Before knowing how to protect your roof against leaks in an efficient way, it’s a good idea to learn as much as possible about how leaks might form. Depending on whether you have a residential or a commercial roof, the process can differ quite greatly.

In the case of commercial roofing systems, pooling and the presence of snow or various types of debris can lead to further damaging the roofing membrane and causing leaks over time. In residential roofs, the problem is typically caused by damaged flashing and shingles, which typically result from a serious storm.

To protect your roof against leaks, it’s important to have it inspected on a regular basis and get the opinion of a roofer as to whether any damage you found might constitute a cause for concern. Typically it’s a good idea to replace mildly damaged flashing, repair cracked shingles before they are further damaged, and work on fixing damaged roofing membranes with the optimal type of roofing cement.

If a leak is already present, it’s usually best to have a professional roofer - see https://www.r4roof.com - inspect it, before you get to work on trying to identify where it comes from and fix it. In many cases, the origins of an existing leak can also be in the interior structure of the roof, in which case at least a partial roof replacement could be necessary.