12 Sep Three overlooked causes of roof leaks

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It is never good when water pours through your ceiling, and it is always unpleasant listening to the constant drip of water hitting a bucket on the floor.

Sometimes, many homeowners fail to look in the most susceptible areas for roof leaks. Left unchecked, a roof leak can cause major damaging like watermarks, peeling paint, bug invasion, rotting wood, dangerous molds and a plethora of expensive problems.

There are three areas most often overlooked:

Flashing

Flashing is a thin piece of metal installed under shingles and on the joints of your roof to create a water resistant barrier.

When these pieces of metal crack as a result of long exposure to the elements without replacement, water is allowed to freely seep into other areas of your home. It is a mistake to do nothing when this problem appears.

Skylights

A leaking skylight has two main causes.

Leaks are usually the result of improperly measuring and fitting the skylights upon installation, or decayed insulation along the skylights edges.

Consider replacing a leaky skylight with a surface-mount single-piece glass skylight. Simply put, the skylight is made where the metal flashing and the lens are welded together with no movable parts.

With single-piece style of skylight, there’s a lot less potential for leakage than other types of skylights.

Chimneys

Another pesky place often overlooked is the chimney. Left unchecked it can cause severe problems.

There are several places a chimney can leak; the shingles, the pesky flashing piece connecting the roof and the chimney wall. Then there’s the stucco or siding surface of the chimney itself, and don’t forget the chimney cap at the top and a flue cap as well.

A seemingly harmless hairline crack in a crucial place can allow vast amounts of water to run behind the flashings. You should look for soldered corners of flashing that might have broken or have holes.

Get an inspection

Hire trained professionals to inspect your roof for any potential problems or investigate the source of leak. Call us to schedule a free inspection and estimate at 407-295-7403.

To learn more about how long a roof will last in Florida weather, download our free e-book.