Plumber - Dealing With Leaking Roofs

Your home is the place where you get to rest after a hard day's work. If any part of the home has a plumbing problem, you will definitely not be able to rest easy. A plumber is there to ensure that every part of your home is intact. Plumbers carry out all kinds of repairs - in your kitchen, bathroom, basement and even on your roof. If you have a leaking roof, you should have it repaired as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the rest of the building.

Repairing Leaking Roofs

You should have your leaking roof repaired immediately since a small leak can end up causing the rafters and sheathing on the roof to rot. The wetness from the leak will encourage the growth of mold which can spread to the insulation of the roof thus damaging it.

Signs Of A Leaking Roof

You may not immediately know that your roof is leaking until you see water stains on your ceiling. You may also notice water stains on the walls. Once you see these signs, it is a good idea to call in a plumber to fix the leak before it gets worse. The plumber will first need to identify where the leak is and this activity usually takes time.

Visual Inspection

If the home has an attic, the plumber can go up and check for black marks, water stains or mold. In case attic access is not possible, then the plumber will need to go onto the roof.

If there are things that are protruding from the roof such as chimneys and roof vents, then that is the best place to begin checking for the leak. The plumber can check for the leak around and below these protrusions.

Water Test Inspection

Sometimes it may still not be possible to identify the exact spot where the leak is coming from even from the roof top. The plumber may need to ask someone to stay in the house while he pours water from a hose onto the roof. The water should be poured on the roof right above the stains that are on the ceiling or walls.

The person in the house should signal to the plumber when a leak appears. If the person is on the attic, he can push a nail through the hole on the roof to mark the spot. If this method does not expose where the leak is, the plumber will need to remove the shingles until the leak is exposed.

Repairing The Roof

If the leak is coming from a plumbing vent boot, the plumber should check the base. A plumbing vent boot that has a plastic base may have cracks, while one that has a metal base may have seams that are broken. It could also be that the rubber boot which surrounds the pipe is rotten thus allowing in water.

A plumbing vent boot that has any of these problems should be replaced. If the nails on the base are missing, then they should be replaced. Plastic roof vents can cause leakage due to cracks while metal roof vents leak due to broken seams. In this case, the roof vent will need to be replaced. Missing nails at the base should be replaced.


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James Hasapis is a member of a group of experienced and friendly plumbers at Pipe Masters. They offer all kinds of plumbing services including roof repairs in Sydney Inner West. Please visit http://www.pipemasters.com.au/sydney-inner-west/ web link for more information.