What is Causing Your Jacksonville Roof to Leak?

Uh oh!  Your roof has sprung a leak, and you don’t know why.  Which is completely understandable because roofs can leak for a lot of different reason, some more obvious than others.  While most roof leaks will ultimately require repair or replacement services from your local Jacksonville roof contractor, there are a few things you can look for to try to pinpoint the source of the damage.

Damaged Shingles

Shingles can acquire damage from many sources ranging from simple wear and tear and excess sunlight to wind and hail damage from severe storms.

What does it look like?

Some of the most important things to keep an eye on when looking for shingle damage are:

• Rotting Shingles
• Blistered Shingles
• Cracked Shingles
• Curling and Warping
• Missing Granules
• Missing Shingles

How can it be fixed?

Fixing damaged shingles depends on a lot of factors.  Sometimes, it makes sense to replace just the damaged shingles, while other times it makes more sense to just replace the entire roof.  Some of the things that roofing contractors in Jacksonville will take into account while they help you decide the best course of action for your roof are:

• Age of the Roof
• Extent of the Damage
• Type of Damage
• Type of Roof
• Weather Patterns

Clogged or Damaged Gutters

Clogged or damaged gutters cause roof leaks by allowing water to back up onto the roof and eventually into the home instead of flowing freely away from it.

What does it look like?

Roof leaks from clogged gutters will look like leaks in the ceiling and potentially down the walls of your home.  From the exterior, you can identify clogged or damaged gutters by looking for:

• Sagging Gutters
• Water Spilling Over
• Stained Siding
• Birds and Pests
• Plant Growth
• Visible Cracks and Damage

How can it be fixed?

Sometimes fixing this type of leak is as simple as cleaning out your gutters and making sure you’re consistently cleaning them throughout the year to prevent build up.  Alternately, if the gutters are actually damaged, they may need to be repaired or replaced by a professional gutter contractor.

Damaged Flashing

Flashing is the metal material on roofs that is placed in points that a prone to leaks such as joints between items like skylights and vents or between the different parts of the roofs.  Its purpose is to direct water away from these areas and off the roof, so it’s easy to see how damaged flashing could result in a leaking roof.

What does it look like?

Physical signs of damage to flashing can be difficult to detect due to their location on the roof.  Aside from the more obvious signs of flashing damage like a leaking roof, some of the things to look for are:

• Small Holes
• Missing Pieces
• Bends
• Cracks
• Dents
• Rust or Corrosion

How can it be fixed?

Fortunately, minorly damaged flashing is usually fairly easy to repair.  Small holes and corrodes spots can be plugged with either roofing cement or a patch.  Flashing with more excessive damage will need to be taken off and completely replaced which requires pulling up several rows of shingles and is usually best left to professional roofing contractors.

Poor Workmanship

Unfortunately one of the most common causes of a leaking roof is poor workmanship on the installation.  A badly installed roof doesn’t function properly and will eventually fail far before its lifespan should be over.

What does it look like?

A poorly installed roof has several tell-tale signs:

• Sagging Rooflines
• Lack of Uniformity
• Stains on the Roof
• Missing Drip Edge
• Missing Underlayment

How can it be fixed?

This one is tricky.  Some contractors are unscrupulous and will be zero help if you call and tell them they did a shoddy job.  A poorly installed roof will need to be redone or you’ll be in for years of headaches, so if you suspect poor workmanship, call your contractor immediately.  Any Jacksonville roofing contractor worth their salt will be willing to come take a look and work with you to fix the problem.