Reasons Your Roof Might Leak

Roofing leaks are the pits. Not only are they terrifying to think about the cost of fixing one, they can cause mold and many other hazards to your health. Knowing why roofs leak might help educate and prevent your roof from leaking in the future.

Pitch - Is your roof steep enough? Many people love a flat or low pitched roof because they are real easy to work on. However a low pitched roof drains the water more slowly. Shingles are only meant to work at a suggested 4/12 roof pitch and we've seen people try them on a 2/12 roof pitch to only have them leak. If your roof is low pitched you may have leak problems.

Non Repair And Maintenance - Shingles aren't supposed to last forever, a popular shingle is only rated at 15-25 years. Not only should you replace your shingles according to the manufacturers recommendations many people fail to replace shingles that wear out quicker. When a shingle blows off your roof is another time you need to pay immediate attention to repair. Don't let yourself think that you'll get it next weekend because water can and will get into your roof in the meantime.

Bad Flashing - One of the things to check during an inspection of your roof is the flashing. This should always be tight to the item it's protecting and check that all of the sealant around the flashing isn't cracked and looks good. Leaks through flashing are really easy to fix if caught early.

Bad Roofing Addon Installation - Many homes put additional things on their roof like satellite dishes, solar panels, antennas, and more. Many times the installation of such items puncture the roof to secure them and the installer might do this poorly. Always check all installations on the roof during a routine inspection.

Keeping an eye on shingles that are weathering poorly, doing regular maintenance, and looking for cracking and just doing a visual check of things up on the roof every few months should help prevent leaks or at least spot them early to help avoid any serious damage.