Roof leaks are frustrating, and the often can be costly repairs. Sometimes, they’re obvious, such as seeing water spots on the ceiling, but other times it may be trickier to notice a leak. Plus, even if you notice the damage, finding out where the leak is coming from is another mess of its own. Here are a few signs of a roof leak you should not ignore:

• Water spots on ceilings or walls – these stains usually extend across the ceiling or run down the walls. It can often be hard to determine where the water is coming in, but a professional can come out and help find the culprit. These stains are not only unsightly, they will soon cause extensive damage.
• Missing, cracked, or damaged shingles – Water often gets in through a missing or damaged shingle on your roof. The area underneath that shingle is left vulnerable to water damage and can pour through these materials and into your home.
• Missing or damaged flashing – If you have damaged flashing, the best way to remedy the problem is to remove and replace it. Flashing often extends under some shingles, so a professional roofer may need to remove some shingles, replace the flashing, and then put the shingles back in place. Due to the possibility of damaging the shingles or replacing them incorrectly, causing another potential leaking hazard, it’s best an expert do this. If flashing is damaged or missing and there is a window or door below the area, water can seep behind the trim, and you may not notice it for years. The water will eventually destroy the framing and/or sheathing, which is dangerous.
• Water spots or wet roof decking – This issue is typically seen through the attic. A roof is comprised of several layers of materials that work together to complete the full roof structure. One of the most crucial layers is the roof decking—it’s essentially the foundation of your roof. If you see water spots on the decking or, worse, it’s completely wet, that is a clear indication of a roof leak.
• Mold growth (outside or inside) – Mold is dangerous whether it is inside or outside. If you notice mold growing on exterior or interior walls, get a contractor out to see what the problem is before your family gets sick.
• Stains around a bathroom fan – If you notice stains around the fan in your bathroom, it could mean the vent cap on your roof is leaking. Condensation could be the culprit, which you’ll also want to address, but still have a roofer come out to check that the cap isn’t letting water into your home.

If leak repairs aren’t tackled quickly, even small leaks will lead to huge problems. From mold, rotted framing, destroyed insulation, and damaged ceilings and walls, the repair bill will only get higher and higher. Plus, the damage water does to a home can become a safety hazard. RAM Builders Stucco & Exteriors has handled some of the most complex roofing repairs in Utah. With something this important, only trust skilled professionals to make sure the repairs are complete.

A leak in your roof is usually related to the way the felt papers or roof underlayment were installed prior to shingle installation.

It’s common for people to try to fix leaks on a roof by placing sealant over the exterior of the shingles. This may work in situations where a hole formed after the roof shingles were installed, otherwise the only way to permanently fix a roof is to remove the shingles, fix the roof felt and underlayment, then install new shingles.

To fix a leak that is coming in where the roof and another part of the homes exterior meet usually requires removal of the shingles and the adjacent part of the homes exterior. In this situation, the problem is probably related to the way the homes exterior underpayment and the roofs underlayment tie together.

When fixing a leak it’s pretty common to see the two different exterior claddings underpayments just butt into each other, rather than overlap.

If you have a leak, either in the roof or where the roof meets another part of your homes exterior, sealant probably won’t be a permanent solution. Only removal of the shingles and adjacent exterior cladding will allow you fully address the problem.

Ram Builders specializes in remedial construction projects such as these. Our ongoing association with top building scientists and forensic engineers gives us the unique knowledge to fix these types of leaks the right way! Contact us for a free quote.

Cracking and staining below a chimney cap

The red arrow shows where water is getting through the hole in the chimney cap. The hole was created by the fastener used to hold the cap down. This is a common problem that we have fixed on 100′s of home along the Wasatch Front. The green arrows show the staining and cracking that have been caused by water getting in through the hole in the chimney cap. The roof is also letting water behind the stucco system. This is evident by the staining and cracking that is shown by the blue arrows. Most contractors would just paint or install new stucco finish over the chimney, but without fixing the problem water will continue to get behind the stucco and rot out the 2x framing. In fact the additional layer of paint or stucco used to cover up the symptoms will accelerate the rotting process. Since another layer of paint or stucco will only keep the water trapped behind the stucco.

Failed Caulking

The yellow arrows show the common method used for chimney cap installation. A fastener (nail) is placed through the cap, then black caulking is applied over the fastener. This caulking fails and then allows water to get through the hole that the fastener created.
The orange arrow shows where black caulking is placed around the flu pipe that goes through the chimney cap. This black caulking will eventually fail and allow water to pass through the chimney cap and into the fireplace.

Properly installed chimney cap

This picture show a chimney cap that was properly building installed. The fasteners were placed through the side of the cap and collar was welded to the chimney cap. No sealant is relied upon to keep water from getting through the cap.