You’re sitting on the couch on a Friday night, and you look upward during a commercial break, only to notice something that you’ve never seen before on your ceiling: water spots. You turn to your partner and ask if they’ve noticed them before, only to have to point them out to them. But, now that it’s been seen, it can’t be unseen. You both start talking about the weather and realize that the high winds and unexpected rain lately might have done a fair bit more damage than you thought.
Here in the Nevada desert, while we don’t get a lot of rain on a consistent basis, when it does rain, it pours. Blown-off roofing tiles or shingles and a bit of rain have more consequence here than normal because of how unexpected it all can be. However, a leaky roof here can still lead to big problems if not taken care of sooner rather than later. Here are a few things to watch out for if you suspect you have a roof leak, and what you can do about it.
Firstly, take note of blown off roofing shingles around your home after a day of high winds. If you can assess the issue (ie. see if any shingles or tiles have blown off) from the ground safely, start there. In the case of condominiums or property that you rent or lease, it is good practice to document these issues with your landlord or property management company for them to be aware of. Depending on your situation, it might be your responsibility to get it taken care of, but most likely it is theirs.
Next, if you’re able to determine the cause of the water spotting, contact a professional company with experience dealing with water damage restoration. From there, they can determine the exact source of the roof leak and deal with the damage before it spreads. At IRS, we deal with all types of water damage restoration, and have years of experience behind us in detecting water damage and remediating it completely.
However, if your water damage isn’t dealt with because it doesn’t seem like a big deal in the moment, you might be opening yourself up to bigger problems down the line, such as mold growth or structural damage if the problem is left to linger far too long.
