How To Find A Water Leak In Your Roof

Sure it s easy enough to spot water stains on the ceiling or mold growth sure signs of a leak.

How to find a water leak in your roof.

Roof leaks can be cause by missing shingles gaps in the metal flashing around chimneys and vent pipes or small holes in the roofing. Roof leaks follow the path of least resistance which makes them difficult to find when you don t know where to look. Again practice safety first. To do this one person goes onto the roof with a garden hose.

If you notice that eaves or downspouts are clogged remove the clogging material pine needles leaves etc and restore the flow of water. The hardest part of fixing a roof leak. The structure of an asphalt shingle roof makes it even more difficult because. Projections or penetrations such as vents dormers and chimneys are frequent places for leaks.

Have a helper stationed in the attic with a flashlight. 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. Some roof leaks are tough to locate. The other person goes inside the attic with a bucket and a strong light.

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. Find a friend to help with the roof leak test. Don t go crazy with the water. Water testing for roof leaks.

How to water test your roof for leaks. Be sure to start small. Looking for roof leaks on the outside of your house. And fixing a leaky roof can be less time consuming than locating where the water is coming in.

Water frequently enters the house near things that go through the roof. Here s how it works. If you don t want to wait for rain to look for the leak try bringing the garden hose up on the roof. The other person will be inside the attic watching the area for water leaks.

One person will be outside the house with a garden hose running water over the roof. A lot of times it s simply locating the problem. Excess rainwater or snowmelt with no downspout to flow through will eventually seep through your roof and walls resulting in leaks. 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.