How long can you go with a leaky roof?

While there is no set deadline, the longer the leak goes unnoticed, the more damage will occur to your home. Water damage caused by a roof leak can be expensive to repair. A leaking roof doesn't limit the amount of damage you can cause to your home. However, the longer it is left unattended, the more damage it can cause.

A leaking roof can cause serious damage to any building or permanent structure. While properly constructed roofs will last decades, and perhaps longer depending on the roofing materials used, the National Association of Home Builders recommends inspecting the roof every three years. If this is not done, long-term damage caused by a leaking roof could go unnoticed and lead to further deterioration of the property. A roof leak that starts as a leak with a few drops of water, something that can be ignored, is a growing emergency.

A roof leak must be repaired immediately after it is detected in the house or in any other residential area. In places where dripping water is trapped in an enclosed space, for example, under the floor or between the uprights of covered walls, moisture does not dissipate and mold or mildew can grow. There is no specific time frame that determines when a leaking roof will collapse; therefore, no one can predict it chronologically. When a leaking roof goes unrepaired, it causes more damage and, eventually, it will be impossible to live with.

The longer you leave a roof leaking, the more water damage will spread from the roof to the walls and to the floor. The time it takes for a leaking roof to collapse varies depending on how much damage the roof has suffered and how long the damage has spread. Mold and mildew attract moisture, and a leaking roof provides enough moisture to cause them to grow.