Search for the leakage of the roof inside and out: recommendations of roofers.
In this publication we will talk once again about how to find the places of roof leaks, including hidden ones.
The first stage of repairing a leaking roof: you need to find where it flows. It is necessary to search for the leakage place only on a fine day. All types of roofing work done only on a dry roof. On the wet roof to do it is dangerous. Especially on the slope – you can slip.
Phased search for roof leakage:
1. Inspect the attic. Pre-de-energize the wiring. If it gets wet due to leakage – there is a chance of an electric shock. Search for leakage is best, highlighting a flashlight. Inspect the floor underfoot, waterproofing, rafters and crate overhead. We help the eyes with our hands – we test the roofing material on wet and moldy places. If you feel – somewhere there and the place of damage to the roofing.
2. Inspection of the outer part of the roof. Look for dents, cracks, holes and chips on roofing. Search for the place of roof leakage start from the ridge, the place of fastening of the roof and isolation of aprons in those places where the roofing material is joined to the vertical elements (to the sides of the chimney, ventilation outlet, air conditioning pipes, walls, parapets, etc.).
3. Check the ventilation ducts, drains, valleys, pipes, gutters and funnels. Remove garbage from them (most often, it is leaves or small branches). Check for debris in the roof. If there is – the business is bad, it means that the destruction of the roofing material has begun and the current repair, the business will most likely not be limited. This is a sign that it’s time to cover your roof with a new roof.
4. Check the eaves board and the bottom layer of the roof under it. The problem can hide there – a strong wind can break them.
5. Look also for mosses and lichens on the slopes – they grow in damp places. And then you are looking for them.
Search for the place of roof leakage with the help of roulette
For roulette taken when the leakage could not be found during an external examination of the roof. Measure the coordinates of the wet spot from the leak in the room. At the same time, it is necessary to dance from vertical surfaces that “pierce” the roof from the inside and outside. This may be a chimney, ventilation ducts, a heating or sewer riser, an external antenna rack, and so on. Then use the roulette to find the same place on the outer part of the roof. And carefully examine it.
How to defeat leaks, “stealth”
This primarily refers to the pitched roofs, where water flows in one place, and can drip completely in another. Even the most reliable roofing can never be perfectly sealed: water can get under it with gusts of wind: it can blow out rain and snow under the roof. If the leakage with the help of an external examination cannot be found, experts recommend fighting them blindly. Immediately after the rain, a leak should be marked in the attic with chalk. Then, in dry weather, from the outside of the roof, use a tape measure to identify the problem area and patch it with a reserve.
And remember, in order not to crawl on the roof with a tape measure in search of a leak, it is better to reduce the probability of leakage to a minimum in advance. And do it at the stage of buying a roof. Before you buy a roofing material, you need to know about its durability, the guarantee that the manufacturer gives on it and compare the consumer characteristics of roofing materials from different manufacturers.
In order not to look at the roof and under the roof any longer, professionals recommend choosing a roof with a long service life.
Picture Credit: alluregraphicdesign