4 Most Common Causes of Roof Leaks

Like having children, your home will be both a constant joy and a constant worry for you. And, like your family, problems can sometimes hit your wallet – and hard.

Preventative maintenance and being aware of what could happen to your roof might help you head off problems, but it won’t prevent them entirely.

Knowledge is power and especially when it comes time to know when to call in the professionals.

So let’s take a look at ways to prevent future problems, but also the most common ways your roof can start having problems. Here are the four most common causes of roof leaks out there:

Damaged Roof and Eave Flashing

This protects the edges of your roof and is where the roof meets a vertical surface. Damage here can cause leaks which can lead to even further problems down the road.

One of the most common culprits for damaged flashing is the wind so if you live in a very windy area you might want to have yours inspected regularly.

And that’s really the best solution to heading off problems with your roof’s flashing: Timely maintenance and repair. This is a job for the experts of course but it is also one of the easier problems for you to spot.

Like many items on this list, if it is older then it might also be time for replacement in general even in the best conditions.

Damaged Rubber Seals On the Roof Cause Leaks

This seal’s anything that comes out of the roof from leaking into the interior space below. It is a seal against environmental hazards like heavy rainwater and stuff like that.

As with anything on your house, they can age and begin to crack which allows for water to leak through. Timely inspection and regular maintenance or replacement of the rubber boots on your roof can help head off this problem before it even starts.

Loose, Cracked, or Old Rotting Shingles Cause Leaks

Another very obvious item that not too many people think about is the age of your shingles and their condition. If you have an older roof, it might be time to replace the shingles up there with something less prone to leaking or that isn’t in a stage of rot.

Cracked shingles can also be a problem as well because the cracks might allow rainwater to penetrate the surface below. Also, look for bare spots or discoloration on your roof shingles.

Roofing Nails Coming Out to Create Leaks

Roofing nails hold your shingles in place as well as anything else that protects your home’s interior from rain and the elements.

When these start to come out – usually due to age but also caused by constant exposure to sunlight – your home loses a lot of its protection because whatever it was holding down becomes loose in the process.

So these are the four main causes of roof leaks. Make sure you take care of these issues quickly if you spot them.

Feel free to call us to inspect your roof and its shingles for possible repairs and we offer a free estimate too.

Call (705) 302-3683