Toronto is known for its harsh weather, but what happens when your roof starts to leak during a storm? Maybe you weren’t expecting the sudden change in weather and now you’re left with water leaking through your ceiling or dripping onto your living space. Fortunately, this is an easy fix – check out this blog article for some quick tips on how to deal with a roof leak!

 Your roof is leaking? This is what you need to know! 

If your roof starts to leak in a heavy thunderstorm, you’ll want to make sure your home is safe. The most important thing to do is stay calm. Don’t panic and don’t run off without first checking the house or getting out of the storm. If you’re trapped in your home without power, you’ll also want to prepare for what might come next before any damage has been done. The best way to prepare for emergency outside conditions is by understanding the signs that tell you what to do.

Find the source of the leaking roof?

The most common cause for leaks in roofing is improper flashing or insufficient ventillation in the roof space. The following list of reasons may help you identify the source of leaks in your roof:

1. Loose or missing flashing around chimneys, vents and other penetrations in the roof. Flashing should be installed parallel to the slope of the roof and extend vertically up the wall with a minimum run below any penetration, plumbing pipes or ventilators.

2. Leaks caused by water entering through gaps between walls and/or floors under eaves, dormers, overhangs and gutters. Even small gaps can allow water to enter on windy days, leading to serious problems with dampness and mold growth;

Look in the Attic

The first step would be to go into your attic and inspect for any obvious signs such as missing shingles, sagging perimeter beams or missing gutters. You should also check all of the rakes under the eaves for evidence of leakage from an adjacent roof or chimney. 

8 Signs of a roof leak in the attic:

• Discolored ceiling materials
• Mold growth below roof valleys
• Damp walls near gutters and downspouts
• Moisture builds up around and under attic vents
• Wet walls and ceilings
• Damaged insulation and holes in the ceiling
• Sagging ceilings
• Water puddles on the floor

Try to stop the leak with Sealant strips

Sealant strips are a fast solution for water damage. They are no-toxic, environmentally friendly, and can be used on wood and metal roofs. They work by creating a film of sealant on the surface of the roof. The sealant can help to stop leaks in many different ways. First, it can fill cracks in the surface that might cause water infiltration. It can also fill up voids between shingles and stone tiles, which causes water to pool between them or behind them.

Sealant strips are usually applied with the help of an adhesive gun (preferred for waterproofing), in order to prevent water penetration into the roof membrane and repeated leaks. If this fails, it could cause damage, so it needs careful consideration when selecting the material used.

Call Roofing Professionals 

It is often tempting to avoid a stressful situation. While it may be easy to ignore the noise coming from your ceiling, there are many repercussions that can result from such neglect. The first being a possible structural damage caused by water leaking into your attic.

Contact a local roofing company to fix your damaged roof. Leaving it unattended would lead to bigger damage and you will end up spending more time, money and energy on the issue.