The short answer
If you can see daylight through the roof deck from inside the attic, there is a physical opening. Pinpoints around nails are usually minor. A visible gap, a line of light along a seam, or light at a penetration means water is getting in too, and it needs covering before the next rain.
What causes it
| Cause | How you can tell | How common |
|---|---|---|
| Missing or displaced shingles | Light in a patch, usually after wind | Fix now |
| Failed or missing pipe boot | Light in a ring around a pipe | Fix now |
| Gap at ridge or hip | A line of light along the peak | Often an install defect |
| Rotted decking | Light through soft, crumbling wood | Structural repair |
| Impact damage | Hole with splintering, after a storm or falling limb | Insurable |
| Normal ridge vent opening | Diffuse light at the ridge through the vent itself | By design |
How fast do you need to act
Same day if rain is forecast. A visible opening in the deck is one of the few roofing situations that genuinely cannot wait, because a single storm through an open deck ruins insulation, drywall and sometimes flooring.
What to do right now
- Photograph it from inside the attic, including a wide shot showing where it is
- Put a container under it and move anything stored nearby
- Do not go on the roof yourself to look, especially if it is wet or steep
- Call for emergency tarping if weather is coming
- If a storm caused it, start the claim now and keep the photos
What we see in the Hill Country
After a serious hail or wind event here we find openings most often at ridge caps and at pipe penetrations, not in the field of the roof. Those are also the spots homeowners cannot see from the ground, which is why a post-storm attic check with a flashlight is worth doing even when the roof looks fine from the driveway.
When to call us
We inspect for this at no charge across Boerne, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Kerrville, Fair Oaks Ranch, Bulverde, Helotes, Spring Branch, Austin and Stone Oak. You get photographs of what we find and a written explanation, including when the honest answer is that nothing needs doing yet. Call (210) 245-4125 or book an inspection.
