Had a similar mystery leak last winter—turned out the sealant was the culprit for me too. Looked fine at first glance, but when I poked around a bit, it practically crumbled away. Honestly, I always tell folks to ditch the cheap stuff and go for a high-quality roofing sealant. Costs a bit more upfront, but saves you from playing detective on your roof in freezing weather... ask me how I know, haha.
"Honestly, I always tell folks to ditch the cheap stuff and go for a high-quality roofing sealant. Costs a bit more upfront, but saves you from playing detective on your roof in freezing weather... ask me how I know, haha."
Fair point about sealants—but have you checked your attic ventilation situation lately? Sometimes the real villain isn't just cheap sealant. I've been up on plenty of roofs where homeowners slapped on premium sealant thinking it'd solve everything, only to find the issue returned after a few months.
Here's the thing: if your attic isn't venting properly, condensation can build up inside during cold weather and drip down around vents or other openings. It looks exactly like a leak from above. I've had clients swear up and down their roofing was leaking, only for me to find that their attic had zero airflow—no soffit vents, blocked ridge vents, insulation jammed into the wrong spots... you name it.
Not saying your experience wasn't valid—sealant definitely matters—but have you considered ventilation as part of your mystery? I'd start by checking if you've got clear airflow from soffit to ridge vents. If your home is older or has had insulation work done recently, it's pretty common that someone accidentally blocked something important.
Just throwing it out there because I've seen good money spent on expensive sealants still leave folks scratching their heads at midnight drips. Maybe worth a look before winter really hits hard again.
"if your attic isn't venting properly, condensation can build up inside during cold weather and drip down around vents or other openings."
Good point about ventilation. Had a similar issue last winter—thought I had a leak, but turns out the insulation guys had stuffed batts right up against the soffit vents. Cleared that out, and the dripping stopped. Makes me wonder how many "leaks" are actually just poor airflow... maybe sealant isn't always the hero we think it is?
You're right on the money about airflow vs. leaks. I've been in roofing for over 15 years, and honestly, I'd say nearly half the "leak" calls I get in winter aren't actually leaks at all—they're ventilation issues. People see water dripping and automatically think it's the roof or flashing, but usually it's just warm air hitting cold surfaces and causing condensation.
I had one homeowner last year who insisted the skylight was leaking. Turned out they'd sealed everything up so tight with spray foam insulation that their attic had zero airflow. Once we pulled some of that foam back and put in proper baffles to keep the soffit vents open, problem solved overnight.
Sealant can be helpful, sure, but it's not a fix-all. Good attic ventilation—ridge vents, soffit vents, maybe even some gable vents—is what really keeps moisture at bay and extends your roof's lifespan. So yeah, airflow is definitely underrated compared to sealant.
"Sealant can be helpful, sure, but it's not a fix-all. Good attic ventilation—ridge vents, soffit vents, maybe even some gable vents—is what really keeps moisture at bay and extends your roof's lifespan."
You're definitely onto something with ventilation being overlooked, but I wouldn't completely downplay the importance of proper sealing either. I've inspected plenty of homes where the attic had decent airflow—ridge vents, soffit vents, the whole nine yards—but still had mysterious drips and stains popping up. In one case last winter, the homeowner was convinced it was condensation because they'd read something similar online. When I got up there, sure enough, the ventilation was textbook-perfect. But after poking around a bit more, I found a tiny gap in the flashing around their chimney. It was small enough that you'd easily miss it if you weren't specifically looking for it, but big enough to let in water during heavy rain or snowmelt.
I agree ventilation is crucial, especially in colder climates where condensation can be a real nuisance. But leaks can be sneaky too. Sometimes they're just subtle enough to mimic condensation issues, especially when they show up intermittently or only under certain weather conditions. I've seen homeowners spend months chasing down "ventilation problems" when the issue was actually a pinhole leak or worn-out flashing.
So yeah, airflow matters a ton, no argument there. But let's not underestimate how tricky actual leaks can be to pinpoint. It's always worth double-checking those flashings and seals, even if everything seems to point toward condensation at first glance...
