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The Most Common Roof Leaks That Cause Water Damage To Your Home

Water damage from roof leaks is very common, and we can help you identify the places that most overlook when searching for the elusive leak that could be destroying your home from the top down and you may not even be aware of it. You may be surprised by how simple it is to stop or prevent these leaks.

Debris in valleys may be the number 1 reason for roof leaks that can cause water damage. Ever looked on your roof and seen a pile of leaves or pine straw piled up? If you have, this causes a water dam on your roof and it is more than likely causing water to backup to the point to where the fasterners are being exposed to water, which in turn causes a slow leak when you have a hard rain. Just a few drops getting to the decking and rafters can cause some major damage over the period of a year.

Flashing around chimneys is another major cause for small and sometimes large leaks that can cause water damage. These leaks may be so small that you never see a stain on your ceiling or walls from the leaks, but it is still wetting the wood and causing damage, rot and the possibility of mold and termites.If you have a brick or stone chimney there is a flashing called counter flashing, this is the material that is actually cut into the masonry and may not be sealed correctly to prevent leaks. It could also be in the form of step flashing that is improperly installed. Check your attic and if you see any signs of water damage you need to contact your local roofing contractor to get this issue resolved quickly.

The next major issue that causes slow leaks is fasteners backing out or becoming lose. This tends to happen more often on shingle roofs that are fastened with roofing nails. These are usually short nails that are only penetrating the decking of the roof and are easily backed out by the expansion and contraction of the roofing, decking and the fasteners themselves. This is a very common problem that you can resolve yourself if you are not the owner of a steep roof. However, if your roof is steep, I would suggest that you get a professional to correct this problem.

You need to make a yearly inspection of the wood structure of your attic to spot small leaks that do not stain your ceilings or walls, because hidden damage can cost thousands if you do not catch them in the beginning stages.

About the Author

Rachel Yoshida is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like utica Water Damage and yonkers water damage .

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