2 Of The Most Common Places To Find A Roof Leak

Roof leaks can be extremely difficult to find when you don’t have the proper equipment or you just don’t know where to look. Most roof leaks take place in similar areas, knowing which areas are most often affected gives you a huge advantage when it comes to discovering a leak before any major damage has been done. Here are 2 of the most common places to find a roof leak.

1: Roof Flashings

Head wall flashings are metal flashings which are inserted where your roof is forced to stop because of a vertical wall. Wall step flashings are very similar to head wall flashings but you will find them where a roof ascends next to a vertical wall. Both types of flashing guide water away from the stopping point of your roof shingles to stop water pooling and to keep the building below protected. The flashing has to be installed in a very particular way and if it’s done so incorrectly on day one, that can cause serious roof leak headaches down the line. Flashings can also naturally degrade over time and holes may form in them, so bad installation isn’t always to blame for leaks.

2: Roof Valleys

Valleys are the V-shaped channels that run down your roof at the folds between intersecting roof planes. There are several different methods to secure these valleys and keep your roof waterproof including using metal flashings or shingles. When using shingles in valleys you must be very careful. Firstly, the shingle must be trimmed and given a chisel point at one end. Then a second cut must be made to turn that cut into an arrow shape. If this isn’t carried out properly then rain water will be able to travel along the top of the shingle until it eventually finds it’s way inside your building. Because of this, your roof can look completely perfect but still have some serious leaks.

2 of the most common places to find leaks in your roof are in the roof flashings and the valleys. If you spot any signs that you have a roof leak and you don’t have roofing experience, contact the roof leak experts immediately to asses and fix the damage. Roof leaks will often turn into much larger problems including structural damage if left untreated.