You may notice that one of your light fixtures begins to drip after a heavy rain, or you see a water stain on one of your walls or ceiling.  This may indicate your roof has a leak!  Locating a roof issue can be difficult, since sometimes where the roof is damaged on the outside, is not where the water shows itself on the inside.  If you find yourself in this position, give CMR Construction and Roofing a call as soon as possible to ensure that you avoid permanent damage to your roof, attic, or the structure of your home. 

If you want to try to locate the leak yourself, we recommend following these short steps to finding the damage on your roof.

Broken tiles on the roof?

After a big storm tiles can deteriorate and break, causing the water resistant seal on your roof to let water inside.  You do not need to climb on your roof to look for broken tiles — and we recommend that you don’t, unless you know exactly what you’re doing.  Stand in your front or back lawn and see if you can notice tiles that look like they may be missing.   Broken shingles or shingles that are no longer lying flat may also indicate damage.  It can be hard to tell, which is why we recommend allowing a roof expert to check it out for you!

Follow the Water Trail

Say that you can see a spot forming on your living room ceiling that may indicate that water has leaked into your attic.  Grab a flashlight and head into your attic space.  If your attic doesn’t have a built-in floor, be mindful to only walk on the support beams, so you don’t step through your ceiling for a costly repair!  Walk to the area that you believe to be over the water spot on your ceiling.  Do you notice any trails of water or old water spots?  If so, follow the water or stain trail as far as you can to see where it meets your roof.  If the roof is currently leaking during your search, you may be able to locate the leak faster, as water will reflect the light from your flashlight.  If it’s not currently raining, you can always have a friend grab the water hose and spray the roof while you check.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

If you’ve managed to follow the water trail up to a place on the ceiling of your attic, you now know where the leak is entering your home.  Unfortunately, it may not be the shingle or tile directly above the leak that is allowing water in.  There is a chance that water may be getting under the tiles on the roof at another location, flowing down to this opening, and then entering your home.  If you have recently had a new roof installed, there may have been an error in installing the flashing.  Sometimes, water may be entering around things like exhaust pipes from your heater or fireplace. 

Roof leaks and repairs can be tricky and even dangerous (like falling off a roof or through your ceiling)  if you don’t know what you’re doing.  If you believe you may have a roof leak, leave it to the professionals at CMR Construction and Roofing to come out and assess your roof needs!  Our team of highly trained experts will be able to quickly locate the roof leak and offer you options to prevent further issues.  

Still not sure what to do about the leak?  Reach out to CMR Construction and Roofing for a consultation and quote for your roof.  We’re the roof experts and happy to help you achieve your dream home!