Check for roof leaks before they cost you a bundle

Look up. When was the last time you checked your ceiling for evidence of a water leak?

Look for stains where water has made its way inside. The size of the stain is not indicative of how serious the water leak may be.

And where the stain shows on you ceiling also does not indicate where the leak is coming from, since water can follow paths between your roof and ceiling before making its appearance.

Do a thorough search immediately of your roof, looking for cracks in the sealant around roof-mounted equipment like vents, TV antenna, etc., checking every possible place that water could make its way through.

Then--and don't rush this procedure--thoroughly cut away the old shriveled caulking and clean the area before applying new caulking. A careful check and completion of this maintenance task could save hundreds of dollars if roof rot is not detected before it does great damage.