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How to Spot Roof Damage from Inside Your Attic

When it comes to inspecting your roof, finding the damage can be difficult unless it’s either glaringly obvious or you know what you’re looking for. Many homeowners think that simply doing an inspection of their roof from the ground, or perhaps even getting up on a ladder to take a closer look are the only ways to spot potential damage and make repairs. However, what they may be forgetting is the outside of your roof is not the only side you can inspect: looking through your attic can reveal just as much, if not more than an exterior examination.

Here are things to look for in an indoor attic inspection that can help you spot potential roof damage and get it fixed before it’s too late and you’re dealing with a roof leak.

Check the Flashings

Flashings are layers of material that are used to seal off holes created for things like vents, skylights, solar lamps, and other items that would otherwise put a hole in your roof. These flashings can sometimes be made of rubber or specialized plastic, which creates a quality seal, but also means they can wear out after just a few short years of constant daily exposure to sunlight. Flashings are where roughly 90 percent of all roof leaks tend to happen, so fixing roof leaks before they happen usually means replacing or repairing your flashing, and you can of

How’s The Air Flow?

Believe it or not, a tightly-sealed attic isn’t one that’s going to be conducive to long-term roof health and longevity. Your attic should actually be well-ventilated and have good airflow to prevent moisture and heat from causing the rafters and sheathing to rot, warp, and become unstable. If your attic is significantly hotter than the air outside or always seems to feel humid for some reason, you need to call a Phoenix roofer as soon as possible in order to develop a better ventilation solution.

Is the Light Shining?

One of the easiest ways to spot roof damage is to simply shut off all the lights in your attic and then see if the sunlight is peeking through. While small roof leaks may not appear this way, big ones certainly will, and these big ones are what will cause the most damage the next time it rains, mostly because this is a spot where there is no protection whatsoever, allowing water to free-drip into your attic and leading to property damage, mold and mildew formation, or even water dripping into your home itself.

Look for Sings of Wood Damage

Spotting big leaks may be easy, but smaller leaks aren’t always so simple. Instead of trying to find the crack or leak itself, you’ll have to look for evidence of the leak and trace it back to the source in order to repair it. That means checking the wood in your attic for signs of water. Faded spots, sagging wood, splintering, cracking, or chipping can all indicate water intrusion, which means you have a leak. Furthermore, if it’s rained fairly recently and your attic has a musty or mildew-like smell, there’s a chance you have a leak and moisture is still present in your attic. This could also indicate poor ventilation, as discussed previously.

It is possible to inspect your own roof, but spotting all of the signs of damage is often difficult without experience or knowledge of what to look for. The skilled team at Lyons Roofing can provide you with high-quality inspections that spot signs of damage or emerging trouble and work with you to develop a repair plan that can restore your roof’s condition.

Call Lyons Roofing today at (520) 447-2522 to request a service estimate or schedule an inspection with one of our highly-trained technicians!

Leak Detection Infographic