How To Spot Roof Problems

In this case make permanent repairs.

How to spot roof problems.

Once you locate the source of the water mark the area. On a nice day have a helper tap on the mark while you re on the roof. If flashing is incorrectly attached there is a significant chance of leaking and other problems appearing. Also look for pulled or missing nails at the base s bottom edge.

You want to look for missing pieces or breaks in the flashing and for cracks in the exposed flashing. There s really no fix other than replacing the damaged vents. You might be tempted to throw caulk at the problem but that solution won t last long. There s really no fix other than replacing the damaged vents.

A visual inspection of your roof can help you spot missing and damaged shingles damaged shingles might be curled cracked or torn. Water will reflect light so bring a flashlight along. Identifying roof damage. Flashing is a crucial part of your roofing system because it seals the penetrations on your roof.

Flashing refers to thin pieces of material typically metal installed at the joints of your roof under vents and under shingles to prevent water from entering at the seams and causing damage. If this type of damage is localized i e it covers less than 30 percent of the entire roof roofing repairs might be able to address the problem. Also look for pulled or missing nails at the base s bottom edge. If the roof shows signs of general wear making repairs will solve the problem only temporarily.

Common places where it has to be applied are chimneys skylights vent pipes etc. Check for cracked housings on plastic roof vents and broken seams on metal ones. You might be tempted to throw caulk at the problem but that solution won t last long. Replace them with rubber washered screws.

If the roof is basically sound with only one or two weak spots the damage may have come from a falling branch or a particularly severe windstorm. If you have an attic the easiest way to spot the leak is to up there on a rainy day. What to look for. Perform an outdoor inspection.

Start planning a reroof.