Roof is a shelter for our house, it protects us from rain and shine and our belonging in the house.
If house roof leakage during heavy rain, it is important to find out the cause of the problem to avoid further damage occur. Such as mould issues or structural problems with rotted wood and rusty roof steel support.
House roof leakage may be spotted from wall outlets or light fixtures, behind walls and leaches straight into your floor and cause damage. Some sign of house roof leakage is wet spots or damp wood inside attic on roof, bubbling paint around electrical outlets, damp or dripping drywall around light fixtures, moisture above or below your window. Another way of finding a scientific method of detecting house roof leakage will be the use of leakdetect tools. You may also hear some dripping sound in the vent. House roof leakage can be deceptive, you might see them minor but can be devastating.
If your house roof leakage when it rain, you can start tracing the leak from some common areas, such as skylight, vent pipe, roof vent, shingle, and gutter.
Skylight is common source for house roof leakage. No matter how well your skylight is installed, there is still possible for leakage during heavy rain. Especially in Singapore climate with all seasons of rain. Overtime, flashing, and seal get worn out; leak will occur. Some skylights leak from condensation or rainwater travel down rafters inside the attic. Roof sealant may be applied to cover the holes, gaps ad loose shingles. Silicone caulk may apply to fix any leak between the window and the frame. Replacement of broken flashing and shingles around the skylight to create a new and good water barrier.
Vent pipe leak is also one of the possibilities to cause leakage during raining days. Vent pipes penetrate all the way through the roof in several locations of the house. Vent pipe leaks during heavy rain can occur if you have cracks in your vent pipe boot or flashing. Over the lifetime of your roof and expansion and contraction of the weather in Singapore, your roof may have small, tiny holes or cracks that allow water to seep through and result in rainwater house roof leakage. Therefore, maintenance of vent pipes and roof should not be overlooked, periodic maintenance can prevent house roof leakage.
Roof vent serves an important purpose, it allows air circulation under your roof and allow air inside your attic to circulate with the air outside. This keeps your attic cooler in the summer and helps extend the life of your roof. Most air vent prevent direct intrusion of water. Some roof vents are unprotected, will cause rainwater leak through during heavy rain. Therefore, you need to create a shield to slow the rainwater seep through the air flow. Metal screen wire is used to form a barrier around the vent hood to stop rainwater flows inwards during heavy rain.
Shingle damage could come from sun exposure, falling debris and wind. Shingle damage can leave a crack over time and result in house roof leakage. Any tree branches, leaf piles or other debris laying on your roof, may cause a hole in your shingles from failing branches. Or you may notice a n area of water pools on your roof after the heavy rain. You may want to remove all debris from the surface of your roof and inspect to see if there is any shingle damage, replace them to prevent leakage to the ceiling top. Remember to get a roof specialist to do the work, as part of your roof maintenance, do not climb over the roof at your own risk.
Gutter is also as important area to look at, to ensure no clog, rainwater can flow from the edge of the roof. Clogged gutters can cause foundation damage, exterior wall damage and house roof leakage when rainwater does not flow properly over the eave and into the gutters, may cause seepage into your walls. Gutter shield may be installed to prevent leaves and debris from entering the gutters. Most gutters attached on roof is built to be durable and high resistance to weather conditions, its quality will still deteriorate over time.
R.C. roof is more popular in Singapore; it offers a classic look and area easier to build and maintain than other roofing option. R.C. roof is more durable and stronger, it is very resistant to our climates and will not get over heated, therefore it protects the house from damage. It is easy to clean and self-maintenance over the years. RC roof shall remain inaccessible except for maintenance purposes only. RC roof is more prone to leaks, especially if the drainage system is not well installed to allow access rainwater to flow out. Ripples of rainwater will be collected at a spot and overtime it will weaken your roof. Roof terrace and landscape gardens may be allowed depending on approval by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
Waterproofing is a crucial aspect to maintain and prevent any leak cause by the rain. Membrane waterproofing, Clear Penetrative Treatment (CPT) and PU Grouting are a range of service to protect and repair the roof leakage.
We do not encourage homeowner to access or climb up the roof to do regular maintenance or find out the possibility of leakage. Homeowner could contact us, SWC Construction, when you spotted some watermark, bubbling, mouldy stain on the concrete ceiling. Welcome to contact us to assist you in finding out the cause of the leakage, send us your enquiry for a free consultation. As a waterproofing contractor, we would love to hear from you, we provide solution to solve your leakage problem.