Longview Water Damage / Ceiling and roof leaks
Ceiling leaks and roof leak water damage in Longview
Water through a ceiling in Longview usually comes from one of two places. A storm got past the roof, or the air conditioner in the attic overflowed its drain pan. Both show up as a stain or a sag, and both soak the insulation before you see anything.
Why Longview ceilings take on water
The East Texas Regional Airport averages about 45 inches of rain a year, and about 14 days a year with an inch or more in a single day. The rain also doesn't take a season off here. December averages more rain than July. A roof with a lifted shingle or a cracked boot around a vent pipe gets tested many times a year.
Then there are the trees. A pine limb that comes down in a storm can punch through the decking in one spot and let water in for hours before anyone gets up to look.
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Open the cost calculatorThe air conditioner in the attic
Summer nights here average a low of about 73 degrees in July, so the AC runs nearly around the clock from late spring into fall. If your air handler sits in the attic, as it does in many slab houses, it pulls water out of the air and sends it down a small condensate line. When that line clogs with algae or sludge, the water fills the pan under the unit. If the pan overflows or the float switch fails, it comes through the ceiling.
The giveaway is timing. An AC leak shows up on a hot, dry afternoon, usually near the hallway return or right under the unit. A roof leak shows up during or right after rain, and often near an outside wall, a chimney, or a vent.
What a wet ceiling needs
Drywall that got wet with clean water and is still flat can often be dried in place. The crew meters it and dries it from the attic side and the room side at once. Drywall that sags, has gone soft, or sat wet for more than a day or two usually comes down, because it won't hold its shape after it dries.
The insulation above it is the bigger question. Blown insulation that got soaked mats down, holds water against the drywall, and loses most of its value as insulation. Wet batts can sometimes be pulled and dried. Either way, someone has to get into the attic and look, because the wet area up there is almost always bigger than the stain below.
If the water ran down inside a wall, the crew follows it with a meter to the floor. On a slab, it can wick into the carpet pad across the room from where it came in.
What to tell the crew when they call
- Whether it was raining when the leak started, or a hot dry day.
- Where the air handler is, if you know.
- How long the ceiling has been wet, and whether it is sagging.
- Whether a roofer has already been out or tarped it.
The crew dries the house and documents the moisture. The roof repair itself is a separate trade, and so is the AC repair. If the AC drain was the cause, have a technician clear the line and check the float switch before the system runs again.
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Questions
Should I poke a hole in a sagging ceiling to let the water out?
Only if it is clearly holding water and you can stand to the side with a bucket under it. A small hole lets it drain where you choose. If you aren't sure, keep everyone out of the room and wait for the crew.
How do I know if it is the roof or the AC?
Go by when it showed up. During or right after rain points to the roof or flashing. A hot, dry day near the air handler points to the condensate line.
Will insurance pay for a roof leak?
Storm damage that let water in suddenly is often covered. Wear and tear on an old roof often is not. Your policy and your adjuster decide that, so take photos before anything is removed.