Well, it’s raining here in San Antonio and some of you are bound to have a leak in your roof. And unfortunately, some of you may even need a roof replacement.
Roof leaks are a gradual occurrence, for the most part. Unless heavy winds or hail storms have occurred, it generally takes a while for water damage to show up on the ceiling or walls of your home. For water to begin dripping in an attic, the rain must penetrate several types of home materials. A hole in the roof the size of a bb usually won’t leak if the rain lasts for a couple hours, but that same bb sized hole will leak if the rain is steady and lasts for days. This is because the rain must penetrate the shingles, the wood decking on the roof and then get through the insulation in the attic. If you do have some yellow or discolored drywall on a ceiling or wall, chances are there is a leak in the attic. Rain isn’t always the culprit…a leak in a plumbing pipe or even from the air conditioner in the attic could be the cause. It is important to determine the cause of the leak and fix it as soon as possible or more serious problems could occur (mold, rotted studs, insulation replacement, drywall replacement, etc) If you catch the leak early and repair it, you can use a can of Kilz Primer to cover up the stain on the ceiling and prevent mold. (about $8 at your local home improvement store). More severe damage will require cutting out the damaged sheetrock, taping, floating, texturing and painting.