A roof valley is the trough created where the slopes of two roof surfaces meet, creating a V-shaped channel. These junctions are an important part of the structure of your roof as they collect water from both roof surfaces and funnel it into your guttering – however, they are also an area of your roof that is particularly prone problems.
They are the perfect shape for collecting debris, such as twigs and leaf litter, bits of mortar, and parts of broken roof tiles, and their position and construction means they are the point at which many roofs leak.
As the join between two sections of your roof, your roof valleys play acritical role in maintaining the integrity of your roof and ensuring it remains watertight by diverting water away from your roof and into your gutters. Unfortunately, joins are widely accepted to be the weak point in any item, and your roof valleys are no different.
Roof valleys are notorious for being a weak point in your roof, and poor construction or a lack of regular cleaning and maintenance can prevent your roof valley from effectively channelling water into your gutters and allow water to seep under the edges of the slopes and into your roof cavity.
Routine maintenance is the key to avoiding or identifying problems with your roof valleys: have them regularly cleaned and inspected for signs of damage and ensure any areas of concern are assessed or repaired immediately.
A water stain on your ceiling or high on a wall, or water dripping (or streaming) from your ceiling, are generally the first indicators that your roof is leaking. Once your roof starts to leak you can end up with serious problems, including water damage to the plasterboard of your ceiling, unsightly water stains, mould and bacteria growth, and wood rot in your roof beams.
If the leak is large enough to allow significant amounts of water into your roof cavity your ceiling could begin to drip water into your home, which could damage your furniture and carpet, leave puddles on hard floors that pose a slip hazard, and could even result in swelling, stains and mould growth on your walls and wood rot in the frame of your home.
You could try to locate the leak in your roof on your own, but water ingress can be a tricky beast.
The point where the water hits your ceiling is rarely directly below the point where water is entering your roof cavity. Water takes the path of the least resistance, snaking down your roof beams until the surface tension that is holding the drip to the beam can no longer withstand gravity – then it drops onto your ceiling.
The best course of action is to call in a professional. The roof repair and maintenance specialists at Pristine Roof Maintenance have had decades of experience in finding and repairing leaks, so will be able to quickly identify the origin of your leak and take swift action to repair it.
Give your roof valleys the care and respect they deserve with roof valley repairs and replacements from Pristine Roof Maintenance.
We provide a range of general roof and gutter repair, maintenance, and replacement services to clients across the Greater Sydney region. To find out how Pristine Roof Maintenance can help you to prevent, identify or repair problems with your roof or gutters, call us today on 0295334476, or complete our contact form, and talk to one of our roof and gutter specialists. Alternatively, complete our online Quote Request form and we’ll arrange a free quote.