by R. Haggerty

Created on: April 30, 2009   Last Updated: May 12, 2009

A damaged roof is a worry that can keep any home owner up at night. Damage to a roof can be hidden for many months before the obvious sings are noticeable. If left unchecked a damaged roof can lead to dry rot mold and mildew all of which can be very expensive to repair. Waiting until you see a water stain in the living room ceiling is not an effective way of monitoring your roof.

Fortunately checking a roof for damage is fairly simple and any able bodied home owner can do it. Most damage occurs in some typical areas on roofs. Here is a list of 6 of those areas and where to check them for damage.

1. Brick chimneys are likely the #1 area for a leak to develop. Leaks start when the metal flashings in a chimney rust out. These flashings are used to shed water off the chimney face and onto the roof. When they rust out, water has a path to get between the chimney and the roof structure. If the paint our galanizing have worn off and you see signs of rust on the metal it is time to replace them. Most home owners would seek professional help for this task as it involves removing and replacing the brick mortar where the flashings are held into place.

2. Skylights are the scourge of the roofing world. If they are not installed absolutely correct they WILL leak. Leaks will develop where the roofing meets the skylight on the ridge side of the roof. Most skylight leaks start because the water puddles on the back side until it builds up enough to drain down the sides. A quality install will include a roof cricket. A cricket is a small built up ridge that forces water to drain away from areas it could puddle.

3. Rain flashings around plumbing vent pipes can develop leaks from wind and UV sunlight. Rain flashings around plumbing pipes typically come in 2 styles metal or plastic both with a rubber seal ring. The rubber seal can become brittle over the years. Once they become britle water again has a path into your home. These are easy to spot from inside the attic. Water will usually run down the outside of the pipe and leave a water stain trail. If you are considering a roof replacement make sure you specify replacement of all rain flashings. Metal is the better choice.

4. Roof vents are another leak waiting to happen. They can wear out on the back side where the roof shingle meets the vent. You are at more of a risk with plastic roof vents. Ice and sunlight are the main offenders in wearing these down. If you develop a leak around one of these, spend the extra couple

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