Reasons Why You Experience Winter Roof Leaks

Roof leaks are among the most dreadful things to experience during the cold winter season. Some of these leaks only happen in the winter and are gone as the dry season arrives, but other leaks can cause tremendous damage to your roofing system if not taken care of.

What are the most common reasons why roof leaks happen?

Faulty roof seams

Most roofing problems start with the roof seams, especially in cases of bad workmanship. The seams are vulnerable to water infiltration. The winter will eventually leak your roof if the seams between panels are already faulty. Days after a heavy snowfall is when bad seams are very noticeable. As the temperature rises, the snow melted snow infiltrates to the bad seam and eventually leaks.

Clogged Gutters

The purpose of your rain gutters is to move water away from your home, if your gutters are clogged with leaves, dirt or other debris it’s time to clean them out immediately. When water is allowed to stay in them for too long, it can lead to rust. This can damage your roof and lead to costly, hazardous leaks.

Clogged gutters can also encourage water to sit on top of your roof for too long causing water to drip from your ceiling.

Ice dams

Ice dams usually form at the edge of the ridged roof and are among the most common causes of winter roof leaks. It traps the melted snow water into your roof. As it happens, the water will enter any small hole into your roof and then enter the building.

Vulnerable flashings

Even if your flashing works securely with rain, it might work differently with the winter weather. The blowing snow can move in different directions and can enter the flashing. When the snow melts, you can experience a winter roof leak even if you have a new and well-built roofing system.

Fractured roof membrane

Your flat roof membrane can keep the water out during the rainy season. But as the winter comes, your roof membrane becomes vulnerable to cracks and leaks because of the weather’s freeze-thaw cycle.

More than any other parts of your home, your flat roofing system receives a lot of stress during the winter. Make sure to prepare your home from the harsh winter weather by performing repairs as soon as you discover leaks and other problems on your roof. If you need professional help in making sure that your roofing is safe and protected before the cold season arrives, feel free to contact us at Severnside Roofing. We will help you secure your roof by identifying and fixing the problems right away.