If A Roof Leaks Do You Have To Replace Insulation

Check your material after plumbing or roof leaks.

If a roof leaks do you have to replace insulation.

Wet insulation is bad for your roof your building and its occupants insulation sits just below the roof s membrane. Older material isn t thick enough. If you have a leaky roof you d better fix it immediately even if it doesn t bother you much or you re getting a new roof next year. Where there are leaks roof damage usually follows.

Leaks can affect your roofing insulation. You might have roof hail damage. If you catch it early enough then you ll only need to replace a small section of material keeping your cost lower. Wet insulation is inefficient but more immediately it can be a hidden risk.

Even over a short time small leaks can lead to big problems such as mold rotted framing and sheathing destroyed insulation and damaged ceilings. In fact even if you don t notice drips or other problems before your reroof when the workers tear off the shingles they may expose rotten moldy or cracked boards that need to be replaced. Rotted wood can also be replaced. Use enough water to mimic heavy rains.

Once moisture is pinpointed the wall can be opened for drying treating mold contamination repairing any plumbing leaks and removing saturated insulation if present. This creates a couple different entry points for a roof leak. If the leak isn t obvious have a helper watch in the attic while you get on the roof with a garden hose. If you don t see any missing shingles but you still suspect the leaking roof is related to a shingle issue it could be that you have a different type of shingle damage.

If the roof has been leaking for a while there may be visible signs of long term water intrusion. When a roof leak leads to saturated insulation that insulation almost always needs to be replaced. Run water over the low side of the penetration for several minutes while the helper watches for any water droplets. And it s important to replace any missing shingles as soon as possible.