Practical people can learn how to find and fix a roof leak. But it is not easy!
Finding the source of a roof leak.
Clambering up through the manhole from the top of a shaky old step ladder is how most DIY “handymen” get into their roof space. After a quick look they normally come back down to grab a torch and some old clothes to cope with the darkness, dust and spider webs.
Properly equipped and back in the roof space, the search for tell-tale water stains begins. The idea is that water stains will lead to the source of the leak – simple in concept, but not always so easy in practice, as discussed below.
But even if following a trail of water stains were easy, doing it in a roof space while balancing on narrow timber joists to avoid putting a foot through the ceiling “raises the bar” somewhat.
Quite apart from such difficulties, finding the source of a leak can be very time consuming – even for experts. Stains may reveal that water has been dripping from a certain point on a rafter, for example, but because the rafter slopes downward, the source of the leak may be much higher up and not even close to the rafter, depending on the shape of the roof.
Dripping water would make the source of a leak more obvious, but that requires either rain, or a friend on a ladder hosing the roof while your search. So normally, the search is for stains left previously by water from the leak. On surfaces such as wood or plaster board, those stains may be easy to find, but on tiles or metal surfaces the water may have left no stains.
For the DIY householder, finding the source of a roof leak can be extremely time consuming and frustratingly difficult. But that difficulty pales by comparison with the danger involved in getting onto the roof to fix a leak. Unless you are experienced and fit, climbing to a genuinely dangerous height on a ladder and carefully – ever so carefully – moving from the top of the ladder onto the sloping surface of a roof is a scary experience.
Expert roof repair – free quote: 0410-655-033
Why roof leaks must be found and fixed quickly
Despite the challenges, roof leaks must be found and fixed early. The consequences of procrastination include serious damage to a property and its value and significant danger to the lives of its occupants.
When water leaks into roof spaces or down in between walls, it can come into contact with electrical wiring. The consequences can be catastrophic short circuits, fires, costly damage to electrical devices and even electrocution of people attempting to use the electricity. And even if none of those occurs, roof leaks can stain and deform the plaster board in ceilings and walls, driving down the value of the property.
For these reasons, roof leaks need to be detected and fixed at an early stage before they can cause major safety hazards or significant property damage.
Common causes of roof leaks
Loss of ridge cap mortar and cracked roof tiles. Direct sunlight, extremes of temperature, strong winds and driving rain cause roofing materials to deteriorate. The upside-down V-shaped ridge cap at the top of a tiled roof, for example, sits in a “bed” of mortar (sand and cement), which cracks easily.
After a few years of withstanding Australian weather conditions, the mortar used to bed the ridge capping begins to work loose and pieces start falling out. Those same conditions make roof tiles more brittle, so they crack when someone walks on them to fix ridge capping, or fix loose tiles, or roof flashing.
Flashing deterioration. Flashing is what roofers use to place a waterproof seal around things that penetrate the roof, such as chimneys, roof vents, skylights etc.. As weather causes flashing nails to work loose or caulking to dry out and crack, flashing will need to be repaired.
Clogged gutters and downpipes. Leaves and other debris can clog gutters and downpipes and cause water to overflow into eaves and flood roof spaces. It is vital to regularly clear debris from the roof, clean out gutters and use a hose to test that water flows quickly and easily off the roof, along the gutters and down through all downpipes. The amount of work involved can be reduced considerably by installing gutter guard that keeps the guttering relatively free of debris.
Holes in the roof. Obviously, all holes in a roof must be properly sealed. Holes can be caused when items such as TV antennae are removed. Finding small holes in a roof can be difficult and time consuming for the average DIY “handyman” as noted at the beginning of this article. The painless solution is to call in the experts at Reliance Roofing ACT.
Free roof inspection: 0410-655-033
We install Colorbond® steel roofing because it is one of the world’s most advanced building materials. It has a strong, corrosion resistant Zincalume steel base and a durable, exterior grade, backed on, topcoat that resists chipping, peeling and cracking and is designed to be low maintenance and to look good for years.
Each of the 22 designer colours shown below provides a durable, exterior grade paint finish, resistant to peeling, flaking and blistering. So you can be sure that your Colorbond® steel roof, gutters and downpipes stay looking newer for longer.
ives and achieve a really stunning finish for your home.
Initial Consultation:
Our qualified and experienced roofing specialists will complete your installation. After that, our roofing services extend to a thorough quality control review to make sure your job is completed to Australian standards before we stamp it with our seal of approval.
Making sure your roof is sound and secure is incredibly important, yet many homeowners neglect their roof. Like everything in your home, it requires regular maintenance. If a leaky roof warps and stains ceiling sheets, for example, the ceiling may need to be replaced and, generally speaking, a roof repair is considerably more economical and less invasive than a ceiling replacement.