Roofs can leak because of several problems. Regardless of why your roof is leaking, fixing the issue is likely a major concern.
Roof leaks can cause serious damage to your home’s structure and interior, making it critical to find and repair the issue as quickly as possible. Whether your leak is caused by material failure, improper installation, storm damage or other problems, our roofing professionals at Fraser Roofing, LLC in Georgia and South Carolina can identify the issue and fix your leak. Here are eight common roof leak causes and how to repair them.
1. Pipe Boot Leaks
The pipe or roof boot is a flashing that surrounds the base of your pipes and extends through your roof. Pipe boot leaks are one of the most common sources of roof leaks. They typically occur when the flashing fails and causes a leak in the area of the pipe’s location on your roof. Usually, the pipe will be placed above a bathroom.
While pipe boots can be made out of several materials, the most common type is neoprene, a type of synthetic rubber. Pipe boots do not last as long as your roof’s life. The neoprene will crack over time because of sun exposure, allowing water to get into your home around the pipe.
To fix a pipe boot leak, our roofing professionals can place a rubber collar around the cracked neoprene to keep water out and prevent further leaks in this area. Installing a collar can give the boot another 10 years. The boot itself can be replaced, but it requires more extensive repairs and might be best left for when you replace your roof.
2. Nail leaks
Improperly driven nails during a poor roof installation can also cause leaks. Nail leaks are a common source of roof leaks. Nails that are driven in sideways or not far enough will work their way back up and through the shingle, leaving gaps that water can travel down the nail and enter your home through.
This issue won’t occur when roofing professionals do the job right, that is drive nails into wood and don’t over or underdrive them. Hiring a reputable roofing company like Fraser Roofing, LLC can prevent this issue.
These leaks can appear anywhere, and you might have several because of poor workmanship. Roofers will need to break the affected shingle’s seal, lift it, pull out the nail, seal the hole and drive a new nail in properly. If the nail was driven in sideways, our roofers will pull it out, drive it in correctly and place a water and ice shield on top. Finally, they will seal the shingle again.
3. Roof Flashing Leaks
Your roof’s flashing directs water away from your roof and to the gutters. Made out of metal, flashing leaks can occur when it is installed incorrectly, it’s missing or it has reached the end of its effective life. Compromised flashing can lead to significant leaks on your ceiling or down your walls.
Unfortunately, replacing flashing is a difficult and expensive job. Roofers will need to remove shingles that surround the area, replace any rotten decking, remove the existing flashing, place a water and ice shield over the new decking, install the new flashing and install new shingles. If the flashing is up against the siding, roofers will need to remove some of the hiding to access it.
4. Gutter Roof Valley Leaks
While most roof valleys slope directly down to the gutter line, some have gutter stops in the middle. If you fail to maintain your roof or neglect to remove debris and leaves, the water can back up and leak inside your home. This can happen when you don’t have flashing on the fascia board along the roof’s eaves.
Our roofing professionals can fix this type of leak by installing flashing behind the gutter and on your roof. However, you can prevent this problem by regularly clearing debris and leaves from your gutters.
5. Chimney Roof Leaks
Roof leaks can happen around the chimney when there are issues with the flashing surrounding it. However, some chimney leaks have nothing to do with the roof and might instead be caused by the chimney cap, old mortar or siding problems surrounding the chimney.
Repairing a chimney leak depends on its source. If your leak is a true roof leak caused by flashing issues, roofers will replace the flashing around the chimney. If it is caused by weakened mortar, instead, they’ll use water repellant to seal it. Chimney cap leaks and siding leaks around the area will require you to hire siding professionals or licensed chimney companies.
6. Skylight Roof Leaks
Skylight leaks can happen when a skylight is improperly installed or a component fails. Roofs can also develop leaks from the flashing around the skylight. Skylight roof leaks cause damage to the drywall surrounding the skylight.
If the leak is caused by flashing around the skylight, our roofers will remove the flashing and cladding, install a water shield around it and reinstall the flashing kit. If the skylight leaks because of improper installation, it will need to be reinstalled correctly. However, if the factory seal or the skylight is old, you’ll need to replace it to stop the leak.
7. Ice Dam Roofing Leaks
While ice dams are not as common in Georgia and South Carolina, they can still form on roofs during snow or ice storms. This happens when ice or snow freezes along the roof’s valleys or gutter lines and forms an ice dam. As snow and ice melt above the ice dam, water can back up and enter beneath the roofing material. It will then leak until your roof completely thaws.
When you install a new roof, you can install a water and ice shield around the eaves and rakes to prevent ice dams from forming. You might also have a membrane installed in your roof’s valley to prevent water from getting in through cracks.
8. Material Breakdown Roof Leaks
Your roof won’t last forever. As your roof nears the end of its effective lifespan, material breakdowns can cause cracks and other issues that provide entry points for water. Your roof’s lifespan depends on the materials used, maintenance performed and the workmanship used when installing it. If your roof is older and leaking, you should speak to our roofing professionals at Fraser Roofing, LLC for an inspection and quote. At some point, repairs will no longer be enough. We can tell you if it’s time to install a new roof or whether repairs might be enough.
Talk to Our Roofing Professionals
If you’ve noticed a leak or have other concerns about your roof or guttering, you should speak with our roofing professionals at Fraser Roofing, LLC in Georgia or South Carolina. We provide numerous gutter repairs and installations, roofing repair services, roof installations and more. Our company proudly serves customers in multiple locations in Georgia and South Carolina, and we have established ourselves as a trusted source for roofing help.
Contact our roofing professionals at Fraser Roofing, LLC in Georgia or South Carolina today for more information!
