The most common roof and exterior problems on homes are leaks at flashings (plumbing vents, chimneys, skylights, valleys and roof-to-wall joints), moisture in the attic from frost and misrouted exhaust ducts, shingle defects such as nail pops, granule loss and blistering, and water damage at the roof edge from overflowing gutters and rotted fascia. Each guide below covers the signs, the causes, what you can safely check from the ground or attic, the correct fix and the common wrong ones, the code or manufacturer basis, and when to call a roofer. This is general information; your roofer and building department make the call on your home.
Jump to: Leaks at flashings · Attic moisture · Shingle problems · Roof edge and gutters · Low-slope roofs · Storm, ice and structure · Safety
Leaks at flashings and penetrations
| Problem | Typical sign | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing vent pipe boot | Ceiling stain under a vent stack after rain | Pipe boot leaks |
| Chimney flashing, cricket or crown | Stains beside the chimney; ice or debris behind it | Chimney flashing leaks |
| Skylight | Drips at the frame; could be condensation | Skylight leaks |
| Valley | Leak only in heavy rain or snowmelt | Roof valley leaks |
| Step or headwall flashing | Stains below a dormer or second-story wall | Roof-to-wall flashing |
| Missing kickout | Rotted siding below the corner where an eave meets a wall | Kickout flashing |
| Chimney crown | Water in the firebox; crumbling brick at the top | Cracked chimney crown |
| Box vents, exhaust caps, old holes | Stain on the uphill side of a vent | Roof vent leaks |
| Satellite dish or antenna mount | Leak that started after a dish went in | Dish and antenna mounts |
| Solar panel attachments | Stains in a row below the array | Leaks under solar panels |
If you have an active leak in the Colorado Springs area, our roof leak repair page explains how we trace one.
Attic moisture problems
| Problem | Typical sign | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Attic frost and condensation | Drips on sunny days after cold nights; frost on nail tips | Attic frost |
| Bath fan, dryer or kitchen duct ending in the attic | Frost, mold or lint around one spot | Exhaust vented into the attic |
| Poor attic ventilation | Hot upstairs, ice dams, early shingle aging | Attic ventilation and how much ventilation you need |
Shingle problems
| Problem | Typical sign | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Nail pops | Small bumps or tears in shingles | Shingle nail pops |
| Granule loss | Granules in gutters; bare or shiny patches | Granule loss |
| Blistering | Bubbles or pockmarks on a young roof | Shingle blistering |
| Shingles not sealed after a winter install | Lifting tabs on a new roof | Winter-installed shingles |
| Creased or unsealed tabs | Light lines across tabs after wind | Creased and unsealed shingles |
| High nailing | Blow-offs on a young roof | High-nailed shingles |
| Missing or wrong starter | First row lifting at eaves and rakes | Starter strip problems |
| Thermal splitting | Straight splits in a stair-step line | Split shingles |
| Buckling and ridging | Ripples or ridges across a slope | Buckled shingles |
| Ridge and hip caps | Cracked or missing caps along the peak | Ridge cap damage |
| Algae, moss and lichen | Dark streaks or green clumps | Streaks and moss |
| Overlays | Two stacked shingle edges at the eave | Too many roof layers |
| Deck swelling or buckling | Straight ridges on a 4 or 8 foot grid | Swollen or buckled decking |
Roof edge, gutters and walls
| Problem | Typical sign | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Overflowing gutters | Water over the front lip; splash erosion | Overflowing gutters |
| Rotted fascia and missing drip edge | Peeling, soft fascia; gutters pulling away | Fascia rot and drip edge |
| Kickout and roof-to-wall leaks | Stained or swollen siding at roof lines | Kickout flashing |
Low-slope roofs
| Problem | Typical sign | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Ponding water | Water still there 48 hours after rain | Flat roof ponding |
| Shingles on a nearly flat porch roof | Porch leaks while the main roof is dry | Shingles on low-pitch roofs |
| TPO, EPDM or PVC seams | Lifted laps or fish-mouths | Membrane seam failure |
| Self-adhered modified bitumen laps | Laps or T-joints opening | Mod-bit lap failure |
| Commercial and larger flat roofs | Seams, ponding, membrane aging | Commercial roof repair |
Storm, ice and structural problems
These already have their own guides on our site:
- Ice dams: what causes ice dams and how to stop them, plus whether you need ice and water shield.
- Hail: practical tips for assessing hail damage.
- Wind: how high winds damage roofs and wind damage repair in Colorado Springs.
- Sagging: structural roof problems.
- Seasonal checklists: summer roof problems and winter roof repairs.
Problems on the walls, gutters and paint below the roof have their own exterior problems guide:
| Problem | Guide |
|---|---|
| Hail cracks in vinyl siding | Hail-damaged vinyl siding |
| Hail on fiber cement or wood siding | Hail on fiber cement and wood |
| Wet sheathing, swollen siding | Water behind siding |
| Fiber cement too close to roofs and decks | Fiber cement clearance and caulk |
| Soft sills and window trim | Rotted exterior trim |
| Ice packed in gutters | Ice in gutters |
| Gutter gap at the fascia | Gutters pulling away |
| Paint bubbles and peeling | Peeling and blistering paint |
| Powdery, faded paint | Chalking and fading paint |
| Dark spots on shaded walls | Mildew on paint and siding |
| Cracked stucco | Stucco cracking |
| Stains below windows | Window flashing leaks |
| Rot behind an attached deck | Deck ledger leaks |
How to use these guides
- Write down when it happens. Rain, snowmelt, wind-driven rain, or cold dry mornings each point to different causes.
- Look from the ground with binoculars for sealant patches, lifted edges, missing pieces and debris.
- Look from the attic, standing on framing, for stains, frost and loose ducts.
- Take photos with dates. They help your roofer and, if a storm is involved, your insurance company.
- Be wary of caulk-only repairs. Almost every guide lists a “wrong fix,” and most of them involve sealant doing a job that flashing should do.
A word on safety
Please stay off the roof. ARMA recommends that only trained professionals walk or work on roofs, and NRCA generally advises homeowners against chipping ice or shoveling snow off roofs because it damages shingles, flashing and gutters. Use ladders only with someone steadying them, and never step between joists in an attic.
Who we are
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews, with offices serving Colorado Springs, the Denver metro and Austin. Every inspection comes with photos and a plain explanation of what we found. Colorado Springs area: (719) 488-2800 or a free inspection. Denver metro: (303) 209-0152 or a free Denver inspection. Austin: (512) 610-5897 or a free Austin inspection. We reply the same business day.
Sources: ARMA, Asphalt Shingle Roofs Are Repairable; Professional Roofing (NRCA), Ice dam busting (2012); Building Science Corporation, BSD-013 Rain Control in Buildings; 2024 IRC Chapter 9 (UpCodes).
