That’s wild—never thought about squirrels being the culprit. I’ve been chasing a leak in my own flat roof for weeks now, and honestly, it’s driving me nuts. I keep patching spots but water just finds a new way in. Starting to wonder if it’s coming from somewhere weird, like a vent or even the walls. Anyone else ever have water sneak in sideways? Roofs are trickier than I expected…
Yeah, flat roofs are like the Houdinis of water leaks—just when you think you’ve sealed one spot, water pops up somewhere totally random. I once found a leak coming in through a light fixture, nowhere near the patch I’d just fixed. Turns out, water can travel sideways along beams or even insulation before it finally shows up. I started joking my roof was playing hide and seek with me… and winning. Sometimes it’s not even the roof, but those sneaky vents or flashing. Makes me wish I’d just planted a garden up there and called it a day.
I started joking my roof was playing hide and seek with me… and winning.
- Had a similar situation last winter—leak showed up in a hallway, nowhere near the original patch.
- Traced it back to a poorly sealed vent pipe, not the membrane itself.
- Learned the hard way: water loves to travel along joists and electrical runs.
- Now I always check flashing, seams, and any rooftop equipment first, not just the obvious spots.
- Sometimes it’s not even a “roof” problem but condensation or HVAC lines sweating. Flat roofs really keep you guessing...
water loves to travel along joists and electrical runs
That's spot on. In my experience, leaks almost never show up where the actual breach is—especially with flat roofs. I’ve seen water enter at a cracked skylight curb and end up dripping out of a light fixture two rooms away. Infrared scans can help, but even then, tracing the path isn’t foolproof. Sometimes it’s not a roof issue at all—had one job where attic condensation mimicked a leak for months. Flat roofs are tricky, no doubt about it.
Sometimes it’s not a roof issue at all—had one job where attic condensation mimicked a leak for months.
That’s what worries me. I keep thinking it’s the roof, but part of me wonders if it’s something else entirely. My place is only a few years old, but the flat roof has leaked twice now—once above the bathroom, then again in the living room. Both times, water showed up nowhere near any obvious seams or vents. I had a roofer out and he did a patch job, but the next big rain, same problem.
I’m honestly skeptical about how much those infrared scans help. The guy I hired used one and still couldn’t pinpoint anything. Maybe it’s condensation like you said, or maybe water’s just finding some weird path through the insulation or along the joists. Either way, it’s frustrating.
If I can’t get a straight answer soon, I’m tempted to just open up the ceiling and see what’s going on up there myself... Not ideal, but at this point, I’m running out of patience (and money). Anyone else ever just cut into the drywall to track a leak?
