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Roof leak

supe | Posted in General Questions on

I have had a slow leak in roof for about ten years and cannot fine the area of the leak.
The roof was installed over plywood in 1998 and consists of 30 year architectual shingles.

Around 2004 I noticed some water collecting in a light fixture. This only seems to occur when two conditions are present: Heavy rain and high winds

I naturally went into the attic and found water pooling on the sheetrock but even when up there during a windy rain storm on repeated occasions I have been unable to locate the leak.

In the past few years it seems to have gotten worse and I feel I may be facing replacing the roof or at least the back half which seems to be where the leaks are.

I have two questions for the pros out there:
1: I have noticed on the leaky side of the roof a few areas with dark streeks going down the roof seeming to originate under the shingles. Could these be the leek locations?

2: If so, and the fact that the shingles appear to be in good shape, is there some type of roll on material I could apply in these areas to remedy the situation before replacing the entire roof? I have used roll on material years ago on a rubber roof which worked well.

Any thoughts would be helpful
thanks

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Rebecca,
    Are the "streaks" you are talking about visible on the underside of the roof sheathing (from the attic) or on the shingles (on the exterior)?

    Your best bet is to hire an experienced roofer to visit your house and look for clues as to what's going on.

  2. charlie_sullivan | | #2

    You could also try posting pictures here.

  3. supe | | #3

    The streaks are actually on the outside. I should clarify that this is Rebecca's husband John. I have Some varied roofing IE; shingle, rubber . commercial rolled etc.. but this one puzzles me. I may try to get some pics posted.
    thanks for your input

  4. user-2310254 | | #4

    John. Do the stains look like any of the pictures on this site? http://inspectapedia.com/roof/Extractive_Bleeding_Shingles.php

  5. supe | | #5

    yes the stains look just like the ones in the pics. I do not believe mine are mold or algae though

  6. user-2310254 | | #6

    John. I wonder if the streaking you are seeing on the roof shingles is unrelated to your mystery leak. Is your roof shaded? Is it streaking even in sunny areas?

    I also appreciate your frustration trying to isolate the source of the leak. Wind-driven water can move through a tiny opening and travel a long distance before it begins to pool. Have you hired a company to inspect your roof? An experienced person might have better luck troubleshooting this type of issue.

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