Water travels before it drips
The single most useful thing to understand about a roof leak is that the wet patch on your ceiling is where the water stopped, not where it started. Water gets through the roof surface, runs along the top of the sheathing, tracks down a rafter, crosses to a joist and drips off the low point — which can be metres from the entry point and on a different side of the room.
How we trace it back
That's why "just patch around the stain" so often fails. We work backwards from the drip: up into the attic where we can get at it, looking for staining on the sheathing, rusted nail shanks, daylight, damp insulation and frost marks, then onto the roof to match what we found to a detail up top.
Where leaks actually start
- Flashing. Chimneys, skylights, sidewalls and roof-to-wall transitions account for the large majority of leaks we're called to. Usually the metal was never right and someone has been reapplying caulk over it for years.
- Valleys. Where two slopes meet, the water volume concentrates. Debris packs in, holds moisture, and eventually finds a way under.
- Plumbing stacks. The rubber boot around the vent pipe perishes and splits long before the shingles wear out. It's a small, cheap, very common failure.
- Ice damming. Water forced uphill under the shingles at the eaves during a thaw. Often shows up as a stain along an exterior wall in February and then mysteriously stops.
- Wind damage. Lifted or missing tabs after a storm, frequently on one exposed elevation only.
- Condensation. Not a leak at all — an attic ventilation problem producing frost that melts. Worth ruling out before anyone starts replacing shingles.
Repair or replace — and how we decide
We'd rather do a hundred-dollar repair honestly than sell you a roof you don't need. Some of our best jobs have come from telling someone their roof had years left in it.
How we decide
A repair makes sense when the damage is localised, the surrounding roof is sound, and the sheathing underneath is dry and solid. Replacement is the honest answer when the shingles have gone brittle across whole slopes, when the granules have washed off and the mat is showing, when there are multiple leaks in different details, or when the deck has gone soft — because a patch on a failing deck is money spent on a roof that's going to come off anyway.
The awkward middle case
The awkward middle case is a roof with several years left and one bad detail. That's a repair, and we'll say so, but we'll also tell you roughly where the roof is in its life so you can plan rather than be surprised.
Storm and insurance work
After a wind event we'll go up, photograph what we find, and give you a written assessment of the damage. That documentation is what an insurer wants, and having it before you open a claim tends to make the conversation shorter. We won't tell you what your policy covers — that's between you and your insurer — but we'll give you an honest, documented account of what the storm did to your roof.
Inspections
Worth doing if you're buying, if the roof's age is unknown, or after a serious storm even with no visible leak. An inspection catches the cheap problems — a split stack boot, a lifted flashing, a blocked valley — while they're still cheap, which is the entire point.
If nothing is leaking but you would like the roof looked after on a schedule, that is a roof tune-up: an inspection plus minor shingle repairs, flashing and sealant work and debris clearing, usually every one to two years. It is also the quickest way to deal with missing or lifted shingle tabs after a wind.
If it's leaking right now
Call or text (519) 400-3840. Get a bucket under it, and if you can safely reach the attic, pull insulation away from the wet area so it can dry and photograph what you see — it genuinely helps us find it faster. Spring through fall books up quickly, especially in the days after a storm, so call as soon as you notice a problem rather than waiting.
Common questions
Why is the ceiling stain in a different place from the leak?
The wet patch on your ceiling is where the water stopped, not where it started. Water gets through the roof surface, runs along the top of the sheathing, tracks down a rafter, crosses to a joist and drips off the low point — which can be metres from the entry point and on a different side of the room. That's why patching around the stain so often fails.
Where do most roof leaks actually start?
Flashing at chimneys, skylights, sidewalls and roof-to-wall transitions accounts for the large majority of leaks we're called to. After that: valleys packed with debris, perished rubber boots around plumbing stacks, ice damming at the eaves, wind-lifted tabs on one exposed elevation, and attic condensation that isn't a leak at all.
Should I repair the roof or replace it?
A repair makes sense when the damage is localised, the surrounding roof is sound, and the sheathing underneath is dry and solid. Replacement is the honest answer when the shingles have gone brittle across whole slopes, when the granules have washed off and the mat is showing, when there are multiple leaks in different details, or when the deck has gone soft. We'd rather do a hundred-dollar repair honestly than sell you a roof you don't need.
Do you help with storm damage insurance claims?
After a wind event we'll go up, photograph what we find, and give you a written assessment of the damage. That documentation is what an insurer wants, and having it before you open a claim tends to make the conversation shorter. We won't tell you what your policy covers — that's between you and your insurer.
What should I do while I'm waiting for you to arrive?
Get a bucket under it, and if you can safely reach the attic, pull insulation away from the wet area so it can dry and photograph what you see. It genuinely helps us find it faster. Call or text (519) 400-3840.
