Heavy rainfall around Melbourne in recent weeks may have resulted in a minor leak or two in your roof. “That’s OK,” you might have thought. “I’ll get someone to take a look at it in a few weeks’ time, after the COVID-19 lockdown has finished.” All well and good, but what if the leak is less minor or has been an issue for longer than you think. It’s worth considering leaking roofs and how they can damage your home.

Leaking roofs may be causing more damage than you think

The first time you notice you have a leaky roof may be when you see water dripping from the ceiling. If it’s immediately over your lounge chair in front of the television, you’ll probably notice it very quickly! However, the leak may have actually been around for some time. 

Because leaking roofs can damage your home – and not just cause an inconvenience like having to wipe down your lounge chair – it’s important not to put your head in the sand if you notice other signs of leaking roofs. While water dripping from a ceiling is obvious, less obvious signs can include water stains on ceilings, water streaks on walls, mould on walls, ceilings and in the attic space of your roof and stains and bubbling on walls and ceilings. Outside, you may see water spots, mould, moss or algae on the exterior walls.

Part of the issue with leaks in roofs for most homeowners is that the damage the leak causes seems pretty simple to fix. All of the above signs simply need a lick of paint, a bit of mould spray and everything will be as good as new. So homeowners put off doing anything about the leak. 

But leaking roofs and the damage they can cause your home can be much more severe than that. In some cases, it can even lead to the destruction of your home and loss of life!

• While minor damage to ceilings and walls is easy to fix, plasterboard is very vulnerable to water damage and eventually it will collapse without warning. 
• Leaking roofs can cause damage to structural elements of your home. Left long enough, structural damage to your home caused by a leaking roof can lead to the collapse of a roof or section of your home and a massive repair bill.
• Of course it’s not just your home that can be damaged by water leaks; it’s also your furniture, curtains, floor coverings and electrical equipment. 
• Mould may look unsightly and can damage your home, but it’s also a health issue. It can cause a range of issues, including allergies, respiratory and skin problems.
• Wet timber is a perfect environment for termites. So, in some cases, what starts out as a leaking roof damaging your home can lead to further issues that are expensive to fix.
• Perhaps the biggest danger is an electrical fault. Moisture and electricity don’t mix and in some cases this can cause a fire in a house. Damage caused by an electrical fault due to a leaking roof can lead to costly repairs, but a person’s life can never be replaced.

Contact the leaking roof experts

Now you know about leaking roofs and how they can damage your home, there’s one question you need to answer. Who to call if you have a leaking roof?
The answer is simple, Oats Roofing Maintenance. Call Oats today on 0435 695 466 or you can organise a quote via the Oats Roofing Maintenance website.