leaks. The rule with leaks: if you see moisture, investigate, even if it seems to go away. Chronic moisture problems can cause permanent damage.
Here are spots on your exterior walls: Every so often, take a look under your roof line outdoors. What do you see? If there are water spots under there, you may have trouble where the walls meet the roof. Water spots in this location can point to problems with your flashing.
Your walls are growing: If you have a mossy or moldy exterior wall, it could be that it’s in a less-than-sunny spot, but it could also point to a problem with your downspouts or gutters. While they’re not made out of roofing material, downspouts and gutters form an integral part of your roofing system as they move water away from your roof and down into the ground. When one is leaking, you may see signs of erosion below the gutters and signs of moisture on the sides of your building exterior, depending on where the leak is located. Adding gutter covers and gutter heating and repairing sagging gutters can reduce your problems with clogged or icy gutters.
You see missing shingles or see debris in your downspouts: Missing shingles, problems at the seams between your shingles and other structures such as chimneys, and debris in your downspouts could point to troubles with your roofing material. A roof that’s getting patchy is more prone to leaking over time, and even though you don’t see a leak inside your house, there could still be a slow leak into the attic or crawl space. When you see damage occurring on your roof, ask for an inspection so that you can learn more about the state of your roof and possible leaks.
Once you determine that you may have a roof leak your next step will be to minimize damages. To assess the damages you should call a roofer and have them find and inspect the leak. They will either repair it or tarp it until they can repair it. Once you have the source tarped or repaired you will want to call us, ServiceMaster by Bailey, and schedule a time for us to complete the inspection. Our technician can do an inspection and assess damages in the home to determine if mitigation is necessary. Going through a tragedy like this, big or small, can be difficult. We are here to help you through the process and provide you with peace of mind. Call us at 770.720.9533.
