Roof leak repair in Burlington starts with an awkward fact: water rarely drips out of the ceiling directly below the spot where it got in. It lands on the roof, slips under a shingle or flashing, then runs along the underlayment, rafters or the top of a vapour barrier before it finds a place to fall, which is why Fixall Roofing treats detection as the real job.
We trace leaks on Burlington homes of every age, from 1950s bungalows with brick chimneys to newer two-storey houses with complex valleys and skylights. The pattern holds on all of them: patches applied where the stain shows tend to fail, and repairs made at the true entry point last.
If you have been searching for roof leak repair near me after spotting a stain, a drip or a damp patch in the attic, we can find the source, fix it and show you photos of both.
A leak call covers four things: the investigation, the repair at the source, advice on interior damage, and a follow-up check after the next real rain. That last step confirms the fix rather than assuming it.
This service suits homeowners with a ceiling stain, a drip that appears only in certain weather, a musty attic, or a leak that a previous patch did not stop. It also suits sellers who need a stain on an inspection report explained and resolved with paperwork.
Leak detection is methodical work, and it sometimes takes longer than the repair itself. These are the methods we rely on, used in this order.
We start below the stain and work uphill in the attic, following drip trails, darkened wood and rusty nail tips back toward the high side of the roof. Water often travels along a rafter or truss for a metre or more before it drops.
A moisture meter on the sheathing and framing shows where the wood is wettest, and we mark those readings so the outside inspection starts in the right place.
When the source still is not clear, we run a controlled hose test with one person on the roof and one in the attic. Testing starts at the lowest suspect area and moves uphill one zone at a time, each zone soaked for a set period before moving on.
Working from low to high matters, because wetting a higher zone first sends water down over everything below and makes the result meaningless.
Where thermal imaging is used, wet insulation and damp membrane show up as patches holding a different temperature from dry material around them. It works best on flat and low-slope sections in the evening after a sunny day, when wet areas release heat more slowly.
It has clear limits on shingled roofs, where shading and venting create false readings. Infrared points us to where to look, and every reading is confirmed by hand before any repair is quoted.
These seven sources account for most of the leaks we trace. What you see inside is often the best clue to which one you are dealing with.
| Leak source | What you see inside | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney flashing | Stains on the ceiling or wall beside the chimney chase | New step and counter flashing, cricket on wide chimneys |
| Skylights | Drips at the well corners or stained drywall around the frame | Reflash the curb or replace the unit with its flashing kit |
| Valleys | Stain at an inside corner of a room below the valley | Rebuild the valley over new membrane |
| Plumbing vent boots | Round stain near a bathroom or kitchen wall | Replace the boot |
| Ice dam backup at eaves | Water at exterior walls and window tops in winter | Eave membrane plus attic air sealing and ventilation |
| Wind-driven rain at sidewalls | Leaks only in storms from one direction | Install kick-out and correct step flashing |
| Exhaust vents | Drips near a bathroom fan or range hood duct | Replace the roof vent cap and seal the duct connection |
Brick chimneys on older Burlington homes are the most frequent culprit, especially where counter flashing was set in caulk instead of cut into a mortar joint, and our chimney flashing repair work rebuilds that detail properly. Older units with fogged glass or failing seals are often better replaced than resealed, and we cover leaking skylights in more detail on their own page.
Not every drip is a roof leak, and roofing work will not fix a moisture problem that starts inside the house. In a Burlington winter, warm humid air leaking into a cold attic freezes as frost on the underside of the deck and on nail tips, then melts during the first mild spell and drips onto the ceiling.
Bathroom fans that vent into the attic, or into a soffit where the moist air gets drawn straight back in, are a frequent cause. Uninsulated ducts running through the attic can also sweat enough to stain the ceiling below them.
Clues that point to condensation rather than a leak include drips spread across a wide area, frost on many nail tips at once, and dripping on a dry, sunny day after a cold snap. In those cases the fix is air sealing, proper fan venting and attic ventilation, and we will tell you that rather than selling a roof repair.
The repair happens at the entry point we proved during testing, whether that means new flashing, a rebuilt valley, a new boot or replaced shingles. Low-slope sections over porches and additions sometimes need a membrane repair instead, part of our roof waterproofing work.
Wet fibreglass insulation loses much of its insulating value and wet cellulose clumps and compresses, so soaked insulation is removed and replaced once the area dries. Stained sheathing that is still solid is left in place, while soft or delaminated boards are cut out and replaced.
Ceiling drywall and paint are a job for a drywall contractor, and we tell you when the ceiling has dried enough to repair. You receive a photo report showing the source, the repair and any attic work, which is useful for insurance and for a future buyer.
Most leaks are small repairs if they are caught early. The bill grows when water has been running for months and the deck, insulation and framing have absorbed it.
Speaking generally for this market, a leak traced to a single vent boot or failed sealant joint commonly costs roughly $300 to $600 to fix. Reflashing a chimney or skylight usually falls in roughly the $800 to $2,500 range, and leaks that need deck and insulation replacement as well often exceed that.
We give you a written price after the source is identified, so you are not paying for guesswork.
Heavy rain usually comes with wind, which pushes water sideways and uphill under flashing at walls, chimneys and dormers. A small gap or missing kick-out flashing stays dry in a light shower but lets water in once a storm drives rain against that side of the house.
The two usual causes are ice dams and attic condensation. Ice dams trap meltwater at the eaves and push it under shingles, while condensation forms frost in the attic that melts on a mild day, and the location and timing of the drip help us tell which one you have.
Usually yes, because most leaks come from one flashing detail, vent or valley. Replacement becomes the better answer when shingles are failing across the roof, leaks keep appearing in new places, or the deck is rotted over a large area.
Get in touch by phone or quote request and tell us where the stain or drip is, when it appears and what the weather was doing. We book a detection visit and send you a written repair price once the source is confirmed.
If water is coming in right now, skip the queue and call our emergency leak service, which runs 24/7.
Phones answered 24/7, including emergencies.