Maintaining your roof is essential if you are looking to avoid major home repair or renovation. The roofing system is vital to keep out the elements and keep the interior of your home clean and dry. No matter what type of roofing system you may have from metal to asphalt, it only makes sense that it will wear over time. Storm damage can also wreak havoc to your roof and leave you with water damage caused by a roof leak. If you are looking to avoid a leaky roof, you need to know what the most common causes of a roof leak are. Awareness is one of the keys to prevention. As a homeowner it is time that you learned what the most common causes of roof leaks are.
Here are a few of the most common causes of roof leaks:
Cracked Flashing
There is a barrier on your roof that is designed to be water resistant and make leaks avoidable, but this barrier can sometimes become cracked. Flashing is that barrier, but more often than not it becomes cracked over time and makes your roof more prone to a leak. The flashing in your roof is generally sealed with tar, but it does start to corrode over time and result in cracks. If you have old flashing, your roof is vulnerable to a leak. This means that you should have the flashing of your roof inspected by a professional periodically to ensure that your roof is not vulnerable to a leak caused by a cracked flashing.
Broken Shingles
A lot of the issues that can cause a leak in your roof are not visible to the naked eye. However, this is not the case when it comes to broken shingles. If you have the ability to see any part of your roof, you are able to inspect for broken shingles. This is a very common problem that is hard to avoid due to normal wear and tear as well as storm damage. High winds from a storm have the ability to break shingles and leave your roof leaking. In most cases, the rain from the storm will be evident on the interior of your home right away when the roof begins to leak. Be sure that you we taking a look at your roof from time to time in order to spot any broken shingles that might be evident. It is also a good idea to have your roof inspected by a professional roof to ensure that no broken shingles are leaving your roof vulnerable to a leak.
Skylight Issues
Having a skylight installed on your roof can add value to your home and be a really great feature. However, with a skylight comes the risk of a roof leak. It is not only important that you have your skylight installed by a professional, but you also need to be sure that it is maintained by a professional, such as the pros at Allpoint from Dearborn, Michigan 48120, to keep a leak from occurring. A leak in your skylight is not ideal.