What’s Causing My Roof Leak?

What’s Causing My Roof Leak?

No one likes walking into their home after a heavy rain or snowstorm and seeing a huge brown spot on their A roof leak can leave interior damage on your house.ceiling. Your first thought, “there must be a hole in the roof.” While it’s true the water is seeping in from some opening in the roof, answering why and from where isn’t always so simple. The question, “what’s causing my roof leak?” is actually a much more complicated question because there are many reasons your roof could be leaking.

Your shingles are old and need to be replaced.

Yes, your roof leak really could be that simple. While it’s more dramatic to think of a gaping hole in the roof, water dripping down into your home, and pots and pans lining the floor collecting water, it’s usually nothing like that. Roofs are exposed to extreme conditions all year. You could have missing shingles, hail damaged shingles, and even mold growth on your roof. All of these are major factors in determining when a roof should be replaced.

The flashing on your roof is cracked.

Flashing is the metal that roofers install under shingles and on the joints of your roof. When properly installed, flashing creates a water-resistant barrier to keep roof leaks from happening. However, over time, the tar used to seal the flashing can corrode or the flashing itself can crack from exposure to the elements. Whether the tar has corroded or the flashing is cracked, you’ll end up with a roof leak and potentially more serious issues.

Your roof is prone to ice dams.

An ice dam occurs when the roof prevents melting snow from properly draining. Because your attic temperature is warmer than the air outside of your home, it can cause snow to melt, but as the melting snow reaches your roof’s edge, it’ll refreeze again. This newly formed ice creates a dam and prevents any additional melted snow from draining off the roof. This dammed up water needs a place to go and often finds its way into the attic and, eventually, into your home. Even if you’ve never had roof leak problems before, the weight of the ice dam can be too great for your roof and cause cracks, and damage to your shingles that allow water to gain access.

While it may seem like your roof is leaking in one spot, the issue could actually be in a completely different spot. It’s not as simple as saying the roof leak is happening right above the watermark on your ceiling. Before you start inspecting the issue yourself, it’s a great idea to have a roofing contractor inspect your roof for potential damage and leak spots. Hoosier Contractors provides no-obligation roof inspection and would be more than happy to help you find the leak on your roof. After your roof is repaired, we can help repair any drywall damage on the inside of your home.