Protecting the room
None of what follows stops the leak. These precautions keep the damage small until the roof repair, which is a roofer's job.
- Catch the water. Place a bin under the drip, with a towel at the bottom to stop splashing.
- Clear the area. Take out rugs, light furniture and electronics. Cover the rest with a plastic sheet.
- Think about electricity. If water is running near a ceiling light or an outlet, shut off that circuit at the panel, provided the panel, the floor in front of it and the way to it are dry. Otherwise, do not touch the panel. In every case, do not touch the ceiling light or the outlet again.
- Stay away from a sagging ceiling. Drywall soaked with water can give way without warning. Do not pierce it either: an electrical wire may run right there. That is a job for a professional.
- Keep a record. Take photos and write down the time, the weather and the exact spot where the water comes out.
Two steps follow: your quote request and the call to your insurer. In both cases, you will be asked how long it has been leaking and in what weather.
Is it really the roof?
A ceiling stain does not always come from the roof. A ring can appear in dry weather, in the middle of winter. Warm, moist air from the house escapes into the attic. The vapour settles as frost under the deck boards. During a thaw, this frost melts, wets the insulation and marks the ceiling.
Other sources leave the same mark: a plumbing pipe, a bathroom fan duct that has come loose, an air conditioner. We rule out these sources before opening the roof covering.
Where water gets through
Water often gets in through a joint, a penetration or an edge, more than through the middle of a sound surface.
Around anything that sticks out. A chimney, a skylight and the base of a wall are surrounded by metal flashing. This flashing can rust or come loose, and its sealant can dry out.
Where the roof is pierced. Plumbing vent, ventilation outlet, mast: the seal around each penetration often wears out before the rest of the roof.
On a sloped roof. A gust of wind blows off or breaks shingles and exposes what they covered. In winter, an ice dam at the edge blocks meltwater, which backs up under the shingles.
On a flat roof. An aging membrane cracks, its seams open and blisters burst. A blocked drain raises the water level until it spills over the top of an upturn.
What the timing of the leak tells us
Note when the water shows up: this detail guides our search.
- Only on days of wind-driven rain. The wind pushes water under a shingle, behind a flashing or into a wall.
- With the slightest shower. The path is open and water goes straight in.
- During a thaw, without a drop of rain. Ice at the roof edge or frost in the attic are the first suspects.
- The day after a rain, or two days after. The insulation held the water before releasing it. This delay is common under a flat roof membrane.
Frequently asked questions
It stopped leaking yesterday. Is it fixed?
No, the path still exists and only the weather has changed. Request a quote anyway. We read fresh water marks in the attic better than an old trace.
Who repairs a roof leak?
A roofer repairs a roof leak. The roofer traces the water back to its entry point, then restores the waterproofing there. Check the roofer's licence in the public register of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority) before signing.
How do you stop a water leak in a roof?
A water leak in a roof is stopped from the outside, on the roof, by a roofer. Until the visit, stay on the ground and protect the room: a bin, covered furniture, photos. If the final repair has to wait, we can install temporary protection.