One of the most difficult aspects of fixing a leaky roof is finding the source of the leak.
After all, water is not a static entity and may move from the actual source of the leak to another point in your home.
Nevertheless, once you spot early signs of a leak such as water stains on your ceilings or walls, it is imperative that you find and fix the leak before more significant damage occurs.
Indeed, even a small leak can cause wood to rot and mold and mildew to grow.
More specifically, over a short period of time, these leaks can lead to rotted framing and sheathing, the deterioration of insulation, and damage to internal structures.
Since water damage may not always indicate the exact location of a leak, you should take some time to inspect all the walls and ceilings in your home, as well as your attic.
The most significant signs of a leak will be concentrated around the source of the leak in many cases.
Still, you may also need a roofing professional to get up on your roof and look for damaged or rotting shingles.
Your roofing professional should remove shingles wherever they suspect a leak as this will reveal more signs of leaks such as discoloured paper, rotted wood, and water stains.
Even still, these signs may not appear exactly at the point of the leak, so your roofer should also check out your roof above these damaged areas.
Many roofs are pitched, and as such water will flow downhill from the site of the leak and cause damage to other areas of the roof.
Once the roofer is on your roof, s/he'll want to inspect around roof penetrations as these are the most common source of leaks.
In general, leaks will not appear in open areas of the roof where shingle coverage is consistent.
Instead, leaks tend to form around plumbing and roof vents, chimneys, skylights, or any other fixture that protrudes from the roof.
If they are still unable to locate the source of the leak, your roofers will likely want to conduct a water test.
Ideally, roofers wait for the leak to dry during clear weather, and then take a garden hose onto your roof.
They'll start wetting the surface of your roof, starting with the lowest point around where they suspect the leak to originate.
Gradually they'll wet your roof at higher points while a helper stands inside your home or attic waiting for the drip to reappear.
Ideally, this process involves wetting one area of your roof for several minutes to give water enough time to move through the leak and into your home.
Once the helper sees water dripping, s/he should immediately notify your roofer, so s/he'll know the general area of the leak.
This can be an extended process, but it will help focus on the source of the leak.
Remember, once you have found the leak, only the first part of the job is done.
You'll need to make sure to have the leak completely repaired including any damaged material in the area.