Finding a Hole In Your Roof

This is an excerpt from the Book called “Spend –A- Little Save -A- Lot Home Improvements” by Brad Staggs. Continue reading to learn more about Finding a Hole In Your Roof, thanks to the author.

It’s a good idea to start at the top of your house to see where water might become a problem. This, of course, means getting on the roof, since the source of most water infiltration comes from overhead—in the form of rain. You see, disguised as a gentle, refreshing rain, water cleverly diverts your attention while it looks for the smallest hole or crack in your roof. When it finds it, things can get ugly very quickly.

Roof leaks are one of the most frustrating problems in a home. Even professionals have trouble finding their source. The reason is simple—if water finds a small entryway through your roofing material, the evil force known as gravity pulls it down the underside of the sheathing for a short, or possibly long distance. It then soaks through the insulation between your ceiling joists and manifests itself inside your home as a giant ugly stain on your ceiling, or worse—in your wall where you can’t even see it! That’s when the mold issue can start, but we’ll get to that later.

The reason it! So aggravating and tough to fix is the aforementioned gravity issue. Just because the stain appeared in your living room doesn’t mean the hole is directly overhead. The good news is, there’s at least one trick you can employ to find the offending hole in the roof.

Look For The Stain Or Worse, The Peeling Plaster Or Drywall

Once you’ve discovered that you have a leak, or that your roof has one, it’s time to put on your investigator’s hat and take a trip into your attic. Orient yourself so that you know approximately where the stained ceiling is and head in that direction. You should do this on a rainy day, as you’re more likely to catch the culp0rit in action.

Once you’ve reached the area where the water is soaking your ceiling, take a look at the roof rafters and sheathing. If the water is actively coming in, follow it up to its source. If it’s not raining, look for a water stain and again, follow it to the likely point of entry. The good news is—you’re about halfway to fixing the problem! Again, try to get a good idea of what section of roofing you’re looking at so you can find it from the other side.

The Short-Term Solution

Generally, the problem can be a worn shingle or a sheathing nail that’s worked its way loose and poked a nice hole right through the asphalt material. For a nail hole, it’s best to remove the errant fastener and replace it with a galvanized screw.

A sheathing nail has worked its way through a shingle.
The short-term fix is to simply pry out the nail with a claw hammer,
Then drive a 21/2 or 3-inch screw into the same hole.
Nine times out of ten, the screw will grab and hold the sheathing in place. then, just use some roofing sealant to fill the hole in the shingles(s)

The Long-Term Solution

If your roof is in otherwise good condition, it’s best to simply replace the perforated shingle. It’s not as complicated as it sounds and takes only a few tools; a roofing sealant, pry-bar, putty knife, hammer and roofing nails.

First, locate both ends of the damaged shingle. They should be reasonably easy to spot at a close distance. If you have dimensional shingles like these3, the seams will be a little more difficult to find (if the roofers did their job correctly), so spend a little time looking.
Once you’ve spotted the elusive edges, use the putty knife to gently release the seal along the leading edge of the shingle. You’ll also most likely have to repeat this process on the shingle above, as the nails securing it will be holding the one you’re trying to remove.
You should be able to see 3or 4 nalls holding the shingle in place.
Hint; a small block of wood works well for holding the shingle in place while you work.
Use the prybar to remove the nails.
You may have to use the hammer for leverage. Once you’ve removed the nails from the damaged shingle, you’re still not donel depending on the nailing pattern used, the shingle(s) in the row just above may also need removal. Isn’t this fun? Take it slowly, patience is key when working on a roof.
(Above left) if necessary, remove the nails from the shingles just above the one you’re replacing. Congratulations, it’s time to remove the old shingle and replace it. It’ll give you a great sense of accomplishment.
(Above right) try to find a shingle that matches not only the color of the one you’re replacing, but also the shingle pattern.
(Left) after you’ve removed the shingle, check for any obvious damage to the shingles, roofing paper and sheathing under meath. You don’t need to fill the nail holes from the shingle you just removed, but make sure there aren’t any holes the size of small animals. Those you’ll need to fix!
Insert the new shingle in place and secure with four nails ion the locations indicated on the illustration at right.

The new shingle has a sealant strip that should self- seal over the course of a few warm days, but I like to apply a thin bead of asphalt sealant along its edge, as well as the leading edges of any shingles I’ve had to pry up during the job.

Checking & Repairing Flashing

The world “flashing’’ has myriad of meanings. In this case, we’re talking about thin sheets of metal that are used to keep water from infiltrating your home. They’re generally used around chimneys, where two different roof lines meet, and around skylights, to name but a couple of the possible applications.

These are the areas we’ll focus on in this section, since they are the most likely to cause a lot of damage if they fail. Because they’re all on the roof, if they don’t do their job, you have the potential for having a waterfall in your living room, bedroom or den.

Closely following roofing nail pops, flashing failures are the most likely places that you’ll find leaks in your home’s structure. Keeping flashing locations clean and sealed is the best defense against a large repair bill.

First, a word from our legal department team. Remember safety any time you’re working on a roof! Wear slip-resistant shoes, always secure your ladder so it stays put and tether yourself whenever p0ossible!

Chimney Flashing

Let’s again start at the top… of the roof. In this case, that’s where the chimney sits and it’s often the source of water infiltration.

The flashing around your chimney should be free of major gaps and cracks. it should be well adhered to the roofing material and nails should be covered with roofing cement. That would be a perfect world, wouldn’t it?

Unfortunately, you’ll find a lot of flashing in this condition (shown right and below) around a chimney.

It’s not so much the rust that bothers me here, but the gaps where the metal meets the asphalt, so to speak. Areas like these can lead to rain finding its way to places it shouldn’t be –like inside your home.

The first step to fixing the situation is getting the debris and old sealant out of the way. While this flashing needs the repair all along its lower edge, we’ll just work a section of it to give you an idea of how to fix it. Sometimes it’s easier to work small areas to keep from getting overwhelmed, especially on a roof.

We’ll be working with some basic tools on this project. You’ll need a claw hammer, a putty knife, gloves (flashing can have very sharp edges) , galvanized roofing nails (the ones I’m working with have small rubber washers on them that help seal the area around the nail, but the washers are not mandatory!), rubberized roofing\ flashing repair in a caulk tube and, of course, a caulk gun.

The first step is to remove the old sealant from the flashing where it meets the roofing material. Use the putty knife to gently (without damaging the shingles) remove the old, hardened lumps. Be aware that there are probably some nails hiding in the old sealant. In this case, they were so loose they could be removed by hand! If they’re still holding tight, leave them in place!
If the flashing is loose enough to expose the shingles underneath, you’ll need to remove the dried sealant under the leading edge, as well. Again, use the putty knife to remove the debris. If it’s still adhered well, though, it’s best not to disturb it.
Once you have the area cleaned up, cut the tip of the caulk tube at roughly a 45 degree angle, leaving a ¼’’-hole exposed. Then insert the tube into the caulk gun.
Next, lay a medium-sized bead of caulk under the leading edge of the flashing. Use the handle of the putty knife to hold the flashing up and out of the way if necessary.
Once the sealant is in place, remove the putty knife and reposition so that you can fill that area with sealant as well. Then, press the flashing firmly into place to make sure the sealant makes contact all along the edge. It should ooze out slightly.
Then, place a nail in the existing nail hole or adjacent to it if the existing hole has been expanded. Drive it flush to the surface of the flashing with the hammer. Be careful not to overdrive the nail as this could bend the flashing out of shape and cause it to bow upward… not a good thing! Once the nail is holding the flashing securely in place, it’s time to seal the top of it. Run a bead of sealant along the top of the leading edge, covering the nail head. Use the putty knife to spread the bead evenly across the top of the leading edge. Avoid leaving a hump that could act as a dam for water. You want any moisture to flow as smoothly as possible over the flashing and down the roof.
Next. Take a look at the corners of the chimney where the flashing is secured. This is another area where water tends to find a way into your home. If there are gaps, use the sealant to seal them and the putty knife to smooth them out.
Finally, look along the face and sides of the chimney where the flashing terminates at the brick. If you see cracks or gaps in this area, seal them up, as well. If your chimney is painted, as this one is, use a paintable masonry caulk like the one described in the ‘’filling cracks in concrete’’ section of this book. Fill the gaps or cracks with the caulk and feather it into the surrounding area. If you’re feeling truly ambitious, you can remove the old sealant, but i’m all about getting the job done and getting out… and if the old sealant is stuck pretty well, I wouldn’t mess with it.

An easy way to see if your sealing job is effective is to take a look inside your attic where the chimney meets the roof. Do this on a rainy day and look for any damp spots. Hopefully, you won’t see any, but if you do… you’ll know right where to look back on the roof!

Skylight Flashing

Generally, what’s referred to as “step-flashing’’ is used around the perimeter of skylights. It could be any number of short (up to about 12 inches long) pieces of aluminum that overlap each other down each side of the window.

These are tied into longer lengths of flashing along the top and bottom that work together to keep water from seeping in around the perimeter.

I’ve removed the skylight from its position so that you can better see the step-flashing. I don’t advise you do the same. Just take a peek under the rim of the glass frame.

The most important thing you can do in this situation is to keep dirt and debris from building up around the edges. This organic material can cause miniature dams that allow water to flow back up and under the flashing and shingles.

Simply use a whisk broom or brush to sweep away the debris in the fall. Generally, a couple of cleanings a year is sufficient for this job, but if you have large trees that shed limbs or twigs, you might have to do it more often.

If you notice any nails protruding from the flashing, drive them back in (as described in the chimney flashing repair), coating the head of the nail with flashing sealant.

Roof Flashing

Check the areas where any two different roof lines meet on your home. You should see metal flashing similar to this.

Check for any rips or tears in the surface of the flashing. Use a small amount of clear silicone sealant to patch the hole if necessary.

This type of flashing tends to hold up pretty well, since it’s on a vertical surface and generally shielded. In some cases an object like a tree limb has made contact making a tear. Also look closely at any seams that may have become separated.

There could be a sealant of some form holding a seam like this together. If any foreign objects have become lodged in the seam, simply remove them. To prevent damaging the flashing, use a foam paint roller to flatten out any seams that may have become bent over time.

By taking a little time each year to inspect the flashing on your roof, you could be saving literally thousands of dollars in repairs. Remember the mantra, “water will find a way!’’ it’s your job to keep the roadblocks in place and performing their best!

[contact-form-7 id="54" title="Quote Form"]