Water stains are a sign of roof seepage. If left without repair these stains can cause rot and promote the growth of mold, algae and fungus. The causes of these stains are from active roof seepage.

Staining on the backside of fascia board, while often overlooked as simple water run-off stains behind the fascia board, is an indication roof seepage. A roof's perimeter "drip-edge" flashing is designed to prevent water from running back up under the roof system. Where the perimeter flashing is not installed correctly and is missing additional asphalt sealant designed to stop water from leaking under the roof system and behind the fascia board, staining forms. You may not have noticed this leak because of the roof's overhand. Over time this type of leak leads to rot and deterioration.

Over many months of the constant process of leaking and drying out, wood breaks down. Rotted decking becomes structurally unstable and actually causes leaking to increase due to the pull factor it puts on the perimeter leak area and by causing a slight "dip" in the roof's surface, pooling water as it tried to run off. Rotted decking is also a sign of a mature leak and should be addressed as soon as practicable.

Trusses are what holds up the entire roof system and are a major structural component. It is important this area is repaired. If the leak is repaired and the rotted trusses left they will turn to dry-rot and eventually cause a roof cave-in.

Fascia Board is the small strip of wood creating the roof's trim edge. At this fascia board there are signs of roof seepage causing rotting. Since this area is at the overhang, the leak was not noticeable from inside. Over time the cycle of wood saturation and then dry-out caused the wood to break down. Although not a visual component, the sub-fascia, which is covered up behind the fascia board, is structural and a part of the roof's overall engineered strength. The only way to check to see if the sub-fascia is also rotted is to remove the fascia board.

Some roofs have insulation under the roof system to aid in separation, add heat resistance (R-Value) and provide adequate drainage. There are three main types of insulation used; Perlite, Iso and EPS. Some insulation acts as a sponge soaking up moisture and holding it. As you can imagine, water breaks down insulation and causes it to collapse. It is recommended that the areas of wet insulation be removed and replaced.

A strong indication of water seepage, through the roof or another source, are insects. Carpenter Ants, Termites and thousands of other pests seek a moist area to live.

It is a good roofing practice to not store materials on a roof. Any item sitting on a roof's surface will eventually erode the roof's surface and may lead to more severe problems over the roof's life. During the process of expansion and contraction, different materials move at different rates. This constant "Thermal Shock" causes physical "scars". It's a good idea to have the items removed to help prolong the roof's life and inspect the area under the debris for repair.

During high winds an unsecure or deteriorated access door/hatch can become a liability as it may be torn off and used to damage the roof, the building and/or surrounding buildings. It may also be allowing seepage, especially during heavily, wind-driven rains.

Wall cracks develop from building settlement, siding separation and most frequently paint deterioration. Over time the paint deteriorates due to the direct sunlight they receive, and allows moisture to seep into the wall's core. Under a painter's program walls should be coated every five to eight years using a Florida blend paint sealant. When moisture enters the wall it causes moisture bleed out and swelling. The additional moisture content is trapped and cannot evaporate causing further damages to fasteners, flashings and framing.

A vital part of designing a roof system is considering and installing the proper amount of attic ventilation. Proper ventilation, a code requirement since 1994, allows the attic to breath and for humid warm air to escape before is condenses and slowly deteriorates the roof system and decking from underneath. In a way the additional heat actually bakes your roof from both sides. As the hot air rises within the attic it heats the underside of your roofing system. We have found a roof system's life cut in half when proper ventilation was not utilized. There are a number of vent types and styles with different amounts air flow capacity. If installed, you should notice a savings on your monthly electric bill, especially during the summer months. FPL says that installing the proper amount of attic ventilation can save up to 30% on cooling costs versus no ventilation.

A code violation and warranty exclusion on all asphalt based roof systems, ponding water is when water sits on a roof for more than 48 hours without being evaporated or running off naturally. Water ponding breaks down asphalt, which is an oil-based product. Think of potholes in the road. Or, imagine a pot of boiling water when cooking. If oil were added, it would stay on top of the water. On a roof the opposite effect happens. The oil is trapped at the bottom and due to it's natural properties, tried to rise to the top causing oil migration. Oil migration when the oil and waterproofing properties of a roofing product are pulled out, causing the roof system to break down.

After the recent major hurricanes the insurance companies realized that more than 70% of their losses were due to interior damages resulting from water intrusion. In an attempt to reward lower liability customers, they now offer up to a 30% discount on the wind portion of insurance policies when installing a Secondary Water Barrier (SWB) throughout the entire roof. Simply known as "Peal-And-Stick", these products are adhered directly to the roof's deck and will not blow off. In the event the primary roof system is damaged or blown off, the SWB will prevent leaks. Kelly Roofing installs SWB membranes on all pitch roof systems as a standard practice.

The roof's substrate or decking is very important to the roof's life. A solid, stable surface prevents roof system movement. When decking is not fastened correctly a number of damaging things can happen. Without the proper number or type of fasteners deck movement occurs. This causes the deck fasteners to "walk out" and uplift. Since the entire roof system is fastened and/or sealed directly to the decking, your roof's success depends on a strong deck. New codes have recently been passed to reinforce the importance of proper deck fastening.

This may be the result of the deck not being fastened correctly or it could be the signs of seepage entering the roof system and warping the decking materials. In either case the uplifting deck material has pushed up the roof system and may be causing seepage. It is important to repair these areas.

Normal structural movement, inadequate number of fasteners and warped decking can cause the decking fasteners to uplift. Not only does uplifting fasteners compromise the structural integrity of the building but it also punctures holes in the roof system, which may lead to leaking. Uplifting deck fasteners on your roof and should be repaired. If the problem persists the entire roof may need to be removed and the decking re-fastened using "ring-shanked" nails to prevent fastener "walk-out".

We consider 3rd party damage to be any damage to the roof system and/or structure caused any other event outside normal wear and performance deterioration. Often animals will borrow and nest in a roof causing damage. Other trades cause most of the damage. A/C contractors often need access to roof areas to work on rooftop units. Pressure cleaning companies are not roofing contractors and do not understand how to properly treat a roof, causing damage as they clean the surface. Electrical companies who need to run a line from one side of the roof to the other will sometimes puncture right through the roof system.

An attempt has been made to seal the skylight and prevent seepage by using sealants. These sealants were only a temporary fix as they quickly dry out. Additionally, the condensation weep holes have been covered and may be adding to the problem. As inside humidity rises it condenses on the skylight. Without the weep holes this condensation pools and eventually drips, causing interior damage. The correct way to repair a skylight is to replace it with new hurricane resistant, low e-squared energy efficient ones, which will not leak. Kelly Roofing is a Velux 5-Star Solutions Contractor. Velux is the largest manufacturer of skylight and roof windows in the world.

Plastic dome skylights are far less expensive than tempered glass models. As you know plastic does not hold up well under the sun's UV rays. Plastic, like asphalt, dries out, cracks and becomes brittle. Plastic skylights, also know as polycarbonate or Lexan, are not airtight, require replacement every 8-10 years, discolor, are not impact resistant and are not energy efficient. Over the years you have probably noticed a diminished amount of light being let in. It is not recommended to repair skylights. Fiberglass skylights usually last between 6 - 8 years. Additionally the skylight presents a fall hazard if not replaced with an impact rated unit.

This satellite dish was installed by someone other than a roofing mechanic. The dish was installed directly onto the roof's surface with a simple bead of caulking. Since caulking is exposed it dries out and deteriorates over time allowing seepage. The satellite should be flashed correctly to prevent decking damage.

Solar units are an excellent source of energy savings. However, when installed directly over the roof's surface without the proper anchors and sealant, they can lead to seepage, deck rotting and interior damage.

As a building settles cracks may occur in walls. These cracks can provide an open area for seepage to occur if not sealed. I found wall movement cracks that look to be allowing seepage. This can often be mistaken as a roof leak. Although a roofing contractor can seal these cracks, it is a good idea to have a painter review the entire exterior surface for more cracking and paint condition.

When not installed and/or sealed properly windows can be a cause of seepage. Sometimes confused as a roof leak, window leaks do not show signs of seepage above the window area, only at or below it.

Areas of a pitch roof where water flows into a flat section are called a "Dead Valley" because the water comes to a "dead" stop. These areas must be treated as a flat roof using flat roofing materials and flashings. Many times regular sealants and materials are combined to waterproof this troublesome area. Sealants just cover up improper flashings and materials and deteriorate over time allowing seepage. Dead valley failures are one of the most frequent roof failures we see. Flat roof areas pose their own unique flashing issues and require special attention.

Areas of a pitch roof where water flows into a flat section are called a "Dead Valley" because the water comes to a "dead" stop. These areas must be treated as a flat roof using flat roofing materials and flashings. Many times regular sealants and materials are combined to waterproof this troublesome area. Sealants just cover up improper flashings and materials and deteriorate over time allowing seepage. Dead valley failures are one of the most frequent roof failures we see. As water flowing down from the pitch roof above hits the dead valley wall it can jump up and over the existing flashings. The dead valley on this roof shows signs of deterioration and seepage. The proper flashing materials should be used to disallow further leaks.

As water flowing down from the pitch roof above hits the dead valley wall it can jump up and over the existing flashings. This causes rapid flashing, sealant and paint deterioration. A visible indication of seepage is cracking on the wall surface above the dead valley flashings. Noticed these cracks above the dead valley on this roof. The wall flashings and wall cracks should be repaired to disallow further leaks.

Gutter installation can cause a perimeter issue in two ways. First, when the gutter was installed the gutter crew lifted the perimeter drip edge to make it easier to slide the gutter up behind the drip edge flashings. In doing so they bent the drip edge and caused it to uplift and break the roof sealant at this critical junction. Second, the gutter is either not pitched correctly, does not have adequate downspouts or is too small for the water load because it appears to be backing up and causing the water to flow behind the gutter, against the fascia and possibly under the roof system itself. This can eventually lead to rotted fascia and sub-fascia board and cause interior damage.

Although advertised as seamless, gutters actually have seams at downspouts, corners and transitions. These seams must be sealed with a special UV inhibitive sealant for long-term protection. To repair this correctly, the old sealant should be removed and cleaned prior to installing new sealant.

Industrial gutter system, which holds water, can break down over time and rust out. If not rusted through, these can be repaired. Otherwise replacement is necessary.