Why does a roof leak show up in a different place?
Because water follows the framing. It runs along rafters, sheathing and plates, and it shows where it finds a gap or a joint. A leak at the roof can appear at a ceiling several metres away, and the stain is the last place the water reached.
Wind pushes rain under shingles that a still rain would not reach. Once under the shingle, the water runs down the sheathing and along the rafter until it meets a ceiling joist or a fastener, and then it drips through the drywall.
The crew traces the route by looking at the attic from above and by measuring the framing from below. Each reading is marked on the plan, so the roofer knows which part of the roof to check first.
What should a homeowner do in the storm itself?
Keep out from under any ceiling that is wet or bulging, move valuables away from the drip and put containers under the drips. Do not climb onto a wet roof in high wind, and do not go into the attic while water is coming through the ceiling.
A bucket under a drip is a sensible step, and a towel on the floor keeps the water from spreading. Move furniture and electronics out of the path, and photograph the stain before anything is changed.
If the ceiling is sagging, keep everyone out of that room and call. A wet ceiling can come down without warning, and the water in it can be a large volume.
What does the attic check involve?
The attic check looks for wet insulation, dark or stained roof boards, water running along the rafters and any sign of the entry. It is done from a safe position, with a light and without walking on the insulation.
Wet insulation looks flattened, darker than the dry material and sometimes has a white crust or a mould smell. Stains on the sheathing show the path of the water, and the place where the stain begins is usually the entry.
If the attic is wet, the crew will want to see the roofer's report, and it will record what the roofer finds. The two visits can then work from the same plan, so the roof and the interior repair line up.
Who repairs the roof and who dries the house?
A licensed roofer repairs the roof and the flashing, and the restoration crew dries the water that got in and records its path. The two jobs are separate, but the drying cannot last until the roof is watertight, so the order matters.
A roof that is still leaking will keep wetting the structure. The roofer should make the roof weathertight before the drying is finished, and the crew should confirm the readings after the roofer has finished.
Ask both companies for their scope in writing. The insurer will want both documents, and a future repair will depend on knowing which parts of the roof and the walls were affected.
Does the insurer cover wind-driven rain?
Many standard homeowner policies cover damage from wind that opens the roof or the walls, and they often cover the resulting water damage. Some policies exclude gradual leaks and damage to the roof itself, so the policy wording and the cause decide the claim.
The record should show when the storm arrived, the wind speed reported that day if it is available, and the entry point. Photographs of the damaged shingles, flashing and siding are the strongest evidence of wind damage.
Ask the insurer in writing how it classifies the loss, and whether the roof and the interior are treated under the same part of the policy. The Division of Insurance takes complaints if the explanation is not adequate.
Check the ceilings again after the storm, once the wind has dropped and again after the next rain. A roof leak can run for hours before the stain appears, and a second look often finds a new stain beside the first one. Write down each new mark with its date and location.
