Finding Roof Water Leaks

To do this one person goes onto the roof with a garden hose.

Finding roof water leaks.

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. 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. 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.

The other person will be inside the attic watching the area for water leaks. Some roof leaks are tough to locate. 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. 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.

Here s how it works. One person will be outside the house with a garden hose running water over the roof. Again practice safety first. 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.

Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. Identifying roofing system leaks. 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. You know the roof is bad if shingles are missing or obviously damaged or when water stains the ceiling or walls.

If there s water damage anywhere else such as in the ceiling or along the walls then again this may need to be taken out and replaced. 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. Water testing for roof leaks. Sure it s easy enough to spot water stains on the ceiling or mold growth sure signs of a leak.

How to water test your roof for leaks. Roof leaks can be cause by missing shingles gaps in the metal flashing around chimneys and vent pipes or small holes in the roofing. A lot of times it s simply locating the problem.