The best way to avoid significant water damage caused by roofing problems is to spot them before the leak can progress too far. Unfortunately, many common roofing issues may be hard to spot or may be completely invisible from the ground. While it's clear when a shingle flies off during a storm, most problems are significantly less obvious. 

If you want to be able to spot problems with your home's roof, the best way to do so is to understand where those problems are most likely to develop. Below you will find three of the most common areas where roofing leaks tend to develop and how you can spot trouble before your home suffers severe water damage.

1. Weakened or Damaged Shingles

Residential roofs aren't individual components. Instead, they are cohesive systems that work together to help keep the elements out of your home. Your shingles might be the most visible part of the system, but they're just the outer layer. However, they can also provide you with some of the earliest warning signs of a developing problem.

If you notice sections of your roof with discolored, damaged, bruised, or curling shingles, there may be existing damage from hail, wind, debris, or some other issue. Even if this part of your roof isn't leaking yet, it's likely a source of future trouble. An experienced roofer can inspect this area, determine the problem, and repair the underlying issue before it causes more damage.

2. Rubber Pipe Boots

If your home has one or more vents protruding through its roof, it will also have rubber boots surrounding them to keep water out. These boots redirect water onto the shingles, allowing it to sheet off safely into your gutters. Unfortunately, rubber can tend to harden and degrade through constant exposure to sunlight and heating and cooling cycles.

Vent boots will almost always fail with age and long before the rest of the roof requires replacement. They'll often begin to crack or loosen, potentially allowing water to seep around the edges. It's crucial to recognize and repair these problems since water that works its way under the edge of the boots can create a much larger problem by damaging your roof decking.

3. Gutters

While your gutters themselves can't leak, leaks can often form on the roof's edge close to the gutters. These leaks can occur for numerous reasons, ranging from ice dams to clogged gutters to improper roof design. Unfortunately, these leaks can also be very damaging since they allow water to drip behind walls and into other hard-to-reach spaces.

If you notice a leak close to your gutters, it's important to allow an experienced roofer to troubleshoot the problem. Since there are so many potential causes for this leak, it's crucial to locate and repair the underlying issue to prevent the leak from recurring.

Contact a local roofing service to learn more.