Diagnosing the Symptoms of Roof Leaks Water can easily infiltrate a home from a roof. Although we commonly think and talk about water penetrating and hurting a home from the inside—i.e. pipes bursting or tubs overflowing—it would be folly to forget a real menace.
What causes leaks Storm damage in Knoxville often offer the biggest threat we are most likely to encounter. Storms bring with them thousands of liters of water to dump on your home. These rain drops fall from tens of thousands of feet in the air to pelt the ground with small pin pricks. Should the rain be allowed to enter your house, it would suffer more water damage from one storm, than it likely would from any overflow or bursting pipe. The consequences would be amazing as everything you treasure is soaked in just a few short minutes. Luckily, you have a roof for that kind of thing. A roof is designed to combat all the perils of the outside world. Through rain or shine it sits there, protecting you and your belongings from flooding.
Preventing Leaks It’s easily overlooked as an asset though. Usually we look at it as a normal aspect of our lives. Should we leave it alone, it wouldn’t be a problem. It’ll stand strong and firm for years to come. This is true. Your current roof will last for a very long time, even if you do forget about it. Roofers have improved their durability over the years and you can now count on them for a very long time. Just because they’ve made such progress in the engineering world doesn’t mean that roofs have perfect designs to be left completely maintenance free.
Signs of a leak
Just like your car, the best way to ensure a long-life, you need to maintain it. Here are a few signs that you can look for to see if you should spend a bit more time maintaining your roof. Look for unnatural bulges in your ceiling. If you see a portion of your ceiling sagging a bit, you should always investigate it from the opposite side. Do not just assume that your house is getting old and that this is normal wear and tear. Although it could be the case, there is almost always another explanation. It could be the sign of a leak. If allowed to puddle, you could soon find that bulge swelling until it would no longer hold water and eventually collapse. Should it do so, everything in its way would soon be drenched in water. And to add insult to injury, there would begin a steady drip from the new gaping hole in the ceiling. If you see one, get up into your ceiling immediately and sort it out. Find the leak and fix it, before Knoxville water damage becomes your weekend project. These unsightly bulges have been seen in walls when water gets between the drywall and the paint. It will appear that some weird blemish is streaking slowly down your wall. This could also lead back to holes, cracks or gaps in your roof that are allowing rain to seep in. Find more ideas online and from neighbors about how to best maintain your roof. You will want to get on a regular schedule that will be dictated by the environment that you live in. Drier places will require fewer inspections. Wetter areas will obviously ask for more. Find out what’s right for your area.
Photo credit: Chip Bennett, Johnsoax