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 Identifying
a Roof Leak
If your ceiling is water stained, it's
a safe bet you have either a roof leak or a condensation problem.
It's important to figure out what type of stain you have before
you repair your ceiling.
Fortunately, these stains are easy to
identify. The condensation stain is usually found on a ceiling
panel near an exterior wall, often in a corner. Instead of
one large stain, you'll see several smaller circles of stains.
These stains vary in size and shape, but they tend to have
white centers. Condensation stains appear even if there has
not been a rainstorm.
The rain leak stain can be found anywhere
on your ceiling: near an exterior wall, surrounding a ceiling
fixture, around a ventilation pipe or even in the center of
the ceiling. This stain tends to be concentric rings that
get progressively lighter as they move outward. The center
stain is dark, because it is the oldest stain. Each "ring"
by the way, is a separate occurrence. If you see lots of rings
surrounding the dark stain in the middle, you know the roof leak
has been around for quite some time.
Rain
Leak Recommendations
Don't bother replacing the stained ceiling
panel(s) until you have stopped the roof leak. To do that, you
first must locate the leak. If you're lucky, the leak will
be a small roof hole right above the ceiling stain. Unfortunately,
roof leaks are rarely that easy to find. It's possible the
hole in the roof is not even close to the stain in the ceiling.
It's also possible the hole is a tiny space between the flashing
and the roof.
To find the roof leak, you must check the
entire roof very carefully. Remember to walk on the rafters
or a sheet of plywood so you don't damage the seams. Be sure
to inspect:
- The J-rail or gutter system.
- The flashing around vents, pipes
and roof windows.
- The seams and seals.
- Any loose shingles.
- Any rusted or worn-looking areas.
- Any rumble buttons. (If you don't
have rumble buttons, don't add any!)
What if you don't find a roof leak? Your
best remedy is to clean the entire roof and coat it with a
roof coating. This should be done at least once every two
years. See our section on coating
your roof for more information.
Condensation
Recommendations
 Condensation
means you have too much moisture building up in your home.
Because the stains are on the ceiling panel, the first place
you should check is the area above the ceiling panel.
Remove a panel to see if there is a
vapor barrier. The vapor barrier could be a plastic sheet,
or it could be attached directly to the insulation. The vapor
barrier is important because it keeps the moisture away from
the insulation.
If you don't have a vapor barrier, you
will need to:
- Install a vapor barrier above your
ceiling panels, or
- Paint your ceiling panels with an
insulating primer that will also act as a vapor barrier.
The second method is considerably easier
than the first, but it is not as effective. If you intend
to add insulation above your ceiling or to replace your ceiling
panels, make sure you install a vapor barrier at that time.
Other
ways to reduce condensation build-up:
- Install roof vents to increase air
circulation in the roof cavity system.
- Keep inside air circulating with
fans. You can also run the furnace fan.
- Reduce moisture build-up in the kitchen
and bath by using the exhaust fans.
- Use a portable dehumidifier in the
room where you have the condensation stains. To prevent
problems, buy a dehumidifier that will shut off when the
collector pan is full.
- Avoid venting your clothes dryer
under your house or in your house.
- Check to make sure nothing is blocking
the cold or warm-air registers.
- Install interior storm windows to
keep condensation from forming on windows.
- Check the base of your house to make
sure the skirting is well ventilated, the ground is covered
with either rolled roofing felt or plastic sheeting, and
the blackboard is intact.
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