How To Tell If Your Roof Is Leaking

Some roof leaks are tough to locate.

How to tell if your roof is leaking. To find the source of a roof leak. If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures. There s a water stain. If your gutter is still basically sound the easiest way to stop the leak is by covering the damaged area with roof and gutter repair tape available at home centers and hardware stores.

Ironically any water damage caused by the leaking roof to your walls floors or furniture probably would be covered under the all perils section of your policy. However the roof repair itself. Making an effective roof leak repair. These signs will tell you that you may have a leak in your roof.

It is also important to properly prepare before attempting any roof repairs to ensure you know what materials to use and what steps to take. The goal is to find the leak before the entire roof goes bad. Roof leaks are typically just signs of a much larger problem. In order to complete an effective repair on your home s roof it is necessary to determine the cause of the leak.

If the leak isn t obvious have a helper watch in the attic while you get on the roof with a garden hose. A water stain may look like a large puddle on the ceiling often ringed with brown. Finding the actual spot where the roof leaks is difficult because water can enter the roof in one place and run down to another before it starts soaking into the ceiling. Understanding this may help you determine whether or not to cover the repair out of pocket or file a homeowners insurance claim for the leaking roof.

Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. However it may not look like that. Today we re going to help you find the source of your leaking roof and look at options to fix the roof leak. Some leaks are large others are small and all of them can wreak havoc on your walls foundation and the exterior of your building.

The longer your roof leaks the higher the cost will be when you repair it. Look in the attic with a flashlight for evidence like water stains trhen trace them up the roof and rafters to the entry point. Both danger and the probability of structural erosion increase if unaddressed. Regular inspections are your best defense against a leaky roof.