Roof Repair

What do you do for a leaky roof is the question for a lot of home owners, especially if they live in a harsh winter environment where snow and ice can cause many roof leaks. This is a common problem that if not repaired will cause damage to the roofs under laments and structural damage. Most roof construction is of plywood covered with asphalt or fiberglass shingles. Most of the damage to roofs is a shingle damage or shingle sealer failure, permitting waster to creep under the shingles and penetrating the plywood. Often the water will run under the plywood until it reveals itself at some distant point from the leakage point. These  types of leaks are difficult to precisely locate.

Other likely leakage points are around chimneys and vent flashing. They are usually easier to locate as the water will run down the inside of the chimney or vent stack. These leaks are easy to fix once they are exactly locate. If the leak is caused by a damaged shingle it can be repaired by either replacing the damaged shingle or applying roof cement (tar). Typically as shingles age then curl at the downside edge breaking the cement bonding. They can usually be repaired by heating the shingle to restore its shape and apply cement to keep it in place. If the shingle is severely damaged it should be replaced. If there are numerous curled shingles caused by weathering it may be time for a complete roof shingle replacement. If complete replacement is necessary consider a metal roof alternative.

 

 Most metal roofs last more than a hundred years and are not susceptible to leakage like asphalt and fiberglass singled roofs. Metal roofs usually do not require roof repair. 

If you don’t elect to install metal roofing make certain that the roofer used a generous amount of rain guard. It’s common today to completely cover the roof with a rain guard material rather than the first few feet. If the leak is around flashing, simply remove any old caulking or  cement and generously apply new cement.

 

 

        A Weathered Roof

Additional nailing may be necessary. Only use roofing nails to attach shingles and flashing to the roof. The heads of roofing nails are much larger than regular nails and are galvanized to prevent corrosion.

It may be necessary to use a water hose to exactly locate a leak. Follow the water stain or other evidence up the roof line until you locate the leak.

Apply water using the water hose to verify the leak. If the leak is around a dormer simply re- cement at the leakage point. If the leak is occurring in a valley repairing it can become more troublesome.  If the bottom of the valley is constructed of flashing it may be necessary to remove all the shingle of the valley to locate the leak along the flashing. If this is necessary re-cement the entire edge of the flashing and replace the shingles.

If the bottom of the valley is constructed of overlapping shingles rather than flashing, find the loose or unsealed shingle and either replace it or re-cement it.