True cost of a roof leak

If you’re asked about what it could cost to repair a leaking roof on your home, you might say you’d expect to pay a reasonable amount to get some damaged shingles or flashing replaced. Having your roof inspected regularly and keeping it tuned up consistently can help prevent issues that can’t be addressed with simple rooftop repairs, though. Some of the less obvious roof leak repair costs you can avoid include:

Structural and Interior Restoration

Over time, roof leaks can deteriorate and weaken key structural components like the roof decking, attic rafters, ceiling joists and exterior wall framing, and rot your siding, fascia and trim boards. Moisture infiltration into the attic can also stain or ruin the wall and ceiling drywall, wood trim and the paint on various surfaces in your home’s finished spaces. Water damage like this can leave you facing extensive, costly repairs that could have been prevented by catching and addressing roof issues as they develop.

Higher Energy Bills

Slow roof leaks into the attic can saturate the insulation that’s in place between the floor joists to stop heat transfer down through the ceilings. As it gets wet, insulation compacts and its R-value declines, and this can cause a steady increase in your household energy consumption and how much you pay to keep your home comfortable.

Mold Remediation

When moisture enters your home through a leaking roof, it can allow mold to flourish in hidden areas, like the attic and inside the walls and ceilings. Exposure to certain types of mold can cause severe allergic reactions, and worsen symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Getting rid of mold can be messy and costly, since it typically requires specialized remediation by trained technicians.

Health and Fire Hazards

Water intrusions into your attic from roof leaks can cause corrosion and short circuits in exposed or poorly-insulated electrical wiring in junction boxes, HVAC components or light fixtures installed in this unfinished space. Water is a superb conductor of electricity, so if the two mix there’s an increased danger of serious shocks for anyone who ventures up into the attic. Short circuits in electrical wiring can also arc and cause sparks, which can start a life-threatening fire in your unfinished attic that contains numerous combustible materials.

To avoid unexpected roof leak repair costs for your Seattle-area home, contact us at Go Roof Tune Up to schedule a free roof inspection.

[su_button url=”https://www.gorooftune.com/roofing/residential-roof-repair/”]Read: 3 Strategies for Anticipating Residential Roof Repair[/su_button]