6 Big Reasons Your Roof Leaks

Drip, drip, drip. There is nothing worse than the tell tale drip of water above your head. It’s never fun when it happens to you. What if you could stop it? There are a variety of reasons for roofs to start leaking. But some general maintenance precautions can save you from having to deal with a leaking roof. Since you already hear that drip contact a St. Paul roofing company to put your current leak to an end.

The Weather: Over time the weather that your roof is protecting your home from can cause damage. The sun, rain, sleet, ice and snow all spend four seasons beat on your roof. The sun can dry out roofing paper. Not only that the sun will also make the tar run and sag. This all weakens your roof. With this kind of damage your roof can then become brittle, and a brittle roof can begin to crack and split.

Windblown rain: In large rainstorms rain can come down in many different directions not just straight down. This windblown rain can be a big problem. Rain pounding down at an angle can push water up underneath your roof. Windblown rain is something you need to take in to account when you lay your roof tar paper.
Ice: In the frozen north’s winters ice can collect on your roof eaves and this can lead to an ice dam. St. Paul roofing contractors are very familiar with ice dams. Water flow is blocked off of your roof by ice dams, this leads to water collecting under your flashings and tar paper. From here overflow ends up in your house. Your house warms up the ice, it melts and water then could slowly drip into your home over the course of many days.
Clogged gutters: This problem is all about keeping up with home maintenance, it never needs to occur. Clearing leaves and debris out of your gutters is key especially before the long winter season starts. Allowing this gunk to gather and collect in your gutters blocks them up preventing the flow of water down off your roof. An ice dam is even more likely to develop on your roof in the winter if you have clogged gutters, which means it is even more likely to develop a leaking roof!

Poor roof construction: Going with the bargain basement company to install your roof can come back to haunt you and cause a large number of problems. Contractors may be eliminating costs on supplies by using too little or too cheap. They could rush to finish your job to move on to the next, this might mean a leak for your roof soon after install. Choose a roofer wisely. Compare important things credentials and customer references not just price.

Mechanical damage: Heavy pieces of machinery, for example air conditioners and antennas can cause damage to your roof. This may not technically be your roof but these things have an effect on it! They are heavy and they both have to be installed and occasionally repaired. This leads to contractors and repairmen up and walking on your roof. Increasing the number of people walking on your roof only increases the chance of damage taking place.


Maintenance of your roof is key when it comes to avoiding leaks. This maintenance work needs to be done well, have high standards this is your home! You need a reputable customer recommended St. Paul roofing contractor to get the job done for you. When the work is done right you don’t have lay awake at night fearing the drip of water, rest easy by choosing a reputable business and continuing at home maintenance of your roof.