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8 Common Causes Of A Leaking Roof

April Shuster • Feb 21, 2022

“My roof is leaking. What caused it?” You know you want to play Kinsey Millhone or Harry Bosch, acting like a detective figuring out the cause of your central Ohio home’s leaky roof. We can rule out the scheming real estate mogul under a bedsheet. But, armchair sleuths, what causes leaking roof problems?

Roof Clues

Stay off your home’s roof, detective! You can safely scope out potential sources from your attic. If you crawl around in there (and you’re under no obligation to; a roofer will be happy to take over your investigation, lieutenant), you can shine a light at the sheathing to spot dark stains or see dripping water.

When you schedule a roofer to search for suspects, the contractor will safely examine:

  1. Roof vents — including kitchen and bath vents, sanitary plumbing stacks, and electrical conduit (pipes), are usually rimmed by rubber, plastic, or lead boots. However, they can also just have flashing and caulking around them.
  2. Flashing — The thin metal that bridges gaps between unlike materials (chimney and shingles, for example) is always susceptible to dislodging, corroded, or pierced.
  3. Skylights — A skylight is essentially a giant hole in your roof; installed incorrectly or neglected, it will leak, usually around the curb (the raised part between roof and window).
  4. Mounting holes — Holes made from installing a satellite dish, antenna, or solar panels could cause sneaky leaks.
  5. Old or damaged roofing material — As every type of roof ages, it becomes less water-resistant until it fails in different places; metal or shingle, no roof lasts forever.

Professor Plum on the Roof with a Wrench

Okay, he may not have been Professor Plum, but whoever installed a satellite dish or antenna may have drilled holes through your roof without sealing them. That’s the fifth cause, followed by Number Six:

  1. Your chimney — A neglected chimney in need of repointing or with a rusted chimney cap causes roof leaks.

Mother Nature

No one ever suspected Mother Nature, but she was there all along, I tell ya! She is guilty of two insidious sources of roof leaks:

  1. Ice dams — Freeze-and-thaw cycles cause ice dams along your roof’s lower edge, leading to roof leaks.
  2. Clogged gutters — It’s called fall because all those leaves fall into the gutters , clogging them until roof leaks begin.

If you own a home in the central Ohio area, work with Allstate Exteriors & Restoration for the finest roofing services. Contact us today to learn the many ways we can extend the life of your roof and book a visit. That’s right — book ‘em!

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