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We are in the rainy season in Nigeria and soon many homes’ roofs would start leaking. What is even more frightening is the fact that the current economy isn’t friendly for people to comfortably spend money to fix a leaky roof. A leaky roof is something nobody wants at this point in time. But the truth is we don’t always have what we wanted. It seems we always end up having what we don’t want. This is how the world was wired. It is a reality humans have learnt to live with. You might not want a leaky roof. In fact, nobody does. But what if the next rain pulls off your roof and spoils your new lovely sofa? What if the rain left behind a threat of greater calamity on its next visit?

How to find roof leaks

When you’re trying to track down a leak, start by looking at the roof uphill from the stains. The first thing to look for is any roof penetrations. Items that penetrate the roof are by far the most common source of leaks. In fact, it’s rare for leaks to develop in open areas of uninterrupted shingles, even on older roofs. Penetrations can include plumbing and roof vents, chimneys, dormers or anything else that projects through the roof. They can be several feet above the leak or to the right or left of it.

If you have attic access, the easiest way to track down a leak is to go up there with a flashlight and look for the evidence. There will be water stains, black marks or mould. But if access is a problem or you have a vaulted ceiling, you’ll have to go up onto the roof and examine the suspect.

A trick for finding difficult leaks

If a leak is difficult to find, enlist a helper and go up on the roof with a garden hose. Start low, soaking the area just above where the leak appears in the house. Isolate areas when you run the hose. For example, soak the downhill side of a chimney first, then each side, then the top on both sides. Have your helper stay inside the house waiting for the drip to appear. Let the hose run for several minutes in one area before moving it up the roof a little farther. Tell your helper to yell when a drip becomes visible. You’ll be in the neighbourhood of the leak. This process can take well over an hour, so be patient and don’t move the hose too soon. Buy your helper dinner. If running water doesn’t reveal the exact location of the leak, don’t be timid. Start removing shingles in the suspect area. With them removed, there’ll be evidence of the leak and you’ll be able to track it down right to the source. You’ll see discoloured felt paper or water-stained or even rotted wood directly below and around a leaky roof.

Solution for a small leak

Some roof leaks are tough to locate. Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. If your ceiling has a plastic vapour barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation, push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic. Often water runs to openings in the vapour barrier, such as at ceiling light fixtures.

If you can’t see any telltale flow marks, and since the stain is fairly small, look at the underside of the roof for ‘shiners.’ A shiner is a nail that missed the framing member, in this case when the carpenter nailed the roof sheathing to the rafters. Moisture that escapes into the cold attic from the rooms below often condenses on cold nails. Sometimes you can spot this if you climb up into your attic on a cold night. The solution is to simply clip the nail with a side-cutting pliers.

Complex roof problem

This roof leaks during storms certainly due to poor flashing. The soffit that meets the roof is one of the toughest areas to waterproof. In the photo, you can still see signs of an ice dam. An ice dam occurs when snow melts and the water freezes when it hits the colder edges of your roof. Eventually, water pools behind the dam and works its way back up under the shingles and under the soffit until it finds an opening through the roof.

The solution begins with good flashing, since this should stop leaks from rainfall and might stop the leaks from ice dams as well. Begin by removing the shingles down to the wood sheathing and slip a strip of adhesive ice-and-water barrier (available where roofing products are sold) under the soffit/main roof joint. Depending on how the roofs join, you may have to cut a slot to work it in far enough. It should overlap another piece of ice-and-water barrier laid below, all the way down to the roof edge. This should cover the most leak-prone areas. Then reshingle, sliding metal step flashing behind the fascia board (the trim behind the gutter).

If leaks continue to occur from ice dams, consider installing roof edge heating cables. (Find them locally at hardware stores or home centres.) Improved attic insulation and ventilation are usually the best ways to prevent ice dams, but they might not be effective in this complicated roof situation.

Sources: https://www.imranroofing.com/2018/08/26/how-to-fix-a-leaky-roof-this-rainy-season/

lalasticlala, Mynd44

Roofs perform such an essential function that keeping a roof over your head is synonymous with shelter. They keep moisture from destroying your home and protect the interior from inclement climate conditions. Roof costs can be high, but they're a fraction of the price you could pay for ignoring roofing problems. Investing in your roof also generally raises property values. Roofing prices will vary depending on several factors.You must consult your Roofing Contractor or roofing company.

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