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How Is Water Testing Done To Check For Leaks On Your Roof?

Your roof is an essential part of your home. It protects you from a variety of weather elements while helping keep the structural integrity of your residential space. That’s why it’s only rightful to hire roofing services, Rockwall, Texas and have it inspected regularly for possible leaks.

What Needs To Be Inspected

Your roof is more than just the shingles you see. When an expert does a roof inspection, he/she looks into the different components of your roofing system including:

The flashing. Considered as one of the most vulnerable parts of any roofing system, the flashing is where leakage usually happens. Made from a thin material (e.g. Galvanized steel), this is usually installed around roof features like chimneys and vents. Its main purpose is to direct water away from the critical areas of your roof.

The underlayment. This water-resistant layer is found beneath the roof’s shingles. This aids in slowing down the water damage that can be possibly brought by rain.

The line of your shingles. The shingles of your roof should be intact. Anyone who provides roofing services, Rockwall, Texas knows how missing even just one piece can result in leaking.

Gutters and the drainage system. If these components are clogged, it will be hard for rainwater to flow from your roof to the drainage. If not thoroughly inspected, problems in these areas can also lead to bad cases of leakage.

Different Types of Roof Inspection

Companies that offer roofing services, Rockwall, Texas have different means of carrying out water testing to check for leaks on a client’s roof.

Visual inspection. The most fundamental form of test, this is done by meticulously looking at the roof areas that are susceptible to leaks.

Wet test. Also named as earth leak detection, this method is based on the electrically conductive property of water. In this test, the exact location of the leak can be determined by measuring the electrical current present in the membranes of the roof.

Electronic leak-testing methods. This category of leak-testing techniques is considered to be more accurate and reliable.

Electrical capacitance/impedance testing. Without penetrating the membrane of the roofing system, this involves using a hand-held moisture meter to determine if the underlying material is wet (read: with leaks). The meter measures electrical conductance.

Infrared thermography. Water trapped within a roofing system can cause the temperature in a certain area to be higher than the others. This process involves looking for relatively higher temperatures within the roofing system. This may not work with protected membrane systems.

Low-voltage electrical conductance. Rather than looking for entrapped water, the goal of this method is to look for areas of discontinuity in the roof membrane. The process involves grounding a conductive roof deck (underneath a nonconductive roof membrane) and locating areas where there’s a low-voltage electrical field by dampening the roof. The moist membrane will produce random electrical charges unless there’s a discontinuity in the membrane.

High-voltage spark testing. This is similar to the method above, except that it does not require a wet membrane. This is done by using an electrically charged metal “broom” linked to a power source. If there is a discontinuity, the testing equipment will give off an audible sound.
Dryman Construction Group specializes in roof repair following storms, hail, strong winds, or damages due to extreme heat. Contact us today to know more about our roofing services, Rockwall, Texas.