Finding the Leak in Your Roof

Retractable tape measurer

Flashlight

Ladder

The source of the water stain on your interior ceiling is not always easy to determine. Water from a leak in your roof can wind far and wide before eventually collecting above our living room ceiling, causing the noticeable warping and discoloration.

Fortunately while water may zig and zag from this rafter to the next, one thing remains constant: water runs down hill. On the next rainy day check above the ceiling leak for signs of where the water is coming from. Follow the trail of moisture upward to its origin.

This is the point where most people run into trouble. Locating the water's entry point on the underside of your roof is only half the battle, and does little to help us solve the problem.

First it is currently raining and you will not want to go up on the roof now for safety reasons. Secondly, as most of our houses look slightly different on the outside, many people will lose their bearing by the time they reach the roof and will therefore be unable to locate the exact spot they were staring at from bellow.

First let us deal with the water collecting above your ceiling. You can relive the water and reduce the damage to your interior ceiling by driving a nail trough the center of the stain and allowing the water to flow into a bucket below rather than pool and spread above your ceiling.

To pin point the exact location of the leak in your roof you will need two points of reference which are easily observable from the interior and exterior of your house. These points of reference might be a chimney, exhaust pipe, or simply the peak of your roof. Using your retractable tape measurer find the distance between each point of reference and the source of the leak in your roof.

Now when you are on your roof looking for the leak you will be able to measure from you two points of reference and find exactly where the water is leaking into your house. Once the source is located it will be easier to check for damaged or missing shingles, exposed nails, or deteriorating flashing.

At this point you may want to tackle the repairs yourself or hire a professional. Which ever you choose, one thing is certain: knowing cause and extent of the problem will help you to make better decisions and avoid being taken advantage of by contractors and handymen.