So, you think you have a roof leak

Knowing when and how to inspect your roof for damage can save you money and can ensure that your roof will last for years to come.  Major roof repairs are often needed because a homeowner failed to discover a small leak, causing more damage and requiring costly repairs.  Learning how to properly inspect your roof can save you thousands of dollars in roof repair costs.

 

 

Photo credit: mandiberg / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

When to do Roof Inspections

Before you learn how to inspect your roof, you’ll need to know when you will need to perform an inspection.  Experts recommend at least two scheduled inspections per year, one should be done at the end of winter, and one should be done at the end of summer.  Winter and summer have harsh conditions that can damage your roof, so it makes sense to perform an inspection at these times.  You’ll also want to perform an inspection after a major thunderstorm, high winds, hail, a tornado, or after any other harsh weather conditions.  

 

 

Checking for Roof Leaks

Now that you know when to inspect your roof, you can learn how to perform the inspection.  The most important part of an inspection is your safety, so make sure you have proper safety equipment before beginning.

 

 

Start your inspection by standing out away from your home where you can see on top of your roof.  Look for debris, dark spots, or missing shingles.  If there are leaves or sticks on your roof, get a ladder and carefully remove the debris.  If there are any dark spots, it could be excess moisture or fungus, so make not if you see any such spots.  If there are any shingles missing you will need to note that as well.  While you’re cleaning off the debris, you may discover lose shingles as well. 

 

 

 

While you’re on the roof, check the flashing, which is the jointed areas of a shingled roof.  Look for the seals surrounding the flashing and make sure they’re intact.  You will also want to check any valleys on the roof for leaks.  Most leaks occur when the flashing seal erodes.  You may also want to check for leaks near the gutters.

 

 

 

After checking the roof from the outside, you’ll want to go into the attic with a flashlight.  Shine the flashlight on the ceiling and look for any dark spots or moisture.  Carefully check around the top edges where the gutters are because that is a common place for a leak to occur.

 

 

 

Know When to Call the Professionals

If you find any problems, call an experienced roofing company to do the repairs.  If you ignore a small roofing problem, it could quickly become a large and expensive problem.  Leak repair in Portland can be performed by  All Surface Roofing And Construction, an experienced roofing company that can perform maintenance on your roof or complete repairs needed after an inspection.