We have a fairly new house (built in 1997). Cheap roof and we had a big windstorm a few years back that resulted in some lost shingles that I had patched -- no major problems. Recently we had a much more mild windstorm that stripped off some more shingles. I was lazy, didn't check the roof for about a week or two and I noticed some water damage on walls. I went up on the roof, found a missing patch (that was clearly leaking) and patched it.
The damage is basically just a darkening along the top edge of the wall along 3 walls in the house. It's not immediately noticeable but it's fairly obvious upon close inspection. The areas around screw heads are darker and the screw heads themselves are in a few places slightly bulging.
What's more concerning to me is that some walls (and some ceiling joints) have become very visible. There's no obvious sagging or bulging, it just looks as if it was painted and someone someone didn't tape the joints at all. I don't know if this is normal water damage...
Because of the type of damage, it took me a while to notice much of it. Although I don't see any sections getting worse, I'm concerned that the leak may not be resolved.
Two questions:
Assuming that the leak is stopped, is this sort of damage something that I can simply prime over and repaint (and in the case of the joints and the screw heads, just add a little joint compound to level things out). Or should I be cutting stuff out and replacing entirely? The perfectionist in me wants to replace everything, but this is going to cost a lot...
Are there are tips or tricks that I can take advantage of to test whether I do in fact have any additional leaking? I feel kind of stupid asking, but it's a real pain to crawl around in the attic trying to feel for dampness when it's a bit damp everywhere (we live in the Pacific Northwest). What should I be looking for to identify "chronic" leaks? I hate to wait until additional damage is apparent in the walls and would like some "assurances" if possible. There are what appear to be discolored rafters in the attic, but I'm assuming that that's from previous water damage -- not ongoing leaking.