My New Roof Is Leaking

Roof flashing roof vents or roof membranes can leak from poor installation.

My new roof is leaking.

A common cause for leakage is poor workmanship on your roof. Go into your attic and locate the source of the leak on the underside of the roof deck using the measurements taken from your home s living space. If an inexperienced contractor didn t install the materials well leaks could occur. If your roof is leaking right now go into the attic with a flashlight and some chalk to mark with while it s raining.

In other words skylights stack lines chimneys and valleys are the most common places to see a leak if the tiles themselves are in good shape. Look for cracked housing and broken seams in the vent. A roofing contractor doesn t need to be threatened in order to fix a roof leak any more than you need to sit in a corner until you pay that overdue light bill. Another possibility is that the other parts of your home are actually leaking and you are just mistaking it as a roof leak.

To find the source of a roof leak. Sealants may just have to be added to stop the leaking. Look in the attic with a flashlight for evidence like water stains trhen trace them up the roof and rafters to the entry point. Again check the rubber boot the base and the nails.

Review the active leak and note the surface where the leak is dripping from. Ironically any water damage caused by the leaking roof to your walls floors or furniture probably would be covered under the all perils section of your policy. Look for damp spots on the underside of your roof. Water leaking behind your gutters.

However the roof repair itself. Sometimes water leaks behind walls and leaches straight into your hardwood floors or floor underlayment and causes damage there as well. During a hard rain you might also see. Like plumbing vents any vent or exhaust flue in your roof is a place where leaks are more likely to develop.

If the leak isn t obvious have a helper watch in the attic while you get on the roof with a garden hose. Slow roof leaks sometimes show up in the strangest places too like water leaking from wall outlets or light fixtures. Your best approach to a leak with your new roof is calm confidence rather than melodramatic mayhem.