Playing Detective on Your Roof
Finding a roof leak is like being a detective. Water is sneaky. The spot where it drips on your living room ceiling is almost never directly beneath the actual hole in the roof. Water runs down the rafters and pipes before finally dropping. Here are the usual suspects I look for.
1. Failed Flashing
This is my #1 repeat offender. The metal flashing around your chimney, skylights, and in the valleys handles the most water volume. When the caulking dries out or the metal rusts, water pours in.
2. Pipe Boots
Look at the rubber boots around the plumbing vent pipes sticking out of your roof. The sun bakes that rubber, and after about 10-15 years, it cracks right down the side. It's a quick, cheap fix for my team, but it causes massive damage if ignored.