Water leaking from a roof or ceiling is considered a nightmare for the homeowner. Always take immediate action once you get a roof leak, because this leads to bigger problems for your home.
Causes of roof leaking and dangers of delaying to repair
10 Causes of roof leaking
- Shingle Missing: During storms, strong winds pull off the roof and this leaves a gap for water to get in. You can find it on the roof or on the lawn.
- Chimneys: A hole in the roof like a chimney is vulnerable to leaking. Brick collects and absorbs water and any cracks in masonry will cause leaks. The flashing around a chimney is also a common source of a leak.
- Skylights: If newer skylights and it is properly installed it will not leak. Older or not properly installed skylights may leak.
- Ice Dam Damage: Ice dams on roofs lead to big problems with heat escaping from the roof. Normally, a roof doesn’t leak from an ice dam until it begins to melt. Water collecting at the roofline can cause a variety of problems.
- Clogged Eavestroughs or Gutters: When organic materials like wood and leaves build up and even begin to decay inside gutters, it stops the flow of the water. This causes water to back up and will run down the side of your home or find a crack along the roofline.
- Flashing: Metal flashing is used to direct water and cover openings in the roof such as around chimneys, skylights, vents, etc. Flashings can crack overtime or the caulking or tar used to seal the edges can fail.
- Age: Every roofing material has its own life. Due to extreme weather conditions in Edmonton and of course Alberta, the life of the roof material reduces. Outdated material may cause a roof leak.
- Obstacles on the roof: When organic material collects on the roof, the shingles will not last as long. Some common examples include leaves and twigs, but also moss and needles. These all trapped water instead of allowing water to run off and in time your shingles will leak.
- Poor water flow: Roofs with more than one story, when gutters are directed onto a lower roof instead of into another eavestrough, that water will wear away at the life of the shingles.
- Slope: Shingles are designed to work on roofs with a minimum pitch. If your roof is flat, additional underlay materials are required and when those are not installed your shingles will lift and rain will get underneath.
Dangers of waiting roof leak repair
It is always a good idea to repair roof leaks immediately. Roof leakage never fixes by itself, it gets worse with time. Many times, homeowners notice a stain on the ceiling or some water bubbling for a while but homeowners may miss seriousness of these symptoms. Once homeowners notice bigger damages, they contact roofers or leak repair companies but now, it is too late.
You can notice the beginning signs of a roof leak from inside a house
- Dark Spot on ceilings
- Outside light passes through some some attic spots (need attic access to check)
You can notice roof leakage signs from the outside
- Missing, warped, rotting, peeling, broken, blistering, or buckling shingles
- Loose material or wear around chimneys or vents
- Clogged or slow-draining gutters
A roof leak is the sign of a larger problem. The probability of structural erosion increases if homeowners continuously ignore the roof leak problem. A regular roof inspection is the best way to prevent roof leaks and save yourself from such unwanted situations addressed by a roof leak.
Best top roofing inspect roofs in Edmonton two times a year.
When to consider for roof leak repair or roof replacement
If your roof is 15 or more years old then it is a good idea to replace the roof. Otherwise, consider repairing the roof leak.
Tips for repairing a leaking roof
Most asphalt shingles are manufactured with the latest advancements in weather and wind-resistance, fire safety and long-lasting performance. Even if you have the best quality asphalt shingles, shingles will develop problems over time. But, If you have an asphalt shingles roof, then it is very easy to fix the leaking roof. Follow the following steps to find the leak and seal it.
Step-1: Find the roof leak
Finding a roof leaking spot is a very easy step. Finding the dark spot or water stains on the ceiling. Note the leak location and go outside with a pair of binoculars to find the roof leak. Check if there are curled, cracked, or missing shingles. End caps, the tent-shaped shingles that cover the angular peaks of the roof, can also be the source of leaks, so check those as well.
Step-2 Secure the curled shingles
Curled back shingles. For example, shingles are re-secured by brushing on a coating asphalt roofing cement or finding its equivalent compound in tubes for use with a caulk gun. When repairing a leaky roof, you’ll want to apply a generous amount of roofing cement to the underside of the shingle to make certain that the edge and corners are secured. Then press firmly to set. Shingles will be more pliable in warm weather than when it’s cold, so consider that factor when resolving problems.
Step-3 Replacing not reusable shingles
If shingles are cracked, missing, or rotten, replacing them can be a simple fix for repairing the roof leak repair. Damaged shingles can be removed by simply lifting the edges of the surrounding shingles and carefully removing nails with a pry bar. Once the nails are removed, the shingle should slide out. Scrape the residue cement from the roof and level or remove protruding nails.
Round the back corners with a utility knife. This will make it easier to slide the shingle under the one above and align it with the other side. Lift the corners of the overlapping shingles and fasten the top of the new replacement with galvanized roofing nails. Make sure to secure with nails in each corner. Last, cover the nail heads with roof cement and smooth down the overlapping shingle edges.
Step 4: Fix Flashing
To repair leaks caused by metal flashing around chimneys and dormers, reseal the joints with caulk guns filled with roofing cement. If you see damage to joints previously sealed with a line of roof cement, apply a fresh new coat with a putty knife.
If you are not inclined towards small fixes, give us a call for emergency roof repair. Do not attempt to repair a leaking roof that you are not comfortable climbing on and securing yourself completely. Trying to carryout an emergency roof repair yourself can be extemely dangerous.
Best top roofing provides Commercial Roofing, Roof Repair, Roof Replacement, Roof Installation, and Roof Management services In Edmonton, Beaumont, Leduc, Calmar, Devon, Lamont, Wetaskiwin, Sherwood Park, Ft. Saskatchewan, Bruderheim, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Edson Plamondon, Morinville, Gibbons, Red Water, Two Hills, Tofield, Calgary and St. Albert.
You can reach us on 780-710-9990 or visit our website: Besttoproofing.ca/. We assure you that our roofing services will meet all your expectations and will be within your budget. So if you are looking for roofing services, give us a call right away.
Reference: https://www.watershedroofing.ca/
