Roof leaks are an immediate sign of trouble in your house; it means a lot of things and can be a cause for serious health issues up ahead. It is a decent expenditure but to value it against the issues to come up later because of the leak, it would seem to be quite the much better considering the outcome of ongoing leaks. Going for a cheaper option, in this case, would be incurring additional expenses upon you by having multiple checkups by the same company and crew, building up to be more than the upfront amount that could’ve been paid in the beginning.
A roof leak is a result of a designing flaw during the making which results in the pounding water, or it is the structural movement and expansion joints at wall flashing allowing for leaking way. Anyway, if the water finds its way through your roof, it is to grasp your immediate attention. The first thing to consider in a roof leak repair like all other solutions is finding the cause of the main problem, now there can be many causes for a roof some of which are:
Time Weakens Everything
A lot of factors causing roof leaks tend to be originally a cause of aging. Everything wears out with age and lack of maintenance, weather conditions, humidity, and different temperatures can be caused to roofing materials to become brittle and eventually develop cracks. Direct sunlight can cause certain roofing materials like tar to gradually melt off and starts deteriorating. This causes your roof to start developing minor leaks and grow with time.
The Elevation
The slope of your roof is of great importance, if the slope is too minor it will start housing puddles in the center contributing to leaks. And if the slope is too steep, it will allow for shingle and debris to settle into the corner giving additional weight to the side. As per the international building code, a roof slope must be 2:12 for the installation of asphalt shingles.
Building Up Of Debris
We often have an overhanging tree with its branches leaning over the roof, even when not that there is always winds and rain coming your way. Wind helps build-up debris of leaves, twigs and other dust particles that settle on your roof and trap water underneath them and allowing it to seep in by capillary action. This is why it an important thing to consider, not relying on the routine rains for the cleanliness of your house and instead have a periodic cleaning yourself.
Holes And Ridge Caps
A ridge cap is the topmost point of a roof joining two roofs, the contractor who doesn’t cover it up and uses rope and harness system without covering it up with a ridge cap protecting it leads to the formation holes eventually with time. Other holes can be formed with the removal of an old T.V antenna without covering it up, the problem with these holes arises when they get filled up with water and there is no way for it to drain, it seeps right through the roof.
Some of the possible causes of roof leaks have been mentioned above, there is a possibility of other things causing it but these are the most common ones you can find. A roof leak is an eyesore and also poses a health threat in some cases. Other than weakening the frame of your house, excess moisture supports the growth of algae and molds, which can the causes of certain illnesses related to respiration.