Water leakage can occur in many areas within a building, house, or a structure in general. Today’s article would be on roof leakage. Roof seepage can often be pretty daunting and challenging, not to mention it can also be a little expensive to fix. If you find yourself dealing with a roof seepage and you are unsure as to how to locate the cause of the seepage, the following is a list of the most common problems and suggested solutions for roof seepage.
1. Old Roofs
All things have a life span and roof is no exception. The most basic and common cause of your roof seepage is that your roof, or rather, the materials that are used to construct it, have outlived their usefulness. If this is the case, as a homeowner you may have to consider getting your roof replaced.
2. Cracked Flashing
What is roof flashing? Flashing is basically the thin aluminium pieces that are installed on your roof to prevent the flow of water into your house from a joint or, they can be pieces of metals that are installed under your roof to create a water resistant barrier. There are different causes to a roof seepage. Weather could play a factor or the tar that is used to seal the flashing together has been corroded overtime. Damaged flashing can be detached from the joints or has large cracks. For homeowners who are planning to DIY, you can try removing the damaged flashing, replace it with a new piece and nail it back in the same pattern as your old flashing. Last step would be to apply a coat of roofing sealant to the nailed area.
3. Clogged Gutters
Another common cause of roof leakage would be clogged gutters. When dirt, leaves, debris in general are filled up in your gutters, it might form a water blockage. You may not be able to notice the debris when you look up to your roof. The trick is to take note of your downpipe during a rainy day. If there is a lack of water flowing out of your downpipe, there might be a high possibility that your gutters are clogged. When this happens, rainwater will flood the roof and allows water leakage through cracks. The easiest way to get this problem solved is to get up on a ladder, and clear away the debris from your gutters. Other solution would be to install a strainer so that it prevents the debris from choking up the gutters.
4. Valleys not properly sealed
Valley is an area where two different planes of roof merge. The point of merger is called a Valley. When valleys of sloped roofs are not properly sealed, it may cause rainwater to flow into the house as it runs down the roof and this would also result in roof seepage. To locate such leaks you can search for wet spots that run down the valleys of your roof. Such causes may be arise from varies factors. Most commonly, the sealing that was done by your contractor have not been done properly/ correctly or, it may be cracked due to weather and have eroded over time. Getting this fixed is a more complicated work and homeowners would usually engage a contractor. What most contractors would do is to lay a new leak barrier along the valleys and shingles.
5. Skylights not properly installed
Skylight is a glass panel installed on your roof that allows sunlight into your house. Roof seepage from your skylight is generally easy to spot. Take note during a rainy day. If water drips/ seeps through the sides of your skylight, you have located the cause. Typically, the cause for this seepage may be fittings were incorrectly measured and installed, thus causing a misfit. Other wise, it could be wearing off of the insulation around the skylight. However, do note that a flashing issue might cause this leak too. To get this fixed, clear off any debris from the skylight and check if there are any visible cracks. If there is, apply a layer of sealant over the cracks. If water seepage persists, you might want to call up a contractor to check for any damages on your flashing. If necessary, get your flashing that surrounds your skylight replaced.
We hope this article has been helpful to you. If you are currently facing any roof leakage, do not hesitate to give us a call. SWC Construction deals with roof waterproofing too!