7 Damages Leaky Roofs Could Cause To Your Home

A leaky roof is never a pleasant experience. And it could cause a whole lot of damages to your home.

Once the water starts penetrating your roof, it could be a severe issue for your property.

For this reason, it’s advisable to inspect your roof once in a while for leaks. Otherwise, they could damage your home and compromise your safety.
 
Even though you procrastinate every other issue regarding your home, repairing a leaky roof should always be top of your priority.

Read Also: Things To do When Your Roof Leaks
 
A leaky roof is usually due to several reasons including; improper roof installation, wind or storm damage, and of course lack of maintenance. Again, it could be a sign that it’s time to replace your roof.
 

---

No matter how little a leak seems, it always has a significant impact on our entire household. If you think a leaky roof is a minor structural problem, then you are probably wrong because it poses serious safety and health threats.
 
Let me explain this better. Leaks allow water intrusion into your home, and it could affect the attic area and your home’s foundation. When this happens, you will start seeing some unexpected damages in your home.
 
So, here are some of the damages a leaky roof could cause to your home.
 
#1. It Damages Your Attic and Ceiling
 
When your roof leaks, the attic and ceiling are the first affected areas. And if you fail to notice the leak on time, the items you stored in your attic may as well be destroyed.
 
Again, if your home doesn’t have an attic or the size of the leak is a bit big, it will start damaging your interior ceiling. And when your ceiling paint darkens with bubbled and expanded ceiling plaster, it’s an indication that there’s a leak on your roof.
 
Furthermore, a leaky roof could affect nearby wall by damaging the wall’s paint and plaster. And it could also cause damage to the ceiling-mounted lights and fans in your home.
 
#2. Interior Mold and Mildew Issues
 
Mold and mildew growth are one of the most severe damages of a leaking roof. The danger of mold interior mold is that it can spread quickly throughout the structure of your home, the HVAC system and other aspects of your home via vents. From here, it can invade clothing, furniture and sometimes carpet.
 
Most times, when there’s a chronic water intrusion into your home, it results in black mold. And black mold attacks your wood framing, ceiling tiles, wall, and floor coverings. It may interest you to know that mold is a bit difficult to get rid of and even if you want to, it’s costly.
 
So, it’s better to fix your leaky roof immediately you notice it instead of allowing it to degenerate into something more serious.
 
#3. Health Concern from Mold
 
There’s always a health concern when you start seeing mold in your house. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, mold and mildew can lead to nasal congestion, inflammations, rhinitis, and asthma.
 
Again, once you have an unfixed leak on your roof, it will continue to produce mold spores, and this will lead to a severe allergic reaction and other more serious health issues.
 
#4. Possibility of Fire Hazard
 
I’m sure you are a bit confused, right? Well, I earlier mentioned that a leaky roof has multiplier effects on your home. And fire hazard is one of such effects.
 
If there’s electrical wiring in your attic or ceiling, a leaky roof could pose serious fire threat when there’s shorted wire. So, for safety purpose, always turn off the electricity in the affected area. Also, get an electrician to examine it to reduce the possibility of fire hazard.
 
#5. Slip and fall hazard
 
When there’s a significant leak on your roof, there may be water puddle on the floor. Even though this may not seem hazardous, if you have an active family with children, there’s a high possibility of slip and fall. So, ensure you always mop the ground whenever there’s a water drip. Otherwise, there’s a high possibility of human spills.
 
#6. Higher Utility bills and Wasted Energy
 
When you have a leaky roof, you tend to pay higher utility bills due to wasted energy. Whenever water drips into your roof as a result of a leak, it tends to damage the insulation in your attic area. And when this happens, it saturates your cellulose and fiberglass insulation, and it usually takes a while to dry out.
 
Furthermore, if you put off your roof repairs for a while, you can’t avoid chronic water intrusion into your home. And when this happens, there will be depletion in your insulation and your home will start losing hot and cool air, thus resulting in higher utility bills.
 
#7. Compromised The Structural Integrity of Your Home
The structural integrity of your home won’t be spared once you have a leaky roof. It damages your ceiling joists, rafters, wall framing, fascia board, and exterior trims. Furthermore, unfixed chronic roof leaks can weaken and deteriorate your wood.
 
You see, if you leave your leaky roof unfixed, it could cause several damages to your roof. Over time, severe structural damage is inevitable.
 
Do you have a leaky roof? Do you need a professional contractor to help you handle it? Well, Suburban Roofing is the perfect roofer for you. We render roof repairs and replacement services. Our words are our bond, and we always go extra miles to deliver exceptional services to homeowners.
 
Contact us at (860) 982-4345…