5 Easy-To-Avoid Reasons For Roof Leaks

As the spring rains roll into North Texas, too many of our neighbors are reaching for a drip bucket. Damage from leaking roofs is all too common but often, entirely avoidable! As a trusted roofing contractor, we like to protect your investment. We’ve put together the 5 most common reasons for roof leaks, how to spot them, and how to prevent the damage they can cause.

1. Cracked Flashing

Flashing are thin pieces of metal installed under shingles and on the joints of your roof to create a water-barrier. If weather or wear has caused cracks to your flashing, your roof is vulnerable to leaking! Doing a regular visual check of your flashing after any weather events or changes will help you identify these issues before they escalate into further damage to your home.

A roof with a chimney and a brick wall in the background

2. Clogged Gutters

If leaves and debris have blocked your gutters, they can’t properly help water flow off of your roof. When water pools, it is far more likely to seep through cracks in your roof, causing leaks and internal damage to your home. If you can see debris sticking out of your gutters or if you notice a lack of water trickling out of a downspout during a rainstorm, it’s time to clean them out.

A person is cleaning a gutter of leaves from a roof.

3. Broken Shingles

This one is usually easy to spot! Do a visual inspection of your roof to see if you can identify any missing or cracked shingles. This is especially necessary after a storm accompanied by strong winds or heavy rains. A DIY roof inspection is a crucial step in preventative roof maintenance.

4. Cracked Seals

Cracks along mortar seals can happen on your roof for a few reasons. While intense weather is often the culprit, so are homeowners venturing onto roofs. If you were walking out on your roof to hang up holiday decorations or to retrieve a stray frisbee, you may have accidentally stepped on a crucial element or cracked an already precarious seal. In the future, use ladders and avoid stepping out onto your roof whenever possible. Hire a trusted roofing contractor to do all of your roof repairs as they’re properly trained on how to avoid damaging your roof in the process.

A close up of a concrete floor with a shadow of a person on it.

5. Putting Off Roof Inspections

Too often, a professional roof inspection could have spotted a potential issue long before it started causing damage to your home. Preventative roof maintenance is the key to avoiding the need for costly repairs to your home. If you’re in Fort Worth, Plano, Allen, McKinney, or Dallas, we’d love to offer you a free professional roof inspection. Get in touch with us to schedule yours here.