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HomePro
Systems, Inc.
2841 Hartland Rd
Suite 201
Falls Church, VA 22043
(703) 560-4663
(800) HOMEPRO (800) 966-4555
Home Pro Inspection
Systems Inc.
969 Eldon Road
Oakwood, Ontario
K0M-2M0
800-832-0519
Sir/Madame: The leak in your roof is too serious to repair. I'm afraid you need a whole new roof. But don't worry, I can put it on for you and give you a really good deal to boot. Traditional Sales Pitch.
The roofing professionals of the world have a somewhat earned reputation of almost always telling you that you need a new roof. They almost never suggest patch repair because it isn't very profitable.
But patching is very practical and can extend considerably the life of many roofs and is thought necessary to achieve the normal life expectancy of most roofing systems. And it often can be carried out by an energetic do-it-yourselfer.
Assuming the roof was competently installed, it has a predictable life expectancy. If the roof is relatively young, it's a good bet that simple patching will get it to its expected retirement time.
Here's how you can determine what type of roof you have and its approximate life expectancy:
Built-up, gravel and slag roofs are made from a layer of marble chips, gravel or slag stuck in a layer of tar and are usually relatively flat. Life expectancy: at least 20 years.
Tin, terne and other metal roofs are made by joining the edges of metal sheets together to form a smooth surface. When the roof is very flat the seams are soldered together. When there is enough pitch or incline to readily run water off the roof, the metal sheets often have their edges turned up so they can be butted and bent together to form standing seams. These seams run the full length of the roof from front to back. Metal roofs normally are painted but you will find some coated with tar. Life expectancy: at least 60 years with painting. Tar promotes rust and will shorten the life of metal roofs.
Rolled mineral roofing looks like big lasagna noodles laid side to side and sprinkled with colored sand. Life expectancy: about 10 years.
Elastomeric or rubberoid roofing is a thick, rubberized covering. Life expectancy: more than 10 years.
Asphalt shingles are used in the most common type of roofing. Shingles come in many shapes, sizes, textures and weights, with the heavier weights lasting longest. Life expectancy: about 15 years and more.
Wood shingle and shake roofing is made from small, thin rectangular splits (for cuts) of cedar, redwood and cypress. You can buy long panels which look like the smaller pieces but are installed in larger sections. Life expectancy: approx. 20 years.
Asbestos Cement Shingles look like thin rectangular starched grey corduroy pieces. The roof will frequently show differing colors around flashing. Life expectancy: about 40 years.
Slate roofing is actually an abundance of miniature blackboards overlaying each other. The qualities range from S3 to S1 with life times from 40 to 80 years. These figures are approximate, but if your roof is considerably younger than these ages and you have a leak, it is very probable that simple patching will get you back on track. At the very least, ask someone qualified who does not have anything to sell you to inspect your roof for you.
The location of the leak is critical: Almost all roofing leaks occur at flashing points. Flashing refers to those materials which join different parts of the house to the roof. Flashings are usually metal but can be asphalt composition as well. They can rust through or split due to expansion and contraction with the weather or even pull out of position. You can usually check them from the underside.
Take a strong flashlight into your attic and sight anywhere two roof surfaces come together, where plumbing pipes or attic fans open through the roof, where a roof surface intersects a wall and especially around masonry chimneys. Stains or darker colored wood indicate a leak. It may indicate an old leak so unless the ceilings below are being damaged, return during a cloudburst.
Other than flashing leaks: Wind driven tree branches and sometimes heavy winds themselves can lift up, damage, or even tear off small or large sections of roofing systems. Small areas are usually easily noticed from the ground and should be quickly replaced. Color matches are unlikely and this type of repair is best left to professionals.
Shingles that appear to bulge up slightly may have a roofing nail backing up and out of the sheathing. Lift up the shingle, pull out the nail and set a new nail beside the old hole. Use plastic roofing cement to seal over the old nail hole.
The wind will sometimes come from just the right (or wrong) angle to cause a little leak. These leaks are very difficult to detect but usually indicate that a shingle is not well sealed down and can occasionally be remedied by applying roofing cement along the edges of the suspected shingle. (Finding the right shingle usually takes the patience of Job the wisdom of Solomon, and the luck of all Ireland).
When it isn't the roofs fault: If your roof only leaks when there is the combination of a deep snow on the roof and very cold weather, it probably isn't a roof leak. This is usually ice damming and is treatable by adding insulation and improving the ventilation under the roofs' surface or blocking up air bypasses from the living space of the house into the attic. Don't ever block up the attic vents in the wintertime attempting to save heat; this can cause ice damming.
Finding a competent professional: Always ask the following questions to determine the qualifications of any roofing contractor:
Do you subcontract the installation? Companies that specialize in sales may not be great installers. The bigger companies like Sears and Wards exercise a considerable amount of control over the people they subcontract to. The price is usually higher, but it's generally worth it. Larger firms also give you a better shot at a meaningful warranty.
Who, by name, will install the roofing?
How many roofing mechanics do you employ and how many men will be on the crew?
How experienced are your workers?
When could you start and finish?
What local work have you done and how long have you been in business under this name at your present location? Go to the reference desk of local libraries for back copies of the Yellow Pages to double check. A sizable ad run consistently in the yellow pages is a strong sign of professional stability. Check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
Also, beware of sales pitches based on materials. Name brand materials don't vary much in cost and generally account for no more than 30 percent of the cost of an installation.
Chimney flashings are at the top of the list of roof leaks. More recent house construction has seen roofers simply cement metal flashing to the bricks of the chimneys. In a relatively few years the cement dries out and the flashing pulls away from the chimney. This can be quickly reattached by daubing plastic roofing cement (sold in small cans in hardware stores) behind the flashing with a thin putty knife. Older better flashings were tuckpointed into the masonry joints but these also frequently leak with the passage of considerably more time. A repair that is somewhat unsightly but very often effective is to simply smear plastic roofing cement over the metal flashing where it curves under the shingles.
The next most common flashing leakage is around plumbing "back vent" pipes which protrude through the roof. You will find them above baths and kitchens and should examine the pipes as well as the wood roof sheathing around them. Sometimes the wood will not show a stain but a vertical rust line streak may be visible on the pipe in the attic. These leaks are almost always associated with some paint or plaster damage below, sometimes several stories below. The leak can almost always be sealed by cementing around the metal collar that surrounds the pipe out on the roof. Rafter movement and the effects of sunlight make this a chore to be done about every 5 years.
The next most common flashing leak is probably in valleys. This is where two roof surfaces come together with the consequent channeling of a great deal of water down through this intersection. Top quality flashing here will display sections of metal separating the two sloping roof sections all the way up the valley. Lesser quality flashing might see composition roofing used in place of the metal or see the shingles themselves "woven" together at the valley. Metal or composition materials that have buckled and split can be cemented easily. Valley openings that are narrow or that don't widen as they progress down the roof sometimes feed water under the overlapping shingles. These edges can frequently be cemented. The esthetics should be considered prior to attempting this.
Split level or split entry houses almost always have a low and a high roof. Expect trouble where the low roof intersects with the wall of the taller section of the house. If the higher roof has an overhanging soffit above this area you can usually rest easy. Leaks here often show themselves in stairways and behind kitchen cabinets. Cementing of the flashing can be done but it is always unsightly and vulnerable hence this one is best left to a professional.
Having them is almost a guarantee of a leak: Contrary to popular opinion, skylights don't have to leak. A properly flashed skylight will be watertight for 20 years and more. Unfortunately it often seems there isn't a roofer in town who knows how to do it. Once again, roofing cement is your bridge to longer life but the permanent repair calls for the flashing to be redone by a competent professional roofer.
Dormers cut through two roof surfaces as on a gambreled barn type roof are very frequent leak points. These leaks will usually occur within two years of the house being built and are almost always due to lack of proper flashing at the higher roof level. No patching will do. Bite the bullet and hire a professional to install metal flashing.
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