A leaking ceiling can cause major structural damage.
Roof and ceiling leaks can cause a lot of aggravation for the homeowner. In addition to damaging your house, they can be hard to locate because the water can travel sideways from the roof leak to where it eventually breaks through the ceiling. The water can also weigh down the insulation in the ceiling, making a tremendous mess and introducing the risk of mold. Does this Spark an idea?
Causes
One of the biggest difficulties with a ceiling leak can be figuring out where the water is coming from. Water is tenacious. If there is any way at all to get into your house, water will find it. When you discover it dripping out of your ceiling, it could be coming in through a broken shingle, corroded flashing, the side of a chimney or even through the wall. If your attic is poorly ventilated, there may be enough humidity and condensation up there to cause water to come through your ceiling when there's no leak at all from the outside.
Risks
Water in your attic and leaks in your ceiling need to be dealt with quickly. The roof is the most important part of your house, and if it's letting water in, you've got a problem. Fiberglass batts and cellulose, the two most common types of attic insulation, don't hold up well from water damage. At best, water in your insulation will greatly reduce its insulating qualities. At worst, the insulation will become a breeding ground for mold and mildew, and if it gets sodden and heavy enough it could even break your ceiling and fall into your living room.
Solutions
Solving your problem begins with figuring out what it is. Make a thorough survey of your attic and your roof from inside and outside. Look for dripping water, broken shingles, rusted or corroded flashing, missing bricks in chimney or walls, or anything else that looks out of place. If you are unfamiliar with all of this, hire a professional to come and take a look. Saving your attic and insulation from destruction is well worth the cost of hiring someone to deal with it.
Things to Avoid
Don't treat the symptoms without addressing the cause. If you've got water coming through your ceiling, it's futile to just fix the ceiling until you figure out what's causing the problem first. If you locate a problem with the roof, don't try to save time and money with a cheap or half-baked fix. You won't fix broken flashing by sticking some caulking on it. The structural integrity of your home depends on your roof being impervious to water, so identify the problem and fix it permanently.
Tags: your ceiling, your attic, your house, attic insulation, cause water, coming through
