In our homes, it is essential to take care of every part of it in order to maintain the safety of our families, and the value of the house. The roof is one part of the house that is commonly overlooked when in fact it is one of the most important parts of a house because it protects you from the elements.
Roof leaks are one problem every homeowner has encountered at least once in their life. Most people are not aware how serious a small roof leak can be because of the other problems it can cause. If you’re looking for information and other facts about roof leaks, then you are on the right track by reading this article.
This blog post will provide relevant information about roof leaks, how to stop roof leaks, what causes roof leaks, fixing roof flashing, and any other relevant information that any home and business owner will find useful.
What Is A Roof Leak?
Water typically passes through a small crack, passage, crevice, or any opening big enough for water to pass through. Worn and broken roof shingles, poor and corroded roof flashing are where water passes through therefore creating a roof leak. Locating a roof leak is really hard since it originates away from the actual leaking of the roof. Because of this, it may be hard to do it on your own so you might want to consider hiring a professional.
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Causes of Roof Leaks
Roof leaks do not just stem and pop on their own. There will always be a cause for every roof leak your home has so it is best to know what commonly causes roof leaks in order to help you when you experience this very problem. The following are common causes of roof leaks;
- Just like human beings, materials used in roofs deteriorate with age and time. They become less effective in keeping water out and are more sensitive to damage. If your house and roof is old, then a roof leak may not come a surprise to you at all since this is a fairly common experience.
- The constant buildup of debris like twigs, leaves, pine cones, can trap water at the roof and forces the water to find another opening for it to pass through.
- Roof flashing is commonly placed where the roof joins a dormer, around the edges of a skylight and where the chimney inserts into the roof. Huge amounts of water may pass through a roof flashing and will allow its passage.
- Gutter Backup. The buildup of any material like leaves on a gutter can slow down the flowing of water off the roof leaving it more time to soak through. Make sure that your gutters are clear and free of anything to prevent this from happening.
- Holes may happen after removing a television antenna or any removal of a rooftop installation. If not patched immediately, the hole left behind may be a cause of roof leak.
Other causes of roof leaks are excess moisture, ridge cap, slope, roof vents, and missing shingles.
How To Stop Roof Leaks
Hiring a professional to stop a roof leak is always recommended because you want a quality repair. But, if hiring a professional isn’t an option for you, then there are some measures you can do to stop a roof leak on your own.
If the roof leak is caused by a hole, then you can fix it temporarily by using a 12 x 12 inch piece of galvanized sheet metal flashing which is readily available in every hardware store. Simply lift the damaged shingle and push the metal sheet into the shingle to cover the hole which is causing the roof leak. Be careful when doing this since roofing shingles can be slippery when wet. .
Since you need to be comfortable working in high places, hiring a professional is advised if you can afford to do it.
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Fixing Roof Flashing
Small holes and corroded spots in a roof flashing can be easily fixed and repaired. Plugging pinholes with roofing cement helps and also patching a hole up to ¾ of diameter with the same material used for the roof flashing.
A bad corrosion on a roof flashing requires you to change the whole flashing. You might want to hire a professional to do this since the process is really complex.