Water stains on the ceiling. A drip during rain. That musty smell in a closet. Once you notice a roof leak, you start wondering how long it has been there and how much damage has already happened.
Most roof leaks in San Diego trace back to a handful of causes. Understanding what goes wrong helps you spot problems early and communicate clearly with your contractor.
The Usual Suspects
Flashing failures cause more leaks than anything else. Flashing is the metal that seals the joints where your roof meets walls, chimneys, vents, and skylights. Over time, the caulk dries out and cracks. The metal corrodes or pulls away from surfaces. Gaps develop, and water follows those gaps right into your home.
Check the flashing around your chimney if you have one. Chimney flashing is complicated - multiple pieces have to work together - and it often fails first.
Damaged or missing shingles are obvious when you see them. Wind lifts edges. Branches fall. The San Diego sun makes asphalt brittle over time. Once a shingle is gone or cracked, the underlayment beneath is exposed. Underlayment degrades quickly in direct sunlight.
Valley failures happen where two roof planes meet. Valleys channel a lot of water during rain. If the valley flashing is damaged or if shingles along the valley are worn, this high-traffic water zone will eventually leak.
Clogged gutters cause more roof damage than people realize. When gutters overflow, water backs up under the roof edge. It soaks into fascia boards, rots sheathing, and finds its way inside walls. Keep your gutters clear.
Age catches up with every roof. A 25-year-old asphalt roof is near the end of its life regardless of how it looks from the ground. The accumulated stress of thousands of UV-intense San Diego days adds up.
When you find a leak, try to trace it. Put a bucket under active drips. Look in the attic with a flashlight during rain if you can do so safely. The entry point is often higher than where water appears on the ceiling - it travels along rafters before dripping down.
Do not wait to call a roofer. Small leaks become big problems fast. A week of ignored dripping can mean mold growth, damaged insulation, and ruined drywall.
Peak Builders diagnoses and repairs roof leaks throughout San Diego. We find the actual source of the problem, not just the visible symptoms, and fix it right the first time.
