Flat roofs really are sneaky like that... Sometimes I wonder if it’s easier to just move.
Honestly, I get the temptation. Flat roofs are notorious for hiding leaks—water can travel a good distance before showing up somewhere totally unrelated. I’ve seen cases where the entry point was 15 feet away from the stain inside. Thermal cameras are hit or miss, especially if you’re not catching active moisture. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of crawling around up there with a flashlight and a lot of patience. Not glamorous, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Moving feels dramatic... but after enough mystery leaks, I can’t blame you for thinking about it.
Yeah, flat roofs are a pain for this. I’ve chased leaks that seemed to defy physics—water just shows up wherever it wants. One thing that helped me was checking all the seams and flashing, especially around vents and skylights. Sometimes it’s not even the roof itself, but clogged drains or gutters backing things up. I tried the hose test once (one person outside with a hose, one inside looking for drips), and it actually narrowed it down for me. Not perfect, but better than guessing.
Flat roofs are like that one friend who always finds a way to make things complicated. I spent a whole weekend crawling around mine with a flashlight and a bucket of roof cement, convinced I’d found the culprit... only for the leak to pop up on the other side of the room next rain. Turns out, my “fix” just redirected the water. Ended up clearing out a bird’s nest from the drain and that helped more than anything else. Sometimes it’s not even about the roof itself—just all the weird stuff that collects up there.
Totally get where you’re coming from. Flat roofs are notorious for being tricky. A few things that worked for me:
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100%. I once found a tennis ball blocking my drain—never even owned a tennis ball.“Sometimes it’s not even about the roof itself—just all the weird stuff that collects up there.”
- Check the flashing and seams, not just the obvious cracks. Water loves to sneak in the smallest gaps.
- I started using cheap chalk to trace possible leak paths during dry spells. Helped me spot where water was traveling.
- Gutter cleaning is now on my monthly list, especially after a windy day.
Honestly, sometimes it feels like I spend more time babysitting the roof than enjoying the house... but at least it keeps things interesting.
Had a customer once who swore his roof was haunted—every time it rained, water showed up in a new spot. Turned out, squirrels had chewed a hole right behind the vent pipe flashing. Sometimes it’s not even the roof, it’s the wildlife with a grudge...
