Roofing Repairs 101: Leaky Roof Issues
One of the single biggest roofing-related frustrations for many homeowners is the presence of a leak. When you notice water dripping in your house, it's often evidence of a roofing leak, especially if you can't trace it back to plumbing issues inside the house. While you may know that this means you need roofing repair, what you might not know is where that roofing repair needs to happen. Tracing back the source of a roof leak can be complicated and for good reason. Here's a look at what you need to know to help you address a leaking roof and the repairs it needs.
Why Is It Harder To Locate A Roof Leak?
Many homeowners mistakenly believe that the area where they see the water in the house is clearly the spot where the roof leak is. After all, you wouldn't be seeing the water there if the roof wasn't leaking there, right? Actually, that's not true.
When you understand how water behaves, you can see how it becomes difficult to trace the source of a roofing leak. Water will inherently flow to the lowest possible point following the path of least resistance. That means that, by the time you see the water inside your house, it may have already run some distance from where it penetrated the roof. You can't judge the roof leak location by where you're seeing the water in your house.
How Do You Identify A Roof Leak?
While you can attempt to follow the water flow to find the source of the roof leak, that often means having to pull ceiling tiles and follow pipes or roofing beams, which can be challenging. Save yourself hours of frustration and searching by calling your local roofing contractor.
A roofing contractor can inspect the roof to find the area where the water is penetrating or can even request a thermal scan of the roof to isolate the area quickly. Depending on the overall condition of the roof and the difficulty spotting surface damage, the thermal scan might be your best solution.
How Do You Fix A Roof Leak?
Once you find the spot where the roof is leaking, it's time to repair the problem. Your roofing contractor may be able to seal it with a roofing sealant, or you may have to have shingles replaced. The best solution for fixing the problem depends on the roofing material, but flat roofing needs to be sealed thoroughly to repair or prevent leaks. Damaged shingles and other materials are also important, because they may need to be replaced to repair the problem.
These are some of the many things that you need to know about roofing repairs. Talk with a local roofing company like Clear Roofing and Siding LLC for more info.