How To Spot A Leaky Roof + Why It Shouldn’t Be Ignored

The lifespan of your roof will depend on a variety of factors, including the materials used to make your shingles. For example, an asphalt shingle roof will last an average of 15 to 30 years.

Roof maintenance also plays a major role in the lifespan of your roof. If you’re not staying on top of repairs, your roof is going to deteriorate a lot faster than expected.

Roof damage can impact your home’s:

• value
• structural integrity
• protection from the elements
• protection from pests

We’re going to talk about a common type of roof damage: the dreaded leaky roof. Read on for signs of a leaky roof and why you should never ignore them!

Water Stains

Water stains tend to look like big blotches of discoloration and if your roof is leaking, you’re bound to find them on your ceilings or walls. When the water stain is on the ceiling of your top floor, it’s almost a sure bet that you’ve got a leaky roof. If you find them elsewhere, you may also want to investigate for leaking pipes.

In the worst-case scenario, you may even find water stains on your floors. If this is the case, get ready for a major leak that has passed through the ceiling and onto the floor!

Peeling Paint

Water doesn’t just stain your walls. It can also cause your paint to start flaking or peeling. Oftentimes, these peeling spots are accompanied by the water stains mentioned above.

What about wallpaper? A leak will do a number on wallpaper, causing it to deteriorate, bubble, or fall off your walls.

Mold and Musty Smells

Where there’s a consistent supply of water, you’re likely to discover mold. Signs of mold include:

• patches of growth in green, blue, black, white, or grey
• musty or “earthy” smells
• warped walls and wood

Mold is also known for causing or exacerbating respiratory problems. If you can’t figure out what’s causing your sneezing, wheezing, and itchy eyes, nose, and throat, it’s time to hunt for mold. If you find it growing on your ceiling or in the attic, you may have a leaky roof on your hands.

Rotting Wood

The human body may be made of 60% water, but most other materials don’t appreciate its presence. Wood is no exception!

Chances are, your attic has a ton of exposed wood beams. If your roof is leaking, those wood beams may start to swell, warp, crack, and even rot. If you don’t want the top portion of your home to collapse in on itself, start inspecting and repairing the roof damage.

Damaged Shingles

Sometimes, you’re more likely to spot roof damage from the outside than the inside. The good news is that if you’re not noticing the signs of a leaky roof inside, you’ve probably caught the issue early.

Roofs are complicated systems and each component plays an important role. The system is compromised if you notice:

• warped shingles
• cracked shingles
• missing shingles

Shingles can succumb to all sorts of weather patterns, from heavy rainfall to high wind to the beating sun. Once they’re damaged, it’s much easier for water to make its way into the underlayment, where it can start to seep into your house. This issue can spiral, and it’s much easier (and cheaper) to replace a few damaged shingles than a huge patch of them.

Gutter Problems

While you’re taking a peek at the state of your shingles, make sure to observe what’s going on with your gutter. You’re looking for two signs, in particular: a gutter that’s clogged with debris or a gutter that’s starting to sag.

If your gutter is clogged with debris, it’s not able to siphon water away from your roof and safely onto the ground. If left clogged until the next big rainfall, you might end up with pools of water on your roof, which can cause roof damage and leaking.

If the gutter is starting to sag, consider it a warning that your roof is starting to break down. You might not have a leaky roof yet, but it’s on the way!

Visible Leaking

Here’s an obvious one: if your watching water drip through your roof or ceiling, you’ve got a leaky roof. While it’s unsettling to see, this is one of the best ways to catch a leaky roof.

Why? When you see the leak in action, it’s easier to pinpoint where your problem area is up top. When you know exactly where the leak is, you can target the damaged area.

Why Shouldn’t You Ignore a Leaking Roof?

Maybe some of these signs sound familiar, but you’re thinking of putting your leaky roof at the bottom of your to-do list. While it’s not always fun to deal with roof damage, it’s important that you act fast.

As we mentioned earlier, roof damage has a ripple effect, especially when it’s accompanied by water damage. If you don’t address the problem as soon as it arises, you may find yourself dealing with way more renovations, including a full roof replacement. The good news is that to deal with a leaking roof, all you need to do is find the best roofer and let them take care of the rest!

Contact Us for Roofing Services

You’ve read through the signs and you’re starting to suspect that you do, in fact, have a leaky roof. Now, it’s time to get the professionals involved.

Buckworth Roofing is proud to provide roofing services in Santa Rosa and surrounding areas. If you’re ready to patch up that troublesome roof, contact us today. We’ll send back a free estimate faster than you can say, “My roof is leaking!”