subject: Cincinnati Roofing: Common Causes For Leaky Roofs [print this page] A Cincinnati roofing contractor's most frequent call is from homeowners who have just discovered a leak from their roof and don't know what to do about it. Calling in a professional Cincinnati roofing contractor is the best course of action whenever your home is undergoing damage. However, to minimize damage to the inside of your home, below we have outlined the best course of action for homeowners looking to repair a leaky roof themselves.
In our Cincinnati roofing experience, there are a number of things that we look at as soon as we arrive on a job site of a leaky roof. Here are some things that you can do to deal with a leak to minimize damages to the inside of your home.
Common Causes for Leaks in Cincinnati Roofing Systems
There are a number of components to a roof that you should inspect if your roof has begun to leak. These include cracks and corrosion of the chimney, weak mortar, split valleys, loose flashings and broken shingles. Also, it is important to look out for the splitting of tiles, roof felts and the delaminating (which is the separation of the layers within the roofing materials).
Clogged Gutters
Another major cause of roofing leaks is clogged gutters. While the gutter is offset from the roof itself, when the gutters become clogged by leaves, silt and small branches, the drain of the gutter will overflow and you can never be certain where this water will end up. Sometimes the water pushes its way back up onto the roof and into the shingles, causing damage to the roof; or sometimes it pours down the exterior walls and into the windows or ventilation ducts of a house. Check your gutters regularly to keep them clear and ensure there are no plants, mosses or molds growing in the gutters.
Interior Inspection of Cincinnati Roofing Systems
In many houses that we inspect during Cincinnati roofing projects, we investigate the interior of the home to locate leaks. In houses with attics, we naturally start there and use flashlights and floodlights to inspect the visible beams and timbers for signs of water leaks. If it isn't raining at the time of inspection, we will also look for any spots in the interior of the roof where we can see sunlight coming through. Once we locate leaks or holes in the roof, we then trace them back to the top of the roof in order to pinpoint the exact entry point. From there, we determine whether patching or replacing entire portions of the roof is the best course of action.
Leaks and Damage from Snow and Ice Dams
In Cincinnati roofing jobs, we also see a great deal of damage and leaks caused from snow build up and ice dams formed by icicles that hang from eaves. These are particularly dangerous to deal with due to the slippery nature of ice and snow. We use rakes and special roofing equipment to remove the snow and ice safely without causing damage to shingles, flashing and other roofing materials.
