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How to Locate a Leak in Your Roof

Fri 08 May 2009 - 10:54

How to Locate a Leak in Your Roof
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gary_Kent_Hamilton]Gary Kent Hamilton

Owning a house is a full time job! Sometimes it feels like if you don't have one problem, then you have another! Having a leak in your roof is one of the most common household problems, but fortunately, just because there is a leak does not necessarily mean that you have a huge, expensive problem on your hands. Especially if you were able to identify the leak early, repairing your roof can be simple and cheap! But don't put off doing it, because if you do, you may experience a variety of larger problems, such as mold, mildew, and even damaged foundations.

So first of all, try to find exactly where the roof is leaking. If some of your ceiling tiles are wet, then you should be able to trace the leak backwards from the tile to the roof. Certain areas of your roof will be most prone to leaks. So if the location of the leak is not obvious, you will want to check the following areas first; low spots in the roof, areas around the chimney and skylights, areas where shingles are missing, and vent flashings from plumbing, the furnace, or wall steps.

Once you figure out exactly where the leak is, you should move things such as televisions and furniture that are underneath the leaky area to keep them from getting damaged. You may discover that a recent windstorm took some shingles off the roof. Winds gusting from 50 to 75 miles per hour can damage your roof.

If this is the problem, all you have to do is replace the missing shingles.
Another common cause of leaking roofs is flashings that are not functioning correctly. Roof flashings are thigs that keep water out of areas of the roof where there are protrusions such as pipes and chimneys. If the junction between the flashings and the rest of the roof are not watertight, you can get leaks in the roof.

Flashings can often cause leaks in the roof if they are not installed correctly, and flashings are the most susceptible part of your roof. Many early roof problems are actually just flashing problems. If you repair the flashings, it will usually fix any other problem you are having with a leaky roof.

Finally, if you cannot find the source of the problem yourself, you might want to consider hiring a roofing professional to keep your home from being subject to further water damage.

Gary Kent Hamilton is the SEO Expert for Right Way Contracting and restoration services - a leading nationwide specializing in 24/7 emergency service [http://www.rightwaycontracting.com]water damage restoration, [http://www.rightwaycontracting.com]water damage repair, fire and water damage restoration and crime scene clean up company.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Kent_Hamilton http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Locate-a-Leak-in-Your-Roof&id=2311662


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