Help me think this through – is “bandaid” roofing repair going to make things worse?
I need some help thinking this through. We have been dealing with moisture in our dining room ceiling since the second week of January. Had this section of the ceiling removed end of January by a restoration company. We were hoping it was a one time ice dam, but it leaked again yesterday (with melting snow but a small snow with no ice this time). We’ve got that dried out. The whole restoration process has been financially a lot, and we have a mold-sensitive kiddo so wanting to ensure this doesn’t get wet again.
So here’s where I’d love your advice. This area is by/under a complicated roofline (pan flashing, step flashing, kickout flashing all right there). The 3 roofers we’ve had out don’t know exactly where water is getting in. One did a hose test of this lower portion of roof with all the flashings (there’s a second story above it he didn’t have time to test), and nothing dripped in. But we haven’t hose tested the upper level and my husband and I can’t get up there safely with a hose to do so. All 3 roofers recommended redoing this entire section of roof, since the exact spot is unknown. They’d take out the pan flashing and build a cricket to direct water away from the house better. However, this repair is at least 2 weeks out, likely 3 weeks.
We are expecting several day-long rains next week, each totally around an inch. One roofer said he could come out this Friday, so before the rains, and seal the shingle set back joints, step flashing overlaps and any other conspicuous areas, with caulk. He said the only downside Or this is the cost, as it carries low probability of solving the issue. A second roofer said he’d recommend NOT doing the band-aid fix, as we don’t know where the water is coming in, and the bandaid fix could make matters worse.
Feel like a sitting duck here. Would you do the bandaid roof repair or punt? Thanks for your time.
Replies
I would skip the band-aid. Spend some money on managing the leak, and plan for an informed upgrade and re-roof.
How would you suggest managing the leak? Thanks for your thoughts.
You know it will leak, catch the water as you can. You may want to drape plastic sheets or waterproof tarps or move some items out of the way if they seem likely to be dripped on that should not get wet.
Use fans and/or dehumidifiers to get rid of moisture which is where it should not be to reduce growth of mold.
“Caulk and paint make for what a carpenter ain’t.”
Can you post some pictures of the house and show us the complicated roof line?
I had a similar problem with water coming in about 5 feet into the house and near a chimney. I was due for a new roof so I got a new one. However, the new roof did not fix the problem, even though they were careful with good flashing and other areas around the chimney. The roofer water tested the new roof to prove that his roof was good, so we had to look elsewhere for the leak. It turned out to be coming in from wind through the face boards just below the roof, then running over into an area about 5 feet into the house. The short story is that the leak had nothing to do with the chimney or flashing or edging, which are the obvious places to look. I suspect that your older house might have a similar problem.
Our solution was to re-caulk everything we could find all around the area that the water could possible come in. Everything good now.
Everything good...for now.
Caulk only lasts forever in AdLand.
For the record, I agree with the No-BandAid crowd- it will be at least somewhat expensive without any guarantee of a permanent solution and may temporarily disguise the real problem. Unclemike's tarp&fan solution counts as a BandAid, but at least it's cheap and acknowledged to be temporary.
A few questions...
Can you post pictures of the suspect roof area with the pan/step/kick out flashing?
How old is the roof, and is it a single layer of asphalt shingles?
What is the siding material? Is it vinyl?