Moisture trapped in the roof for too long can cause mold, mildew, and structural damage. Roof repair and insulation can help eliminate these issues.
Regular roof repairs keep problems from escalating into major, expensive issues. If you see signs of roof damage, schedule an inspection to ensure that your home is protected. To learn more, visit https://www.corpuschristiroofingco.com/.
A good roofer is careful to repair shingles in a manner that will camouflage the repairs, because shingle patches that aren’t seamlessly blended into the rest of the roof can be quite noticeable. It’s also important to rescue curling or weathered shingles before they’re completely ruined, as that can allow water in and damage the underlying wood.
While some homeowners use tar sealant to repair a curled shingle, Shirley says that this isn’t a long-term solution and can actually lead to further problems down the road. Instead, he recommends pulling up the damaged shingle and replacing it with a new one.
To replace a damaged shingle, first loosen the adhesive underneath it with a pry bar or hammer claw, then pull out the nails at the top. Repeat this process for the shingle above it, and then carefully remove the damaged shingle itself. When the area is clear, it’s a good idea to examine the surrounding shingles for any signs of damage that might indicate the need for additional work.
Once you’ve re-nailed the new shingle in place, slide a replacement 3-tab shingle into its position and nail it down with four roofing nails. If possible, try to avoid “facing nailing” a shingle (putting a new shingle over existing nails that penetrate it), because this can puncture or otherwise damage the shingle beneath.
You can buy a bundle of shingles at your local home improvement store that closely matches the color and style of your existing ones. If you’re unsure about the exact match, look in your gutter for an accumulation of colored granules that have washed down from the surrounding shingles. These can be crushed up and sprinkled over the sealant on the repaired shingle to help it blend in with the surrounding shingles. It’s a good idea to purchase more shingles than you’ll need for your repairs, so you have them on hand for future repairs. You can also buy shingle cement or adhesive at your home improvement store to help secure your repairs. Some shingles come with this pre-installed, though, so it might not be necessary for you.
Repairing Damaged Flashing
Over time, flashing can become loose or even pulled from your roof. This happens because the metal rusts, and the sealant wears away. A professional roofer can quickly repair this problem, preventing water from infiltrating your home and damaging wood roof decking.
You can usually spot flashing damage by water stains on the ceiling or walls. However, you should also conduct regular roof inspections to catch any problems early on.
Flashing repairs can be tricky, because most of it protrudes under the shingles. You may need to remove the shingle and replace the flashing entirely. This can be costly, but it’s important to take the time to do it right. If you try to simply add a new layer of flashing over an old one, water will seep in between the two layers and cause further damage.
When a flashing section becomes damaged, the resulting leak can cause moisture to penetrate your roof’s sheathing and insulation, leading to structural damage and costly repairs. In addition, moisture intrusion can promote mold growth, compromising your family’s health and safety. It can also reduce the efficiency of your heating and cooling system, causing higher energy bills.
If you’re handy and have experience working on DIY projects, repairing flashing is a relatively simple process. To do it, you’ll need roofing cement, a caulking gun, and a pry bar. First, locate the area of the roof where you suspect a leak is occurring. You’ll need to remove a few rows of shingles to get access to the flashing. Next, prepare a strip of adhesive ice-and-water barrier to slip underneath the shingles at the point where the soffit and main roof meet. Place it over the damaged flashing and nail it into place. Cover the nail heads with roofing cement.
If the damaged flashing is around a vent pipe, you’ll need to remove a few more shingles. Then, you’ll need to remove the flange of the vent pipe and replace it with a new piece of flashing. Nail it in place and cover it with a layer of roofing cement.
Repairing Damaged Vent Boots
If you have a roof leak or have noticed water damage around a vent pipe, chances are the rubber boot that seals around the pipe is worn out. This can be easily fixed with a little work and some caulk.
Roof vents are important for a number of reasons. They allow sewer gases to escape safely, create neutral air pressure and prevent sewage backups and they help with ventilation of your home. But, when the rubber boots that seal these vents break down it can create an avenue for water to enter your home. Luckily, this is an easy fix for homeowners and can be done in just a few minutes.
To begin the process I start by loosening the shingles up around and above the vent using a flat bar. This should be done carefully as you don’t want to cause shingle tears. Once the shingles are loosened you can pull up the flashing and the boot. The next step is to replace the old rubber boot. There are several ways to do this. One way is to use a silicone adhesive and simply put a new boot on top. While this may work it is considered a temporary solution and will not last as long.
A better method is to remove the old boot and replace it with a new boot flashing. This involves removing the old shingle and stripping back the aluminum flashing underneath, but it provides a more permanent solution. This is what I will show you in this blog.
Before you go to the roof and start tearing up shingles, be sure you have a ladder that is tall enough to reach your roof and a few basic shingle repair tools like a knife, nails and a hammer in case you need to lift shingles to get at the pipe boot. You will also need a new vent boot and some butyl rubber caulk.
Starting on the bottom half of the pipe, I stretch a 5 in. wide piece of flashing tape over the existing boot and onto the aluminum flashing making sure to push it into all the contours. Then, I trim the tape evenly so the new boot can slide over it without getting caught up on the tape.
Repairing Damaged Kick-Out Flashing
In my experience, missing or improperly installed kick-out flashing is one of the most common causes of moisture damage in homes here in the Northwest. The simplest little piece of flashing can prevent thousands of dollars in repairs by keeping water out of walls where roofs meet wall structures.
Essentially, it’s an “L” shaped flashing that bridges the gap between where step flashing ends and gutter begins. It’s designed to divert all of the rain water from the wall to the gutter, preventing it from flowing down the side of the house or into it behind the siding, stucco or stone.
If a home is built without this crucial flashing or the roofer doesn’t install it correctly, water will flow down the side of the house and into wall materials such as drywall, sheathing, wood framing and rotted insulation. Over time this will cause expensive rot, mold and moisture related repair to the home.
Home inspections are a great way to help keep homes up to code, and missing or incorrectly installed kick-out flashing is something that can be easily caught during a home inspection. However, it is not usually caught until serious moisture damage is already present.
The easiest way to properly install this flashing is to do it during the roofing process and peel back a small section of shingle, roof, siding, counter flashing and ice/water shield (where needed) to slip it underneath. The leg that will abut the house should be bent at a slight angle to encourage drainage, and it should be sized to be able to handle a shear of water in a storm.
During the inspection of the house pictured below, I found the leg of the kick out flashing to be angled at the wrong direction, causing water to flow down the wall instead of into the gutter. It had run down 2 stories of the wall, saturated and soaked all of the sheathing and insulation in the crawlspace and had caused significant rot on the exterior sheathing.
A qualified EIFS inspector will know to look for these issues and will make sure that the appropriate flashings are in place and sized correctly to prevent costly moisture damage down the road. This is just another example of why hiring a professional home inspector when you are buying a new home and having them come back annually can save you thousands of dollars in repairs from major moisture related damage to the home.