Sometimes, a leaky roof can be as obvious as water dripping on you while you’re in your home.
In other cases, the signs that your roof is leaking may not be so obvious.
Do you know what to look for to make sure that your roof is not causing damage in and around your home?
Fixing a leaky roof can be complicated, so keep reading to learn about signs your roof might be leaking and what you can do about it.
1. Mold Growth in the Attic
A big sign that your roof is leaking could be in your attic.
All that is needed for mold growth is moisture, warm air, oxygen, and organic matter. Because of this, the attic is basically an ideal atmosphere for mold growth.
If you don’t get into your attic often, it may be used to checking up there every now and then just to make sure that no mold is present. If not, you could have mold growth that spreads into the lower parts of your house as well.
Mold in your home can exacerbate allergies or other health problems with residents in the home, so it is not something that should be ignored.
2. High Energy Bills
A roof leak can be the cause of water getting into your home, but it can also be the cause of air getting out of your home.
As air is let out, your energy bills will go up because your air conditioning or heating will have to work harder to keep your home at a good temperature.
If you’re noticing higher average payment amounts on your energy bills, it could be a good idea to determine if a leaky roof is causing this issue.
3. Shingle Rot
A healthy roof is not going to have shingles that are rotting away or breaking. One reason this is happening is that the roof is getting old, but another reason is that water is being held under or around the shingles.
If you have an organic roof, it is more likely that you will have this problem. Any roof that has a long-term leak, however, is going to show signs of shingles crumbling away.
When your shingles are starting to show signs of rot, you need to have a professional come out to diagnose the issue. It’s possible a roof repair or roof replacement may be necessary.
4. Dark Roof Patches
You will notice dark spots on the roof as your shingles suffer from granule loss. Generally, this is due to the shingles no longer being in good health. If this happens, you may be looking at possible mold, moss, or algae growth on the roof.
If your shingles are suffering, your roof is more vulnerable to damage from water.
Dark patches can be due to the lack of granules, but it can also be due to water absorption from the shingles in the places where the granules no longer exist.
5. Sagging Roof
When you’re coming home, you may see that your roof doesn’t look right. Suddenly, you might realize it is sagging in one direction or the other.
A sagging roof can be a sign of many things, but one of the main things to remember is that it is telling you the roof is weak. One reason that it may suddenly become weak is that it is absorbing water or has too much weight.
If your roof is sagging, it is likely that your roof will need to be replaced. Otherwise, you risk the chance of it collapsing entirely.
6. Missing, Curling, or Buckling Shingles
If your shingles don’t look like they normally do, there is likely something that is causing that change.
When water is absorbed by the shingles, they will change shape and the end result is this strange appearance. If they grow to be too heavy, they may just fall off entirely.
Don’t ignore this sign because it may not seem like a big deal. Your shingles can tell you a lot about the health of your roof.
7. Water Stains on Ceiling and Walls
If you look up, you may see light or dark brown spots around the ceiling and walls in one area of your home. If that’s the case, they are likely water stains.
A water stain happens when water seeps through and then evaporates, leaving a puddle-like spot on your ceiling. Water stains can appear on walls as well if the water drips down.
Remember that some stains are hard to see, as they may be quite small or buried in a corner of the ceiling.
Even if it doesn’t look like a big deal, the leak above could be large and just waiting to burst through.
Your Roof is Leaking – Call the Professionals
When your roof is leaking, you will likely need to get some professional assistance to diagnose and fix the problem.
Although you might have experience in fixing small roof leaks, you never know when the problem is more serious than what you’re capable of handling.
Hiring a professional is a good idea in case there are more issues than you can see on the surface.
Not only will working with the pros make sure that the problem is corrected the first time, but it also helps you feel better to know that the work was done by an expert.
Contact us today near Lafayette, IN to get the help you need with your roof or to ask about any other services we offer.
