Water can sneak through roof penetrations like skylights vents and chimneys causing wet walls.
Normal for inside of roof to look wet.
Cracked masonry and failing flashing around windows and doors are other potential problem areas.
Roof leaks can occur when the flashing around a vent pipe or chimney separates from the roof and creates a gap.
Faults in the roof structure including damaged or missing tiles poor flashing and broken or cracked gutters and drainpipes can be the cause of dampness in the house.
Newer roofs typically have an ice and water barrier installed along the eaves where the dams typically form to prevent the water from leaking inside.
Either of these can result in a slow but steady stream of steam from the open vent pipe above the header tank.
There are ice dam cables you can install on.
If you have ever noticed a lot of icicles hanging from the edge of your roof chances are your house is leaking significant and expensive amounts of air and heat into the attic.
If you have a standard central heating system with header tank etc.
If the wood is damp in localized areas typically streaks running downhill form the wettest spot and commonly black edged then this moisture might be from leaks espcecially if your roofing shingles is oer about 25 30 years old.
Stains or even wet areas on the under side of roof decking and on rafters can appear to be a roof leak but in fact moisture may be entering the attic not from above outside and through the roof but by rising through a building suffering from leaks a prior fire extinguishment or most common a wet basement or crawl space.
Patching material may not adhere properly if the roof area is damp.
If you ever find damp patches on walls after heavy rains or see wet spots on your ceilings after rain storms leaks are likely the culprit.
It s possible that the boiler may be set to high or the pump speed may be too high.
The steam then condenses on the colder roof.