Why you should fix that leaky roof ASAP

I love rainy days like today. It’s always so peaceful watching the droplets roll down my windows… and drip from my ceiling. Sigh. I also can’t help but notice the patches of mould that grow around my leaky ceiling. I’m not going to lie, I’ve always ignored my leaky ceilings. That was until today when I learnt what happens when you leave a leaky ceiling.

Here’s exactly how much water damages your house

Attic attack

If you have an attic, this is the first area that will get damaged. Anything stored away in the attic risks being damaged. If you don’t have an attic the interior ceiling will become damaged.

Interior ceiling

Ceiling pant will bubble and expand. This gives it a mushy texture which isn’t exactly the most secure thing for keeping your house together.

Turn all the lights off

Here’s hoping you don’t have any ceiling mounted lights or fans because these are next on a leaky roof’s hitlist. You don’t need me to tell you that water is an exceptional conductor of electricity, do you?

Mould for days

One of the most serious ways a leaky roof can damage your house is through mould growth. Mould loves damp areas and often loves the materials ceilings are made from. Mould comes with serious health risks including allergic reactions, asthmatic symptoms and more serious health conditions. Or it could just mean you have a cinstant cold which no one likes.

Fire risk

There’s a chance your electrical wiring is present in your ceiling. If this is he case, a leaky roof is a fire hazard. A leaky roof can easily cause a fire hazard from any shortened wires in your ceiling. Have an electrician come and examine this immediately if your wiring is present in your ceiling.

So how long until my home completely falls apart?

Your home is dying. Slowly but surely. Sorry.

The hole in your roof is letting in cold, dry air when it’s not raining. Your basement on the other hand is retaining hot air and humidity. When these two meet condensation forms and your $150 wallpaper begins to peel.

The extra water pouring in from your leaky roof accelerates rot. You know what is easily susceptible to rot? Wood? And you know what probably frames your house? Wood. Structurally your house is in big trouble.

What can you do now?

The good news is wood rot takes it’s time – possibly a century before your house caves in on itself. But cosmetically, your peeling wallpaper, mould and gaping hole in your roof aren’t the pretties thing to look at.

You need to contact a roofing specialist as soon as possible. I’d call one now if you could. Try a Hamilton roofing specialist like Mid-Roofing that’ll reply within 30 minutes.