Rain, Rain, Go Away. Please Don’t Damage My Home Today.

Maxons Restorations shares a storm damage check-list for tracking down leaks caused by late summer’s heavy rain and thunder.

 

This past week has brought on a series of sudden, heavy storms. These July downpours can cause roof leaks, moisture and mold.

“These heavy rains often bring high winds, fallen branches and roof damage. Sometimes, they’ll just lead to enough leaking for you to notice. Maybe there’s a discoloration on your ceiling or window jamb. Whatever the sign, please pay attention. Failure to deal with a ‘small’ leak now can lead to thousands of dollars of damage to your property later.

When dealing with leaks, you need to take several steps in order to minimize the chance of more serious damage to your home:

• Clean up any puddles – standing water will soak in to wood and lead to permanent damage, warping and eventual rot.
• Catch drips – yep, the old bucket under the drip. You want to capture any drips you see so that puddles don’t form
• Find the source of the leak NOW!
• Fix the leak ASAP

The important thing is to find what’s causing the leak. Most rain induced leaks start in the roof. You do NOT want to be climbing around the slippery wet roof during a rain storm.

Here’s a quick check-list of what to look at:

• Find where the leak is on the ceiling of the room below. That will lead you to a puddle or soaked insulation in the attic.
• Look for water stains, drip marks, etc. on the rafters above the wet insulation.
• Trace the water up the rafter. It should point right at the leak in the roof.
• Check plumbing stacks through the roof. Often the rubber gaskets or flashing will cause leaks.
• Check chimneys where they cut through the roof. Sometimes the flashing will be bad. Other times, debris will build up on the high side of the chimney, trapping water and allowing it to go under the shingles.
• Mark the area at the highest point where you see the leak start. This is invaluable for whomever has to fix the leak.
• Photograph the area. You want to take pictures at several zooms, particularly a wide angle view so that you can see where the leak is in the context of the roof. A close-up is useful to see exactly where the problem is.

It is important that you deal with the problem as soon as possible.

To track the storms in your area click here.

For thunderstorm safety tips click here.”

Maxons Restorations receives photo and content credit. Permission for use was granted by Maxons to Emery & Webb, Inc.