A roof leak can be frustrating because it's often difficult to figure out where the leak is coming from. However, just because water is dripping from your living room ceiling, it doesn't mean the leak is right above where the water is coming from.
When your roof is leaking, call a roofing contractor for help. It may take some work, but a roofer can find the leak, discover how much water damage it has caused, and make roof repairs with the least amount of disruption to your roof. Here's why you should let a roofing contractor help when your home has a roof leak.
1. Roof Leaks Can Be Hard To Find
Water can roll quite a distance before it drips from the roof. It can also take a route you may not expect it to. This makes it difficult to trace back to the source of the leak. The roofing contractor may need to use a moisture meter or infrared camera to find the leak. Without the help of a roofer, you might never find the source of the leak, or you might patch an area and miss the main leaky spot.
2. A Rotted Deck Is Easy To Miss
A moisture meter and infrared camera are also useful for finding wet areas on the roof that could have potential water damage from the leak. Since rain may fall under a damaged shingle and travel a long way along the deck before it stops and leaks in the attic, the roofer has to think about plugging the leak and looking into how much water damage was done that might need to be repaired.
This is why it's important to let a roofing contractor deal with leaks. You don't want to put on a new shingle and think the problem is fixed if you'll just cover up a place that will keep deteriorating.
3. Repairing A Roof Leak Could Be A Lot Of Work
Repairing a leaky roof might be as simple as putting on a new shingle. However, if the leak has been going on for a long time, there could be a lot of associated damage that needs to be repaired. The good news is that a roofer doesn't have to tear off shingles just to look for damage since they know where the leak is and where it has spread.
If the deck has water damage, the roofing contractor has to remove all the shingles above the damp wood so the wood can be replaced. This can be more work than you're prepared to do yourself, so hiring a roofing contractor from the start is the best way to deal with a roof leak. Contact a roofing contractor for more information.