Help On Finding Roof Leaks On Various Roof Types
The coming rainy season means that finding roof leaks has become a priority for many home owners. But in the absence of a smoking gun in the form of a puddle on the living room floor a common question is how to actually find where potential leaks are located.
To make the problem even more challenging the place on your ceiling where the water emerges can be several meters from where the actual fault in the roof is, due to the fact that water flows over interior surfaces until it drips down onto the ceiling. In the movies a hole in the roof is usually large enough to stick your head through, in the real world, cracks or faults in roofing material can be almost imperceptible. Adding to the problem is the fact that it is sometimes impossible to tell where the leaks are by just climbing into the attic, due to the fact that leaks are often located around flashing, those features that join the roofing material to vents and other home features such as skylights. A Leaking roof can be a real head ache and it should be fixed as soon as possible.
One of the best ways of finding roof leaks is to simulate what would happen in the natural world. The easiest way to do this is by using your garden hose. Saturate your roof a little at a time, working your way from bottom to top. Each section which is wet should only be about 5 by 5 feet. Once the section has been thoroughly soaked, go up to the attic or in ceiling area and check the corresponding inside space. Wait for the wet area to dry and then repeat the process until the entire roof has been checked. With a little detective work you should be able to locate any problem areas quite easily. The good news for the avid do it yourself enthusiast is that most roof leak repairs can be done with a minimum of fuss and bother and all the equipment and supplies needed to affect most repairs can be found at your neighborhood hardware store. Some common sense approaches to safety should be taken when affecting roof repairs. Always attach yourself securely and wear appropriate safety gear and your DIY roof repair should be over in a jiffy. However, if the problem persists then the correct course of action is to call in a professional to inspect the roof.
A Metal roof can fall victim to the elements just as easily as a roof composed of shingle or tiles. There are exceptions that resist the weather better than others, for instance stainless steel, however most will require some sort of sealant to spare the homeowner the annual chore of finding roof leaks. There are a variety of coatings that will both protect the roof from leaking and reflect more heat than an uncoated roof. Each of the various coatings is suitable for a particular type of roofing material, for instance aluminum roof coating is based on an asphalt type resin which contains aluminum ‘flakes’ which due to the nature of the formulation rise to the surface, protecting the asphalt from damage that may result from overexposure to UV radiation. Investing in roof coating is certainly going to make your life as a homeowner less challenging and reduce the chances of a stay in hospital after a failed attempt at finding roof leaks. Good luck and be safe.
