Although no one wants their roof to leak, roof leaks can happen at any time. Unluckily, roof leaks can cause water damage, structural damage, and lots more. Therefore, you can save yourself lots of stress by understanding the common causes of roof leaks and preventing them.

Given this, what is the most common cause of roof leaks? We will discuss it below.

• Cracked flashing

Basically, flashing is a piece of metal designed for preventing water from damaging your roof. This piece of metal is usually installed on the joint of a roof as well as beneath the shingles of a roof. Over time, the tar used for sealing the flashing can corrode; hence, rain, wind, and other elements can make the flashing crack.

Unfortunately, cracked flashing will make the roof start leaking as its shingles and joints will be exposed. So, it is important to take care of the flashing if you don’t want your roof to leak.

However, cracked flashing is not the only problem associated with roofing in Hamilton. Other factors can also lead to roof leaks.

• Broken shingles

Heavy rains and high winds are some of the biggest enemies of shingles. This is because they can beat the shingles until they are broken. Luckily, you can detect broken shingles easily as the roofing materials will have lots of different-colored patches. In some cases, you may even see the broken shingles in various parts of your yard.

• Cracked vent booting

Roof vents are often installed for getting rid of excess moisture from the interior part of your home. These vents can crack if the roof is decaying, shingles are broken, or the flashings are damaged. Once your vents are faulty, you will notice some dark darks. Sometimes, the problem area may also be musty.

• Clogged gutters

Your gutter system is clogged when leaves, dirt, dust, and other items find their way into the system and, as such, don’t allow water to travel away from your roof. While this may look unproblematic at the beginning, it will soon develop into a serious issue that will make water accumulate. With time, clogged gutters will force water to start coming out of some parts of the roof.

• Improperly sealed valleys

Contextually, a valley refers to a spot where two planes of a roof meet. This sloped spot must be sealed appropriately to prevent water from running down the roof into the ceiling. So, if the valleys are not sealed properly, a roof leak is imminent.

• A cracked chimney

A cracked chimney is another factor that can cause roof leaks. Some of the causes of a cracked chimney are mortared spots or wear and tear on the chimney, loose flashing, broken shingles, as well as holes in the mortared joints that link the roof to the chimney.

Other factors that can cause issues with your roofing in Hamilton include improperly installed skylights, walking on roofs, condensation in the attic, and ice dam buildup. Whatever the cause, make sure you fix the leaks immediately.