How To Stop A Roof Leak

Where Is This Water Coming From?

Is My Roof Leaking?

How Do You Stop A Leaking Roof?

Spoiler Alert… There is more than one right answer.

Roof leaks are annoying at best, and potentially ruinous at worst. Quite often a leak has been building and allowing water into your home over time before you even notice the problem. The timing of this discovery is statistically likely to be at the worst possible time ever. IE, your In-laws are over for the holidays and the guest room leaks over the bed!

Why does my roof leak?

It will come as no surprise that we can’t tell you that for certain without inspecting your house. That said, we can discuss a few of the likely reasons. Some of them are False Flags which might act like a leaking roof, but in fact it’s another culprit. Let’s talk about these Imposters, or false flags, first.

Is My Roof Actually Leaking?

This is a good question to ask when you’re about to google for a ‘Roofer Near Me’. Before you assume there is a hole in the roof, it’s good to investigate if it could possibly be something else. A wet spot on the ceiling or wall may be the result of faulty plumbing, central air and heating condensation, or something completely different.

Pipes that are missing insulation might be sweating (condensation) and eventually that can show up as signs of water damage on the interior. This happens more when conditions are humid such as when it rains and therefore could be a red herring.

While you are in the attic, inspect any pipes or vents that penetrate the roofing. If they feel wet while it’s raining, then you can confirm you have a leak. The good news is you have probably just determined the problem area and you can proceed to the next steps. Leaking vent boots and flashing are a common cause of leaks, but we will go into more detail on this shortly.

Check the attic space if you can while being careful not to step through the ceiling below you. Using a flashlight look at any pipes in the area. Feeling them for dampness or condensation, use your nose too for detecting a strong mildew smell.

What's causing my roof to leak?

Before we go too far down this road, let’s have a quick check-in about how old your roofing is. If your roof was replaced 15-20 years ago, we might start by having that conversation first. When a roof is reaching the end of its expected lifespan, problems will start to spring up. While there are things you can do to Extend The Life Of Your Roof, these are only going to be temporary fixes. How long they last can be anyone’s guess. We can’t stress this enough because we have seen too many times how bad water damage can get when it’s ignored.

There are giant holes in your roof!

Your roof has holes cut into it by design to allow plumbing and air to vent out, or in some cases for skylights. Many leaks originate where these openings meet your roofing system. While there are a variety of methods to seal these openings, they all fail over time and can be a weak point in your overall weather protection.
Typically a pipe that protrudes the roof’s surface will have a rubber boot around it. This cracks after years in the UV rays and temperature changes which can allow water to seep into the layers below.

Vents, chimneys, and dormers will have flashing where the roof meets a perpendicular surface. Flashing is the term for that metal. Sometimes it’s “flashy” and sometimes it’s brown or black, but it works well at keeping water out as long as it stays in place. If it corrodes at the seams or the nails work loose, this can be the source of your roof leak.
Anytime your roofing meets another surface or material, there is some design that has been engineered to keep water from getting in. Some are better than others and as construction methods and new materials advance, it’s worth assessing if there’s a better way to replace some old materials as they begin to fail.

Look For 'Nail Pops'

Nails have been used for centuries without a lot of technological advancements. There is one flaw when it comes to a nail design, they can wiggle themselves loose over time and can start to work themselves back out. Ring Shank nails are one advantage when keeping nails from popping up, but if the wood they are in gets soft, nothing will hold for long.

As a roofing nail starts to back out of its hole, it can wear away the asphalt shingles above it enough for a crack to form. Once this happens the water will just follow gravity down into the nail hole.

Those Damn Ice Dams!

Seattle and Tacoma are pretty fortunate in that it doesn’t freeze here too hard for too long. For those in the area that live at a slightly higher elevation, you might experience this Ice Dam phenomenon on a really cold year. It’s basic thermo-hydro dynamics, but essentially water builds up in the gutter and freezes. Then maybe it rains a little or some of the snow and ice above melts and this adds more water to the dam.

Some places on your roof are going to be exposed to more extreme wind and weather. The Ridge Cap atop any peaks are one of these areas. Driving rains can push water into the edge of the cap where it may defeat the vapor barriers. Years of sun, falling debris, or careless footsteps can take its toll on the peak of your roof like an eroding mountain top.

Worn, Cracked, or Loose Shingles:

If it’s not one of the common problems listed above, then the roof leak is likely coming from a gap in your shingles themselves. This can be true of all types of shingles, but asphalt shingles are the most common and they break down in a very predictable way. While it may be possible to see the broken or missing shingle from the ground, a closer inspection of the roof is going to be likely if you suspect the leak is coming from the shingles.

Once again, if your roof is old and looking a little tired, it’s reasonable to investigate the shingles. This isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds, but it’s worth taking the time to track down the problem unless you’re ready to replace the roofing. Read on for ways to find the source of a tricky leak!

How to track down the source of a roof leak

Before we can discuss the ways to fix a leaking roof, we should really go into some depth on how you actually find the original source of the incoming water. In your head, you might be picturing a straight line from a wet spot of the ceiling to the roof above, but it’s rarely that simple.

If you want to get a bit technical about it, our best understanding is that the path of water is affected by gravity, resistance, and the adhesion / cohesion of friction with liquids.

The best way to describe this is to think about how water clings to a glass as you pour it out.

The Good News! Most modern roofing systems include layers of redundancy. Notice we said Modern. This also implies that the person who installed the roof you’re looking at used the best (and more expensive) materials. Let’s take a quick look at how these layers work together.

As you can see there may be one or more layers of waterproofing, vapor barriers, and metal flashing. In some cases additional layers of ice and water shielding may be added for extra measure. If you have multiple layers of roofing already, you can multiply the moving parts where problems can occur.

S#¡t Runs Downhill

Water can be so tricky you would think it’s trying to get into your head. If you’re lucky, you might look up into the attic space and see light coming in around the plumbing vent. Bingo! There’s your problem and off we go to the next section: How to Repair A Roof Leak

If you’re still reading, then maybe you were not so lucky to have an obvious spot to apply a repair. Well, stay with us here because you will need a helper and some patience. If you just noticed the leak or you notice it getting worse when it’s raining, this is a good opportunity to look for the source of your leaking roof since it’s actively happening.

Is This A Bright Idea?

If you’re not comfortable going into your attic and walking around without falling through the ceiling, then no, please don’t follow this advice. For the rest of you, grab a flashlight, or headlamp and go aloft. You should have a pretty good idea of where to start your search, but let your ears and nose help as you look for the dripping water.

Drop...

Drip...

Once you find the dripping water, the next step will be to follow any moisture in an upwards direction. Water has this unique ability to cling to a surface and travel for a long distance. Just as it clings to a glass when you pour it slowly.

Hopefully you can isolate an area that you suspect as the water source. Just as you would from above, you can focus your search around any areas where two different things meet or join. If the area would be hard to find again when it’s dry, we suggest you mark it with a pencil or permanent marker so you don’t have to repeat this process.

Marco? Polo! If you have been lucky enough to find the source of your roof leak from below, how do you mark that location from above? We can use a simplified version of triangulation, just as your GPS would. For example if the water is coming in from a place in the middle of a roof section and you want to know where to look from above, find a few ‘landmarks’ that you can measure to, that will translate to the same place above. Things like a vent, pipe, ridge, or valley will all work. If the roof section is small, you might be able to even ‘eye-ball it’ with some success.

When all else fails, try this: On a dry day, bring a long hose up on the roof and ask a helper to stand in the right part of the attic. From above, you would start to simulate a rain shower moving the hose slowly to allow the water to work its way in. While keeping the hose pointing down, start with the lower sections and slowly work your way upwards. As you come to a change in roofing or chimney for example, test the lower section first, then each side, followed by the top. Allow the water to run for a few minutes before moving to another area. This will account for slow leaks that may not show up at first. Always be careful to not point the flow of water upwards from the hose as this would force water unnaturally upwards and get under the shingles. Once your helper below sees some water, they can shout or knock on the bottom of the roof. Try using your phone handsfree if it’s hard to hear them.

How To Fix A Leaking Roof

Once the leak has been located, you can apply the appropriate repair. Which approach to take or fix is the best will depend on many variables. We can’t cover everything, but let’s address some of the common problems already mentioned above.

Leaking Roof Boots

The simple answer here is to replace it, but that’s easier said than done. The roof boot will tie in with the surrounding layers and the replacement will need to be installed correctly with all the roofing material overlapping the shroud at the top. This is a task that you would call a reputable roofing contractor like Anytime Roofing to handle for you. Not only will they be able to correctly diagnose the problem, but their work usually comes with some amount of guarantee.

The 72 hour fix would be to use some roofing cement to patch any holes you locate. If you have some extra shingles or a thin plastic (such as a flimsy cutting sheet from your kitchen), you can possibly work that under the edge of a shingle above. Hold it in place with some of the black tar like roofing cement which comes in a caulking tube. This short term solution should keep you dry while you wait for the repair to be made. We recommend you snap a photo of the problem area and schedule your local professional to come out asap.

Pro Tip:

Roofing cement is typically used to make repairs. It looks like black tar and it will stick to everything, but it can stop water and doesn’t need time to dry compared to many latex or silicone sealants. We recommend using a glove and some type of tool for spreading if needed. A popsicle stick will work. To clean the cement from your hands, use mineral spirits or even a little gas on a rag, then follow that with dish soap. To remove the tar stains from your clothes, find an open outdoor area, add some gas to the clothes, then light on fire. Be sure to monitor the fire with a garden hose, and clean up the ashes.

Dealing Nail Pops

You’re going to be tempted to just ‘POP’ it back down into its hole, but DON’T!
If it came up once, it will come up again and you have better things to do with your time then play Whack-A-Nail. To be honest, it’s rare to have just one nail pop and it can be a telltale sign of some larger issue to address. We recommend calling a contractor to have a look at what’s happening.

To make the ‘Quick Fix’ you can try the following: Remove the nail and inject the hole with roofing cement from a caulk gun. If you can, gently work another asphalt shingle (if this applies) under the top layer with the hole. Add some roofing tar to the underside of this new shingle/patch. Drive a new nail about 2 inches from where the old nail popped out, and catch one side of the patch if you have worked this below the layer you are nailing.

Chimneys and Stone Work

As mentioned earlier, when 2 different surfaces or materials meet, this is a common place for water to enter your home. Masonry joints can crack overtime creating an entry point for rain or ice to penetrate. The best person to call in this place could be a contractor that has experience with masonry work. A chimney that is starting to crumble can be a big liability towering above your heads.

A temporary solution to seal small cracks, would be using a flexible latex sealant that is formulated for exterior use. This will need to be done on a relatively dry day and unlike the black roofing cement, it will require some preparation of the surfaces. Using a dry medium stiff brush, some spray cleaner, or a scraping tool, try to remove any dirt, moss, or tiny bits of debris in the cracks. These things will prevent you from creating a good seal.

Once the area is clean and dry you can apply a reasonable amount of the caulking. Use your finger or a tool to make sure the caulk gets a firm bond with the surfaces and there is no opening for water to get in. If possible, do this just before the warmest hours of the day and when there is no forecast for rain that night.

Loose or Missing Shingles?

A roof with missing shingles looks like it has been wounded. That’s not entirely inaccurate because if left untreated, rot will spread like an infected wound would. With that lovely visual in mind, how do we go about fixing it?

We are going to assume you already called the roofer and you’re asking how a qualified professional is going to fix it? Your roofer will need to work loose the shingles of the area around the missing or loose shingles.

In some cases they may need to remove a large vertical section to assess water damage and ensure their work will keep the rain out when they’re finished. As you know by now, the layers of roofing need to be woven together. These layers interlock in such a way that it’s very difficult to work on one section in the middle of a roof. Asphalt shingles get especially brittle after many years and they often break while working on shingles in the adjacent area no matter how careful you try to be.

Not so Flashy Flashing?

It’s fairly rare, but occasionally a strip of flashing will become dislodged by wind or because it’s worked the nails loose over time. This is one of those things you might be able to repair yourself if the wood behind it isn’t rotted and soft. If you catch it early and the strip of metal is only slightly out of place, try adjusting it with a gentle steady pressure. Be cautious not to force it and bend the metal.

Flashing is often nailed down just under the surface of a vapor barrier and or shingles. If you need to fasten the metal down, be sure to do so with the nails hidden under the layers of protection, while not bending the roofing too much so it gets broken or deformed. We said it’s possible for a homeowner to fix some of these things themselves, but in full disclosure, it does take some practice to achieve the best results. Lucky for you, a contractor like Anytime Roofing has years of practice at all of these things!

Skylight or Porthole?

The whole idea of a skylight seems awesome, right? Let light in and keep everything else out. Like with anything else, the more moving parts you have, there are more chances of something going wrong. If your skylight looks like it’s leaking, it could just be the flashing or membrane system around it. There could even be a leak above that which is trickling down to that point.

The good news is that your professional roofer can most likely repair the problem area without having to replace the skylight. That said, if you are thinking of replacing your roof, you should absolutely consider replacing any existing skylights at the same time. It’s just going to save you money down the road and there are many great features and advancements that are built into modern skylights.

In Conclusion:

How to repair a leaking roof without doing more damage or getting injured is a tricky task to pull off. If you’ve read through this, you probably have a better idea of where to start looking. Doing a bit of investigation on your own is perfectly reasonable and could save you from an expensive repair bill. Of course if you prefer to hire a professional, just knowing what is the likely source of your leak will help them take care of it quickly for you.

You may notice that we left out some specifics on damaged metal roofs. Just as with cedar roofing, metal roofs have specific industry tools and techniques that apply to installing and repairing them. While we at Anytime Roofing are trained and experienced working with all types of roofing systems, the knowledge we attempt to share here is aimed at the more common situations. If you have questions or would like more info we welcome you to Contact Us

Disclaimer: (From Our Lawyers)

The information we share is from the perspective of a licensed contractor with 35 years of roofing experience. We don’t recommend that anyone use this advice to make DIY repairs without the necessary safety equipment, tools, and experience. If you have a roof leak, you can use this information to better understand what types of repairs need to be made by your roofing contractor. Never attempt to get on your roof without proper planning, supervision, and a good health insurance plan. We are not liable for anything that results from this publication. Do not try this at home.