How To: Prevent Roof Leaks
Experiencing a roof leak? Roof leaks can occur for a variety of reasons: rusty nails, loose/improperly installed shingles, wind/hail damage, or even the age of the roof can be a factor. Don't wait for it to go away, most times roof leaks just get worse and you could run the risk of water damage. Water damage can lead to additional expenses like wood replacement due to rot. Here’s a few tips to help prevent roof leaks:
Clean Your Gutters: Getting your gutters cleaned is crucial to maintaining a healthy roof. If there’s a clog in your gutters, then water can potentially start pooling and a leak can occur. It’s recommended to do a gutter cleaning twice a year (Fall & Spring).
Yearly Roof Inspections: Scheduling yearly roof inspections helps with insurance purposes and lets you know your roof’s condition. If you have skylights, roof inspections are highly recommended as they’re prone to leaking.
Get Flashing/Water Proof Barriers Installed: Depending on how much you want to prevent roof leaks, it’s important to consider installing or replacing flashing around areas like chimneys, skylights, eaves, dormers, and vents. These areas are more likely to develop a leak and, depending on how old the current flashing is, will benefit from being replaced.
Replace Shingles Immediately: If you notice a few shingles have blown off your roof, especially after a storm, then you most likely will need to add a few to replace the ones you’ve lost. It’s also helpful to observe the quality of your shingles, especially in cases of damaged shingles which should be replaced immediately.
Improving Ventilation: Have you ever considered humidity? Humidity can sometimes be a culprit behind roof leaks due to causing too much moisture build up on the underside of the roof thus weakening its foundation. It’s ideal to have a dry, well-ventilated roof. Often times, it’s recommended to pay extra attention to the ventilation in the attic and if you experience extreme temperature or humidity (drops & increases), then it’s safe to say it’s most likely time to upgrade your ventilation.
However, there’s no guarantee that these tips will 100% keep away those pesky leaks, but hopefully, it will delay the leak giving you extra time to save up for repairs and help lengthen your roof’s lifespan longer than it would’ve been.
