Your home’s roof is the most exposed surface to weather elements such as wind and rain. This makes it vulnerable to water penetration and in need of help to prevent seepage. You could proceed about this with a number of different ways; from having a waterproofing contractor to install a waterproofing membrane to consistently maintaining the integrity of your roof.
Regardless of how you choose to keep your roof in shape, over time, leaks are bound to happen over its lifespan. As such, it is important that you be aware of the early signs of roof leakages and to take early action against them.
Minor Leaks in your Home
The first obvious sign of a leak in your home would be the sight or sound of water droplets when all taps have been turned off. This is most obvious in the aftermath of a downpour but might not be a constant presence depending on the amount of water hidden behind your ceiling.
Even if you do not see or hear water dropping from your ceiling, it does not mean that water has not accumulated on top of your ceiling.
Changes in Colour
An early sign that water leakages exist in your home is the yellowing or browning of spots on your ceiling. This occurs as a combination between a damp environment and a complete lack of sunlight allows for the growth of mould or algae. In turn, decay starts to set in, rotting and eating away at your ceiling’s materials. The yellowing or browning spots thus emerge as a side effect of the decay process.
Effect on Paint
If your ceiling has been painted over, then a set of different symptoms can be observed. When mould and decay eats away at your ceiling on one side, it loosens the paint on the other. As a result, it starts to flake and loosen with bits of it falling down from your ceiling.
Another possibility that water can affect paint is the dulling of its colours. As an extension of water marks, paint will become darker under the influence of damp.
Detecting Moisture
Two methods can be used to determine excessive moisture in your ceiling. Firstly, it may be possible to pick out musky smells that emerge from spaces that have a high amount of moisture in the air. Secondly, by using a moisture measuring device, you will be able to take measurements and make comparisons between your ceiling and the average environment.
Roof Defects
Regular checks on your roof may also reveal many different defects. Some of which are due to physical damages dealt to your roof while others arise from wear and tear effects.
Physical Damages
Commonly during storms, stray tree branches and other debris may land on your roof. Their impact could damage your roof’s shingles or other parts of your roof. In turn, gaps that are formed become a runway for water to quickly penetrate into your roof.
To help prevent an escalation of the issue, you can conduct regular visual checks on your roof. During which, it is important to look out for loose shingles, exposed under layers or worn out insulation materials. However, it is important that you do not physically walk around or impact your roof as this might lead to a collapse that would endanger you.
Wear and Tear
Other than outright physical impact, all roof waterproofing systems do wear down over time. This occurs due to rain consistently weakening your system. While wear and tear may be unavoidable, there are factors that accelerate the process.
Active vigilance against the formation of pooling can be done to ensure that your roof’s waterproofing system does not deteriorate at an accelerated pace. Pools form when the fall path of your roof becomes blocked by debris. Commonly, this occurs when fallen leaves block either the fall path or the drainage points of your roof. When this occurs, water accumulates on your roof at a faster pace than it exits, thus allowing mini pools to form.
Pools are a dangerous occurrence for your roof as they exert tremendous pressure on your waterproofing systems.
Mould Growth
In most cases, the growth of mould around corners on your wall is a sign of a water leakage that could cause dampness. Most homes that face leaks around the walls or attic cavities are not easy to repair. Reason being, the problematic spot may be completely out of sight. If a leak stays undetected, it could result in fungi or mould growth. The dampness could also harbor other dangerous bacteria.
Mould resulting from a roof leak tends to grow in small amounts. It may grow on one side of the wall, through to the other side. And it will be seen as small but visible spots. When you see that, contact a professional waterproofing specialist. The small spots you see are a sign that a larger amount of mould is growing within the walls.
Besides that, a roof leakage can also cause mould growth on the exterior of the walls. In such a case, the moisture is possibly emanating from the gutter or downspout. These two roofing accessories are meant to direct water away from your house. If it happens that the water damage is occurring beneath the gutters, you may need a roofer to unclog and repair the sagging gutters.
When you are inside the house and can smell the mould at a stronger intensity while the AC or heater is running, then it means it has grown somewhere around the vents. Mould can also form on top of the roof, however in such a case, the mould may not really impact the service of your roof but it is obvious that it could cause some trivial damages.
Introducing Roof Doctors
Roof Doctors is a trusted roof leakage company with more than 15 years’ experience in waterproofing and decoration application works. We boast a team of experienced workers who pay close attention to each project’s details and deliver the best solutions for our clients.
