Roof leaks only during heavy rain

Posted by Mikepier on October 14, 2005, 4:32 am

Here in the NYC area we have had continuous rain for about the past 6-7
days. Just to give you an idea, on the radio this morning they said the
last time we got this much rain was back in 1913.
Anyway, a leak in my kitchen ceiling prompted me to go into the attic
to find where the roof was leaking. While I did find the spot, I could
not find anywhere on the roof that would lead me to believe there was a
problem. This is a regular sloped asphalt shingle roof about 10-15
years old which was put on top of the existing roof.
I've never had leaks before, this is the first time I noticed a
problem. Is it normal to get leaks during prolonged heavy rain with a
NE wind? Also, could the leak be actually coming from someplace else on
the roof and traveling to the spot I see in the attic?

Posted by RicodJour on October 14, 2005, 5:17 am

Mikepier wrote:

> Here in the NYC area we have had continuous rain for about the past 6-7
> days. Just to give you an idea, on the radio this morning they said the
> last time we got this much rain was back in 1913.
> Anyway, a leak in my kitchen ceiling prompted me to go into the attic
> to find where the roof was leaking. While I did find the spot, I could
> not find anywhere on the roof that would lead me to believe there was a
> problem. This is a regular sloped asphalt shingle roof about 10-15
> years old which was put on top of the existing roof.
> I've never had leaks before, this is the first time I noticed a
> problem. Is it normal to get leaks during prolonged heavy rain with a
> NE wind? Also, could the leak be actually coming from someplace else on
> the roof and traveling to the spot I see in the attic?

Yes, and yes.

Welcome to the world, and art, of leak detection. Direction of wind
and intensity of rain both play a part. Often the easiest way to
replicate a leak to track it down, is to use a hose and send the stream
in the direction of the prevailing wind that causes the leak. Work
your way up from the bottom of the roof as water rarely runs uphill.

The leak may be caused by something as small as a stray nail placed so
that it isn't under cover of the shingle above, or isn't under enough
cover. The water may travel along the top of the roof sheathing until
it hits a seam and enters at that point. If you can see the underside
of the roof sheathing, you're ahead of the game as you now have
narrowed down your search to one piece of plywood.

R

Posted by on October 14, 2005, 9:05 am

Just get a new roof. What's the problem?
If it's 10 - 15 years old, it's due to be replaced anyhow.

wrote:

>Here in the NYC area we have had continuous rain for about the past 6-7
>days. Just to give you an idea, on the radio this morning they said the
>last time we got this much rain was back in 1913.
>Anyway, a leak in my kitchen ceiling prompted me to go into the attic
>to find where the roof was leaking. While I did find the spot, I could
>not find anywhere on the roof that would lead me to believe there was a
>problem. This is a regular sloped asphalt shingle roof about 10-15
>years old which was put on top of the existing roof.
>I've never had leaks before, this is the first time I noticed a
>problem. Is it normal to get leaks during prolonged heavy rain with a
>NE wind? Also, could the leak be actually coming from someplace else on
>the roof and traveling to the spot I see in the attic?

Posted by Mikepier on October 14, 2005, 9:26 am

kellykarter@msn.com wrote:

> Just get a new roof. What's the problem?
> If it's 10 - 15 years old, it's due to be replaced anyhow.

The roof is not in need of replacement. It is in good shape.

I have these 2 pics. I have a split level house. The leak is about 2
feet in from the sliding glass doors and 3 feet to the right of where
the roof meets the wall.

http://mp656.photosite.com/

I'm thinking the problem might be starting where the wall is, and the
water is making its way to the bottom over the patio doors.

Posted by Gideon on October 14, 2005, 7:11 pm

Kelly wrote in message ...
Just get a new roof. What's the problem?
If it's 10 - 15 years old, it's due to be replaced anyhow.

====================

A gold star for Kelly, a contender for author of this week's least logical
advise on alt.home.repair. Based upon what the homeowner said (which you
repeated) this roof could be as new as 10 year. And it could have 30-40 year
shingles. Only a moron or somebody with a lot of money to burn replaces a 10
or even 15 year old roof blindly without determining the cause of the leak.

FYI, I had cheap, 15 year builder-installed shingles on my house. I replaced
the roof a few years ago when it was 38 years old. I inspected both the roof
and the attic several times per year for signs of leaks and water damage. I
deferred replacing the roof because I anticipated a major addition to the house
and I didn't want to pay for multiple roofing projects in the space of a few
years. I considered this safe since the roof was functionally sound. I
replaced it when I determined that the home addition wasn't practical and I
began to detect signs that the integrity of the roof was finally compromised.

One full 4x8 sheet of sheathing was spongy and needed replacement. A second
3x8 section of sheathing was also in need of replacement. Obviously, a full
tearoff was in order. But, replacing the roof every 10-15 years would have
cost me for one or more tearoffs anyway. Very thorough inspection revealed
that there was no damage other than the 2 sections of sheathing.

I am certainly not suggesting that folks attempt to get 35-40 years service
from an inexpensive roof. I'm just highlighting the fact that situations vary
and most roofs should give much more than 10-15 years service. If somebody
is too dumb or too lazy to do a few inspections per year, then more frequent
replacement is advisable. But nobody should every follow your blind advise.

If the roof and sheathing appear to be functionally and cosmetically sound,
then find the location of the leak and fix it. The homeowner should replace
the roof only if reasonable efforts fail to detect the cause of the leak.

Gideon

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