The Truth About Roofs
You can't have too many roofing systems in your stock without handling leakages. If you rehab, you EXPECT to find ceiling stains, the tell tale sign of a dripping roof, in nearly every task. I find tasks without indications of previous or present leakages the exception to the norm!
Sometimes shingles are simply going to require changed. There is no getting around it. Curled shingles, and many leakages are a pretty good indicator that it would be less expensive to replace the roofing system instead of repair work. Simply element that into the repairs and accept it. It's something you won't have to stress over if you are keeping the property, and it ups the worth whether you keep it or sell it on the retail market after the rehab.
If the shingles still have some life on them, however there is some leak to repair, finding the real source of the issue can take multiple tries. It can get quite aggravating as you in some cases attempt and fail to fix a dripping roof. Naturally, you want to attempt to repair this without calling out a costly expert roofing professional. In some cases you can, often you can't. Here are some ideas for detecting roof leaks.
-- I find that in the course of a rehab, it's always "good" to have an extended period of heavy rains. That method, any and all leaks end up being obvious. If you have a home that is not occupied, or that is not being actively rehabbed after a period of prolonged rains, go visit and check for signs of leakages. If you can stop by while it's still raining, that's the number one, best time to investigate leakages from inside the attic.
-- Get a small flashlight that enters into a little belt holster and make that part of your typical clothes. You will utilize all of it the timefor more than searching in attics! It's great for pipes, under cabinets, etc. Make it part of the "uniform."
-- The garden hose-- a rehabber's pal. In a recent project of mine, the roofing was relatively new yet I had a ceiling stain in the kitchen area. We 'd thought it was all taken care of in two tries, so we covered the ceiling, applied stain block, and textured over the spot. Then came the rains, and the circular and symmetrical area was back! I 'd had just about enough so I climbed up onto the roofing, garden tube in hand, and stationed my handyman in the attic. In less than a minute of hosing down the roof we discovered the very be sure to read this small hole that was the offender. A dab of tar below and above the shingle and viola! Issue solved. The small hole was triggering water to leak directly onto the ceiling drywall, hence the circular stain.
-- Watch for stain patterns. The pattern can provide you hints. When you come across a circular ceiling stain, there's a likelihood the leakage is dripping straight onto the ceiling dry wall from above. Put a nail in the center of the stain and get into the attic and look directly above the nail and you might just find the issue. If you do this in intense daytime, a specification of light may be noticeable, which would make the repair a little easier. Even if you discover a hole, I still advise the garden tube trick to see if there are other problems to fix.
If the stain is small and circular, it usually means the quantity of water is smalllucky you. If the stain region is larger, it may still be a simple repair specifically if it is a single hole. If there suffices rain making onto the ceiling drywall, it will pool and soak in. This will make it appear like an enormous leakage, when it might be a one-shingle repair work (plus some new ceiling drywall). The garden pipe trick will rapidly inform you if the issue is a single hole, or your roofing resembles Swiss cheese.
Stains that appear along a line might suggest that water is draining along a rafter or truss. Examine that rafter beginning with the leading trying to find indications of water. The source might be a single hole that is sending out water down the rafter making numerous discolorations show up in a line.
-- Separating the leak. Be aware of the ridgeline. When you are inspecting a property, be aware of the direction the roofing system ridgeline runs as you check the interior. If you discover a ceiling stain toward the middle of your home near where the ridgeline is above you, the source of the water is much easier to isolate. Water read this doesn't flow up! So, the suspect location extends from roughly the stain area, as much as the ridgeline. Oftentimes, that's a lot less roofing to investigate.
On the other hand when discolorations are out near the roof edges, they are the trickiest to identify. Why? The source of the water might be from higher in the roofing than where the stain is. The water might be getting under a shingle near the peak, draining down between the shingles and ply, and finally leaking at the point you are seeing the stain. It's simply tough to inform upon preliminary examination. Enter the roof and take a look at the rafters around that area for indications of water stains? If you're fortunate you'll see light and a hole. If you're not that fortunate, it's time to get on the roofing and see what you can discover. If you don't find anything apparent, it's time to call a rooferthat is, unless you decide to change the entire roof.
With roofing system leakages, there are no routes. It's easier and cheaper in the long run to aggressively diagnose the leak problem and seek concealed leaks that simply have not soaked through the ceiling drywall yet. Do not presume that as soon as you find one hole in the roofing system, or a broken shingle that the issue is repaired. Get that hose out and verify it! There is something about climbing up in an attic and on a roofing system that isn't fun to re-do.