OT: Roof leak in heavy, driving rain

[Maple Leafs]

We had a real downpour last night, and around 4:00 a.m. you could heard dripping inside the house. I took a quick tour and could tell that it was coming from our end wall -- it's a townhouse so this is the wall we share with a neighbour. There seemed to be some sligh softneed at certain points on the wall, but not water anywhere and no discoloration. Once the really heavy rain stopped, the dripping did too.

I called a roofer this morning and he's going to come out and have a look, but he surprised me a bit by suggesting that he probably wouldn't be able to find anything. He mentioned that most roofs aren't really 100% waterproof in all conditions, and that in a really driving rain with heavy wind it's not rare for there to be an occasional leak.

Keep in mind this is not the guy who installed the roof, so he doesn't really have any reason to downplay the issue. So is he right? Or should I keep calling around?

[kcchief19]

I'd keep calling around. There are certainly instances where a driving rain can force into a direction it doesn't normally go and therefore may penetrate a previously unknown roof leak. At that point, it's a judgement call on whether you want to go to the trouble and expense of finding a leak that may not be a routine issue but maybe once a year or two.

But the part about roofs not being 100% waterproof isn't exactly accurate. The roof should be completely waterproof. Chances are that you have water getting up inside flashing or under a shingle that is not working properly. Sometimes it's just an issue of caulking around the trouble area or replacing the damaged shingle or flashing.

The tough thing about roof leaks -- especially one like this -- is that the leak might not be anywhere near where the damage inside is occuring. Water can travel pretty far from the weak point of the roof to somewhere else. For instance, you may have a drip in the middle of you house due to a leak near the gutter -- the water gets into the house at the gutter and then runs to a spot where it eventually drips. That type of leak can be difficult to find, which is why some roofers just won't try to find it.

We have a leak we've got a guy looking at right now and if he can't identify the leak obviously he's going to do a spray test where you spray the house with a hose and have another guy inside check for water intrusion. It's a two-man job, so if you've contacted a one-man operation, there's only so much he can do.

[cougarfreak]

I'd definitely keep looking. Your roof shouldn't leak.

[Subby]

How old is the roof?

[moriarty]

Not sure if your roofer is qualified for it, but you might have someone check it out for moisture if there's an attic or crawlspace that you can get to. Leaking roofs can lead to mold buildup in the walls = bad thing.

[Maple Leafs]

How old is the roof?
About 12 years.

[Subby]

About 12 years.
I would definitely get a second opinion...

[Maple Leafs]

Thanks.

My concern is that if I keep calling around, I'll definitely find someone who's quite certain that they need to come in and do extensive work. That's a given.

The moisture in the walls is my main worry, since it sounded like that's where the leak was dripping. I'd almost rather have a puddle on the floor that I could see, rather than not being sure where the problem is.

[kcchief19]

My concern is that if I keep calling around, I'll definitely find someone who's quite certain that they need to come in and do extensive work. That's a given.
That's a definite concern -- that's why unfortunately you'll probably want to have several people look at it. There are definitely people out there who will tell you that your roof is in pretty good shape, but if you want a new roof they'll just get your insurance to pay for it. That can be horrible. Of course, Canada may be different -- do you have universal home and fire insurance too? That would be great!
The moisture in the walls is my main worry, since it sounded like that's where the leak was dripping. I'd almost rather have a puddle on the floor that I could see, rather than not being sure where the problem is.
That's my concern too. That's why I wouldn't listen to a guy who says, "Well, I can't find it, so don't worry about." It's possible that it leaks all the time but you only heard the dripping because of the heavy rain -- lighter rain may still leak but not drip as much. Water intrusion is no laughing matter. It's almost as bad as vapor lock.

[Maple Leafs]

That's my concern too. That's why I wouldn't listen to a guy who says, "Well, I can't find it, so don't worry about." It's possible that it leaks all the time but you only heard the dripping because of the heavy rain -- lighter rain may still leak but not drip as much. Water intrusion is no laughing matter. It's almost as bad as vapor lock.
After doing some exploring around the area where I heard the leak, I'm seeing some buckled paint that's been there since we've moved in as well as what feels like some softness in the drywall. I think there's definitely some moisture in there, so if the first roofer says he doesn't find anything I'll get someone else up there. I suspect this has been an minor issue for a while and we were just lucky it rained hard enough last night for us to hear it.

Hopefully if we fix the leak we can avoid having to actually do anything about the existing moisture.