Any roofers in the house?

[pmer]

I could use the ABCs leak repair.

I have a leak that only shows up for heavy down pours and looking up from the wet insulation in the attic there is a stack for the bathroom fan. On the roof at the vent for the fan there isn't any roof cement or tar and there is a shingle that is a little loose. Do you think it just needs some tar up there?

Up and to the left of the bath fan vent is a plastic attic vent. The flat portion on the lower side has a crack in it too.

[clintsfolly]

Tar both and see if it works!! this is my advice but i haven't roofed in 10-15yrs Clint

[dragonrider]

They should have a tight fitting rubber boot around them that tucks under and over the shingles thus preventing leaks.

[Jammer Six]

Too many variables there to answer over the internet. No pros are going to try with the post you made.

Every case is different.

I hate rubber boots, and never use them. They leak a lot sooner than lead.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

climb up in the attic , follow the water , it will usually show you where the leak is , often it runs down the sheeting a ways till it hits a seam before it drops down to the insulation.

some times if your in the dark attic and you turn off your light you can see the daylight shining thru around a pipe or stack or the bullet hole in one case we had he was lucky it only cost him a tear off and 2 sheets of plywood that had rotted

had to remind him when he was chasing off hunters who had told him off when he politely told them they were on his land to stop riding circles around them on his atv emptying AK mags in the air or some day one of these rounds was going to his something more important than his roof

[pmer]

Thaks guys, I don't think there is a boot. I Googled vent boot too and it doesn't match what I have. It is a smallish looking metal vent with a opening facing down hill.

I suppose I should help the economy and call a roofer. But I'll try some tar.

Emptying AK mags in the air to chase hunters off... he does sound lucky.

[frkelly74]

Sorry, but I think if you had to google boot then you better get a pro to look at it. I make house calls but I am kind of far away.

[KYCaster]

Google is your friend.

"Add a roof vent"......dozens of videos on Youtube.

Jerry

[TCoggins]

The vent hood you're talking about is sheet metal, and has a flange. That flange should have been treated like a shingle when it was installed. By that, I mean that the flange should have been installed over the shingles in the previous row, and under the shingles in the next row, that way, water will flow off it.

If there are holes in the flange, that may be causing the leak (perhaps this vent was re-used when the roof was re-done, and water is going through previous nail holes)

Roofing tar may help. +1 on the idea of going into a dark attic and looking for daylight streaming through, that has helped me find more than one issue in a roof.

Good luck.

Tim

[Leslie Sapp]

Post a picture of what you're dealing with and I'll try to give you some guidance.

Leslie Sapp - Florida State Certified Roofing Contractor.

[gwpercle]

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ROOFER WITH AT LEAST 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE !

I have had a on-again , off -again sometimes it does , sometimes it don't, roof leak for the last 5 years. I can't remember how many times I have crawled around on that roof with a bucket of roof patching cement and spread it everywhere imaginable, everywhere it might be possible for water to get in . Installed new flashing and vent stacks. and sometimes did all this twice. The roof is hot and every thing I wear is covered in black asphalt cement on my clothes , skin , hair....the clothes never come clean and paint thinner is the only thing that gets your skin clean again.

Every freaking time I thought I had it stopped , it would rain and no leak, just to get my hopes up...then the next rain IT WOULD LEAK!!!!
I finally told my wife ... thats it I'm too old to be playing roofer, if I fall off that roof, the hospital bills would be way more than the roofer's. Call a good one with lots of experience.
When I left the house this morning the roofer was on the roof fixing it, and I have a no leak guarentee in writing. now I wish I had been smart enough to call him 4 years ago !

gary

[colt 357]

sound to me if your roof looks in good shape you need to seal around that vent. I check mine a couple times a year and seal them if needed. I buy the roof sealant that comes in a caulk tube. put the chaulk tube in a gun climb up and seal them I also take along a piece of wood or putty knife isn't as meesy that way.

[blackthorn]

I put up with "fix the dang roof" on three houses over the years. We bought this one 7 years ago and it had a Duroid shingle roof. Last fall I went up and it looked like it was going to start giving me problems soon --SO-- I got hold of a good contractor and we now have a brand new deep Green (same as the shop) metal roof!! I figger when that sucker starts to leak I will be just a little pile of ashes blowing around on the mountain top at the lake!

[Bob Krack]

So many well advised to "put tar on it" or "caulk" it or apply some other sealant is usually poor advice - primarily since most would think "if a little is good, a lot is better". Most novice attempts at sealant repairs actually create "dams" that trap or divert water and actually make the damage worse.

My brother has been a roofer for well over 40 years and any roof flashing he installs are entirely without sealants. Occasionally, a flashing must be installed with an exposed nail head requiring a small dab of sealant to keep the water from seeping down next to the nail and to prevent the nail rusting or other deterioration.

Chimney flashing or other flashing buried in existing masonry structures are the only exception I can think of right off hand.

Bob