Finding Roof Water Leaks

The source of a leak often isn t obvious on the roof itself and it can be hard to pinpoint since the water may run down the roof decking and rafters before dripping onto the ceiling below.

Finding roof water leaks. Water testing for roof leaks. To do this one person goes onto the roof with a garden hose. If you can t find the cause of a leak from the attic or by visual inspection on the roof surface wait for dry weather and ask a friend to help you do a water test. Finding the actual spot where the roof leaks is difficult because water can enter the roof in one place and run down to another before it starts soaking into the ceiling.

Find a friend to help with the roof leak test. Again practice safety first. Here s how it works. How to water test your roof for leaks.

One person will be outside the house with a garden hose running water over the roof. After the underlayment or decking is saturated and can no longer absorb any additional moisture the water begins to leak into the inside of the building. Identifying roofing system leaks. A lot of times it s simply locating the problem.

Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. The hardest part of fixing a roof leak. You know the roof is bad if shingles are missing or obviously damaged or when water stains the ceiling or walls. If you find a leak in a metal roof due to water damage you ll need an expert to repair rot so ensure that you call a well respected roofer to do this job.

Roof leaks can be cause by missing shingles gaps in the metal flashing around chimneys and vent pipes or small holes in the roofing. If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures. Sure it s easy enough to spot water stains on the ceiling or mold growth sure signs of a leak. When a roof leaks moisture penetrates through the surface of the roof system and begins to saturate the underlayment or decking for the roof system.

If there signs of water damage or dripping water coming from the ceiling that is directly below an attic space or directly below the roof surface itself there is almost no question that the true cause is a hole or other type of damage in the shingles or other roofing material that make up the roof system. The other person goes inside the attic with a bucket and a strong light. The other person will be inside the attic watching the area for water leaks.