Most people don’t give their roof any attention because it is not in their line of sight. Still, the roof is one of the essential parts of the house. If your roof got spoilt, you could suffer things like leaks. These leaks could also cause water damage to your ceilings, walls, and floors. Also, an ugly roof doesn’t give the house an excellent overall look.

For this reason and many others, you should do regular check-ups on your roof.

The main culprit that damages the roof is water, especially from rains. In this guide, we will go through 5 signs that your roof will show when it has suffered water damage. We will also briefly look at what to do when this happens.

5 Signs That Your Roof Has Suffered Water Damage

Here are some signs you should look out for to know if your roof has suffered water damage.

• Water Spots on Your Ceiling

One day, you are relaxing in your house’s living room or bedroom, and you decide to look up. What do you see? A disturbing brown water mark on your ceiling. Although it doesn’t always mean water damage on the roof, it’s most likely the case.

There are other reasons there could be water spots on your ceiling, like a burst pipe. If unsure, you can call an emergency plumber to help you check out the cause.

• Water Spots at the Edge of the Walls

Water spots at the point where the walls meet the roof is a good indicator that the roof has suffered water damage. This point is called step flashing.

People install step flashings to protect the side wall from the external roof. But sometimes, the step flashing could suffer some damage and get rust. When you notice water spots on the side wall or rust on the step flashing, you may want to check the roof for any damages.

• Broken and Cracked Shingles

Shingles are roofing materials made of asphalt, composite, etc. . They are flat and rectangular like tiles, so you can have hundreds of them on the roof.

It might not be a good sign when you notice that they are breaking and cracking. Sometimes they could break due to aging and heavy sunlight over time. Other times, they could break due to water damage on the roof.   

• Granules in Your Roof Gutter

Granules in your gutter that came off shingles could indicate water damage. A few granules will come off occasionally, but when too many come off at a time, it could mean water damage.

Shingle granules from the roof and filling your gutter could cause other problems. For example, it could lead to clogging of your gutter. Water could overflow and damage the walls and ceilings when your gutter gets clogged.   

If you notice your roof’s gutter is getting clogged by granules, check it for water damage.

• Soft Portions on the Roof

You will only notice this if you constantly check your roof.

When you see that portions of your roof are soft or spongy, it might be a good indicator of water damage.

If you cannot do these checks yourself, you should call an expert to help you check. Occasional roof checks can save your roof from irreparable damage.

Conclusion

Roof care and occasional checks can save you a lot of money when done right. You can take different steps if you find any of these signs during a routine check. Most of the time, roof repair involves replacing the damaged part or parts.

If you’re still confused, it will help to get a professional to look at the damage and tell you what to do. However, with this guide, you can tell when there is some level of damage and take specific actions to remedy it.