The Strangest Leak
What do you think is the strangest cause of a roof leak? The answer might surprise you. I have seen this a few times in the almost thirty years I have been a roofing contractor. It is a bullet hole! While this might automatically bring to mind neighborhoods riddled with crime, this was not the case. These neighborhoods would be described as middle or upper middle class. Each time the homeowner was shocked to find that a bullet hole was the source of the leak. The most stunned was a couple with a small child, especially since the bullet hole was above the child’s bedroom. Fortunately, the bullets never entered the homes.
While the risk of a bullet hole in your roof is almost non-existent, there are other ways your roof can incur damage and leaks. Here are a few of them:
- In order to sharpen their teeth, squirrels chew on the lead pipe flashings that prevent leaks around your plumbing vent stacks. They generally start at the top and gnaw their way down.
- Improperly installed nails can cause a roof to leak over time.
- If the nails are too close to the area where two shingles butt together it can cause a problem.
- If the nail is not totally covered by a shingle it can leak after a time.
- Metal flashings around chimneys and walls which are not nailed and/or caulked properly may allow water to enter your home. (Home builders are notorious for not caulking these areas.)
- Neoprene flashings found in plumbing pipes deteriorate over time.
- If no consideration is given to how rain will flow off a roof, a room addition can cause a “damming effect”, creating a potential for leaks,
What might not be a roof leak?
One very common example is a chimney leak. If water seems to come into your home from your chimney after a hard rain, but not after a regular shower, then the cause is probably in the brick. After the bricks become saturated with water, the water has nowhere else to go but into your home. You will see two unique signs that tell you that the problem is probably with your chimney:
1) It does not leak right away when it begins to rain, but after it has rained hard for a period of time.
2) It only leaks after you have experienced a drenching rain. If you experience this problem, check into getting your brick sealed. We can help!
At Colony Roofing and Exteriors we know that your home is your greatest tangible asset. You can trust us to answer all your questions and to never sell you something you do not need. Contact us and let us make you another 100% satisfied Colony Roofing and Exteriors customer!