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Whether your roof is decades old or brand new, the dangers of a leaking roof are universal. A leaky roof causes more trouble than the occasional moisture drop during heavy rain or storms. A slow, small drip left unattended over time can significantly damage your home or lead to safety issues and health complications for you and your loved ones.
In this guide, you’ll learn what happens if you don’t repair a leaking roof and signs your roof needs professional roof leak repair.
Sometimes roof leaks are apparent, whereas other times, they are not. Call on a professional roofing repair company like Cornett Roofing Systems if you notice any of these common symptoms of a leaking roof around your home, especially in attics and upper-story rooms:
Whether your roof leaks in heavy rain or you suspect there’s a leak somewhere in your roof but aren’t sure, it’s best to have a professional roofing contractor come out and thoroughly inspect your roof. Doing so ensures you prevent costly but preventable damage to your ceiling, home and health. It’s also a good idea to schedule a professional inspection or visually assess your roof, walls and related components after heavy rain, storms, strong winds, hail, snow piling and ice dams.
While it’s tempting to ignore a small or suspected leak, it’s paramount you don’t. Keeping up with roof maintenance is vital for the safety and integrity of your roof and home. A small leak can add up to a bigger, costlier problem in time, like the need for a complete roof replacement.
Learn some of the most common and troubling dangers of a leaking roof below.
Your roof’s components — including the tiles, flashing and decking — work together to create a watertight barrier. This barrier keeps rain out, so your roof’s structural frame and the inside of your house stay dry. If a cracked or missing component breaks this barrier, water can seep into your roof and under roofing materials. Once the water infiltrates your attic or upper floor, it drips onto your home’s ceiling. A noticeable sign of this might be a dark water stain or musty, damp smells.
Dark stains are an eyesore, but they also damage your ceiling and home over time. The ceiling damage will worsen and spread if the leak goes unattended. Eventually, the moisture inside your home’s ceiling support beams threatens the structural integrity of your ceiling, leading to potential safety issues for you and your family.
A leaky roof can cause mold — standing pools or excess water can lead to unwanted growth, including mold, mildew and algae.
Treating a mold infestation is challenging and expensive, especially if it has spread into your home’s attic, walls and crawlspaces. Mold spores can also spread to your ducts, causing mold spores to move around your home whenever you turn the heating or air conditioning.
While mold is bothersome and spreads quickly, it also poses risks to your and your loved ones’ health. Mold can cause illness, especially for those with allergies, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Mold also naturally irritates the skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs and can lead to long-term health complications for you, your family or your pets if exposed for long durations of time.
A roof leak can cause a fire when water infiltrates your roof and comes into contact with electrical wiring. Because rainwater carries minerals like iron, magnesium and sodium, it carries an electrical current.
When the rainwater’s electrical current contacts ceiling wiring, it can cause a spark. If the spark contacts flammable material in your attic, like clothing, certain forms of insulation like cellulose or spray foam or wood shavings and dust, it can ignite an electrical fire that spreads quickly and is difficult to put out.
Plus, if you or a loved one inadvertently touch an electrically-charged wet fuse, it could shock and significantly harm you.
When water infiltrates your attic, it can damage your home’s insulation. Most homes have cellulose loose-fill or fiberglass insulation. Water significantly damages both types of insulation. For example, cellulose has plant fibers that naturally soak up moisture. A significant leak can cause the insulation to absorb water and breed mold or mildew.
Likewise, water can cause your attic’s fiberglass insulation to clump up and become ineffective. As a result, your home loses warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. This loss of energy results in drastically increased energy bills.
Additionally, a leak in your roof can cause water to seep into your home’s wall cavities. In this case, you’ll need to open up the drywall and air out the insulation with commercial drying equipment or replace the insulation altogether to prevent unwanted mold growth and structural damage.
In addition to ceiling damage, an unnoticed or unattended leak can wreak havoc on your home’s structural safety and integrity. For example, water ingress can rot rafters and ceiling joists and damage wall framing, fascia boards, trimming, floors and more.
If the leak is significant enough, the water can cause a full or partial roof collapse or seep into your home’s foundation, leading to more rotting and foundational instability.
When your residential or commercial roof needs professional leak repair, turn to our experts at Cornett Roofing Systems. We provide expert storm damage repair for roofs featuring all roofing materials, including metal, slate, tile and copper.
Our experienced, trained technicians will inspect your roof’s components and check for leaks or ceiling damage. Should we notice any leaks caused by recent storm damage, we’ll meet with your insurance adjuster on-site and advocate on your behalf to protect your interests. We’ll also provide any necessary insurance documentation for your peace of mind.
Do you want to partner with a local roof repair service provider you can trust? Call 888-307-7087 to speak with one of our team members or request your free estimate online today!