Okay, now you're making me paranoid about my roof. 😂 Seriously though, I haven't even thought about leaks traveling along the plywood...how far can water really travel like that before it shows up inside? I'm picturing this sneaky little stream zigzagging all over my attic just to mess with me.
Also, how obvious is a cracked shingle anyway? Mine look okay from the ground, but now I'm wondering if I should climb up there and check them more closely. Not exactly thrilled about heights, but I guess it's better than finding surprise puddles in my living room.
And speaking of sneaky roofs...is there anything else weird I should be looking out for besides the shingles and flashing? Like hidden vents or something? I'm still new to this homeowner thing, so any heads-up on other roof tricks would be awesome.
Had a leak once that showed up in my kitchen ceiling, but the actual hole was way over by the chimney...water can travel surprisingly far. Ever checked your attic vents or pipe boots? Those sneaky spots got me good last year.
Good point about the pipe boots—those things degrade faster than most people realize. I've seen leaks travel crazy distances, too. Had a client once who swore the leak was directly above their bathroom, but after poking around, we found it near a vent stack halfway across the attic. Water's sneaky like that. Have you checked if your flashing around the chimney is still solid? Sometimes even minor gaps there can cause headaches down the line. Also, how old is your roof anyway? If it's pushing past 15-20 years, might be worth a closer look at shingles and flashing overall...
"Water's sneaky like that."
You're spot on there. Had a similar mystery leak myself last spring—thought for sure it was the skylight seal, but nope, turned out to be a tiny gap in chimney flashing letting water travel along a beam halfway across the attic. Definitely worth double-checking those flashings before you dive into bigger expenses. Roof repairs can snowball quickly, so catching these little things early can save you a ton of headaches and cash down the road...
You're definitely not alone in this. I've chased phantom leaks myself more times than I'd care to admit. It's amazing how water can find its way in through the tiniest gaps and then travel along beams or rafters, surfacing nowhere near the actual entry point.
"thought for sure it was the skylight seal, but nope, turned out to be a tiny gap in chimney flashing"
Exactly my experience too—chimney flashing seems like a common culprit. I once spent an entire weekend convinced my leak was from a faulty vent boot, only to discover it was actually a hairline crack in the chimney mortar letting water seep behind the flashing. Felt silly afterward, but that's roofing for you... always something unexpected.
Good on you for catching it early though. Roof issues are notoriously deceptive, but patience and thorough inspection usually pay off.
