How To Find Nail Holes In Your Roof
One of the main problems with roofing is the difficulty of getting an impenetrable surface. You’d think it would be easy — many of the things we take for granted in life are waterproof. Boats float, submarines dive, Ziploc bags don’t leak even when you put raw chicken in them and throw them into your fridge.
It’s still not enough, however, because of three reasons.
- We have to put holes in a roof in order to nail down the shingle or screw down the metal.
- The system has to put up with everything Mother Nature can throw at it for more than twenty years.
- And it has to last two decades with little-to-no maintenance.
Ziploc bags only have to last a week. Submarines are constantly maintained. Roofs get the short end of the stick on both accounts, and yet there are thousands upon thousands of roofs, all doing a pretty good job of keeping the weather off.
Still — thousands and thousands of roofs, each with thousands and thousands of nails? Even a one in a million chance means you might see a leak or two in your lifetime.
How Do Nail Holes Cause Leaks?
Bear with me; this isn’t as stupid a question as it sounds.
Nails make holes, of course, but generally speaking, a shingle nail is then covered by a shingle. Then that shingle is nailed down, which is itself then covered by another shingle– and so on up the roof. The point is that there shouldn’t be a single exposed nail on the whole roof. Not one. There might be a couple around the flashings, but they themselves will be covered in roofing tar.
So then how will nails cause leaks?
Well, the problem is mostly with points 2 and 3. The weather can really do a number on shingles. If it gets any purchase at all, the shingle will start to wiggle and the hole made by the nail will widen. And if the shingle wiggles, that means there’s space between it and the other shingles, and water can be introduced. And then you have a leak on your hands.
However, there’s usually a small window of opportunity between the point when the weather starts introducing weaknesses in your roof system, and the point where lack of maintenance catches up to you. And that’s the window you might be able to catch roof holes in.
Attic Inspections
On a sunny day, head up into your attic and carefully scan for light coming in from any place other than the vents. The pinpoints of light are the giveaway.
If you find any, recruit a helper to go out on the roof and identify the spot where the light is coming in. When they find it, as long as the shingle is still mostly intact (not scored or loose) spread some roofing tar over it.
Performing regular checks for nail holes in your roof a few times a year can prevent nasty leaks before they start. To make sure your home is ready for spring rain, contact the Northern VA roof contractors at Style Roofing for a FREE consultation at 703-754-9906 today. Don’t hesitate to take the maintenance measures necessary to protect your home and your wallet!
