Roof leak detection
Finding where the water actually gets in
A chimney can let water in without the roof being involved at all. A cracked crown, a missing cap, spalled brick or eroded mortar joints all admit water into the stack, where it travels down and appears inside looking exactly like a roof leak. Because the symptom is identical, chimneys are a common source of leaks that have been repaired at roof level more than once without success.
Clarke County sits in the eastern part of the state where the housing stock is the defining factor. Clarke County has a wide spread of roof ages, from pre-war homes with original framing to recent subdivisions, and the leak profile differs sharply between them. Older properties leak at chimney flashing and valleys where decades of movement have opened joints that were never designed to flex. Newer ones leak at penetrations — boots, vents and skylights — where installation shortcuts show up five to ten years later. Summer storms bring wind and hail through on the same line that hits central Georgia, so both add storm damage on top.
Both present almost identically. Flashing leaks usually show at ceiling level where the stack passes through; masonry leaks often show lower, on the breast itself, and worsen with wind-driven rain from a particular direction. Checking both before working on either saves repeating the job.
More so, arguably. An open flue on a disused stack takes rain straight into the structure with nothing drawing it back out, so the masonry stays wet and deteriorates faster than one in use.
Finding where the water actually gets in
Water around a roof window
Fasteners, washers and seams
The boards behind the gutter
Concrete and clay tile
Keeping debris out of the gutter
You will get a straight answer on whether Clarke County needs someone out today or whether it can wait — before anyone quotes you for anything.
Call (229) 235-1425