So you’ve just seen a beautiful new development. You buy the house and can’t wait to move in. Once you’re in, your spirits are dampened, literally. You’ve just discovered that your new home’s roof leaks! How can this be? This is a new home; everything should be perfect. Sadly, the truth is that it’s a common occurrence. New homes, as well as old ones, can be affected by bad weather or bad workmanship. In this blog, we’ll look into some of the reasons why the roof in your new home is leaking, and what you can do about it.
Bad Weather Always Has Bad Timing
Truthfully there is no good time for bad weather. It just feels unfair when you finally move in, you discover your roof has suffered damage due to bad weather. If your roof needs some TLC, you can always trust a local roofing company to help fix it.
Bad Workmanship
Unfortunately, there are many occasions when a newly constructed roof leaks. The specific issues are related to the type of roof covering installed as well as the roof design. Many times with new homes, the first rain to fall on it will also be the first time the roof has been tested. If contractors fail to do their due diligence, a leaking roof is a strong possibility. In Florida, all roofing contractors are required by law to warrant against poor workmanship in newly constructed homes.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are increasingly popular – with their sturdy design and aesthetic appeal, most homeowners love them. Standing seam metal roofs can be attached to the decking by using a specialized concealed fastener system. Metal sheet roofing is also installed using exposed fasteners. Exposed fasteners mean that the roof has nails that attach it to the decking and underlayment below. This provides two means of water entry. The first is if a plastic cap is missing from one of the nail heads. The hole that the nail has made in the roof sheet is not covered by the plastic cap and water seeps in. The same holds for the underlayment and decking. If either of the two has been damaged in a small way by the roof nails, water will get through into the roof cavity.
Insufficient Quality Control
Once a metal roof has been installed, there should be a quality inspection of the roof surface. The inspection should ascertain that all fasteners have been capped and are according to code. Two specific errors will lead to a roof leak:
- “Under-driven” fasteners – This happens when a fastener has not been driven in deep enough. In this case, the underside of the nail plate is not flush with the roof surface.
- Off-center fasteners – When the nail has been driven in at an angle instead of the shaft being perpendicular to the roof surface, it’s off-center. This also leaves a gap open for water to infiltrate the roof cavity.
Tiled Roofs
Beautiful tiled roofs whether concrete or clay are more brittle than shingle and metal roofs. When electrical or cable contractors need access to the roof, sometimes they can break a tile underfoot. The crack in the tiles allows a path for water to get through.
Flashing Along Roof Valleys
A leaking roof can also be the victim of the roof design. If you have a pitched and joined roof there could be an area formed on your roof known as a valley. This valley acts as a natural waterway for drainage from your roof. As rain falls on the adjacent roof surfaces, the water funnels down the valley towards the roof edge and gutters. If the flashing is not wide enough, the stream of water will spill over the sides. The stream has “burst its banks” and your roof now leaks.
Flashing can be a concern in another scenario as well. Sometimes contractors will not overlap the flashing sheets properly. This leaves the decking exposed and not fully waterproofed.
Contact One Of The Best Roofing Company In South Florida
At AABCO Roofing, we pride ourselves on our excellent roofing workmanship. We are one of the most knowledgeable and experienced roofing companies in South Florida. For over 30 years, honesty and integrity have been our core values when it comes to our customers. Give us a call at 954-426-8500 so we can ensure that roof leaks are a thing of the past!
