Whether you live in a big mansion or in a small compound the last thing you will want is a dripping roof. Roof leaks not only cost you money but also waste a lot of your time and energy. Having your roof leak during a heavy rain storm can be annoying as no one likes to run for a bucket every time it rains.
Everyone would much rather enjoy the rainy weather instead of worrying about a roof leak. Since these roof leaks can cause permanent damage you need to find the roof leak and fix it as soon as possible. A small drip from a roof is an indication of a bigger underlying issue. Hence you need to give proper attention to your roof leaks and if the problem worsens call a professional roofing contractor.
In this blog post, we have outlined 3 common causes of roof leaks and how you can fix these issues.
The Flashing Has Cracked
There are thin pieces of metal installed under your shingles and on the joints of your roof they are called flashings. These flashings are used to create a water resistant barrier.
Flashings can be exposed or concealed. If exposed they will look like long sheets of metal and if concealed they will have a rubberized coating over them. Moreover, if they are broken they will have large cracks on them.
Most roofing contractors use tar to seal the flashings together, this tar can corrode with time. When your flashing is left exposed, environmental elements like wind and rain can be the reason behind its cracking.
In order to fix this issue, you will first need to find the roof leak and then remove the cracked flashings and install a new flashing in place of the old cracked one. Keep in mind that you will have to apply a roofing sealant on top of your new flashings to secure them.
Broken Shingles
Broken shingles are easy to spot, as your shingles are the exterior layer of your roof. Therefore it is easy to spot a crack in them. You can easily spot missing shingles on your roof by noticing different colored patches on your roof.
Usually shingles break due to extreme weather conditions. Since they are the exterior of a roof they easily get damaged when heavy storms and winds come through.
In order to fix a broken shingle, you will first need to slide a pry bar under the row of nails that connect the damaged shingles to the one below it, then you will have to remove the nails and press down the shingles. After removing all the nails, pull out the damaged shingle and replace it with a new one. Lastly, you will need to secure the new shingle with new nails. If you don’t have prior experience with this kind of DIY, it is advised that you call a professional to fix the issue.
The Valleys Aren’t Properly Sealed
A valley is an area where two planes of a roof come together. This is the area of the roof that is usually sloped and if the valleys are not sealed together properly rainwater will seep inside the roof and cause it to leak. You can find this problem by tracing the wet spots on your roof.
This problem is caused by many reasons. It can occur because the roofing contractor who did your roof was not experienced enough and did not seal the two planes of the roof together properly. Therefore it is advised that you always hire a professional roofing contractor to do all your roof-related tasks. It can also get cracked if someone stepped on the valley and lastly extreme weather conditions can also cause the seal of the valley to erode.
This is a very complex problem that only professionals can fix. Therefore you will need to call your roofing contractor to come and fix the valley seal of your roof.
About Stahl Roof Systems
Stahl Roof Systems is a well-established metal roofing company in Edmonton. We offer trusted metal roofing solutions to our clients for their residential or commercial buildings. Our core business values are great customer service, quality workmanship, and employee development. For more information visit our website or contact us here.
