Roofers view.

Roof related problems.
Seen thru the eyes of an experienced roofer.
Specialty:preventative maintenance.
Prolong the life of an existing roof.
Visual check,photograph and document roofs and its components to ensure a watertight seal.
Repairs are done on the spot or an assessment is given.
Pictures shown are the most common problems found.
Steep:shingles,slate,spanish and french tile.
Flat:hot tar,modified (smooth,granular),epdm,tpo.
Misc:rain gutters,copper valleys,sheet metal works.
Reflective aluminum coatings (fibered and non fibered)

Saturday, December 12, 2015

The real cost of cable tv

Home owner called in very concerned about a dark stain.
This was taking place in the same direction as the fireplace

On the second floor in one of the bedrooms water dripped so bad .
The homeowner cut the drywall to allow the water out and prevent further damage.

This was a 3 story building a 40ft ladder was needed,not for the average  homeowner.

This chimney cap has seen better days.
Preventative maintenance,a coat of paint a handful of screws
The real cost of not having your roof checked.
A heating contractor was also needed to replace the obvious
.

Roofersview
This has to be secured for the time being until entire chimney cap replacement

This are only visible when the roof its checked closely.
This property its very high next to an open field.
Wind had its way with this chimney flashing

This flashing cap was re-fastened and a premium quality sealant was used to permanently seal.
Until replacement with anew galvanized chimney cap
Notice the water on top,this chimney cap even though its galvanized,will eventually rust.
Preventative maintenance (a coat of paint) at least once a year will pay for itself.

The attic was inspected and the water stain stemmed from around a bathroom soil stack pvc pipe

Very "convenient"
Definitely visible only from a roofers view

This flexible neoprene flashing was allowing wind driven rain to get in

Properly fastened and sealed to prevent water intrusion.
No exposed nail heads to prevent corrosion.
The rest of this roof was in sound condition

Latent defect

Preventative maintenance will always save you money

This was right above the 4 year old baby's bedroom
only found after a close inspection there is no substitute for experience.
and due diligence.

Water logged ceiling,window nightmare

Homeowner noticed the water stains nearby his fireplace.
Stains could be seen on the ceiling tiles

This was taking place in more than one location

Water could be seen spilling over the rain gutter and onto the window.

Water damage rotting out the base of the window

The entire window sill was saturated with water and soft to the touch

Regular preventative maintenance could have prevented this issue

Solid and packed with debris,water will easily spill over.
In the middle of winter this would have been a nightmare.
Recipe for ice dam.All these were removed.
Downspouts disconnected.And re-attached.
No more water spilling over walkway

The entire 30 ft length was in the same condition


Above the fireplace.definitely a roofers view.
Water will follow a path

This could not be seen from the ground.

Failing caulk,basic maintenance goes beyond words.

snow and ice would have inflicted more damage.
loose wooden siding was re-fastened 

Urethane based caulk.CLEAR.
Ensures an appealing finished product.

This will prevent the boards from splitting any further.

When these openings are sealed will prevent moisture from  entering.
Water  normally flows inside the chimney housing and down the rafters.
The  close inspection goes a long way.
Basic maintenance will always pay in damage prevention.

Faulty roof drain

Visible damage,water was pouring out of this part of the ceiling.

We found a drain above this unit

This is a massive flat roof wit only two drains both of them blocked .
Leaves and other debri were packed solid,stopping the water flow all together.

Open seams,not a good combination especially on a low spot on the roof.

This material has been here for a while a roof coating might have helped.
This is a good candidate for a re-stripping of all the questionable seams.
And a fibered roof coating.

Hairline cracks all around this faulty drain

After debri removal and prior to be reflashed and sealed.

A plumber needs to check all this cast iron and pvc or plastic components.

Drying and priming will be needed to ensure a good membrane application.
Most important a watertight seal.

Primed and partially torched down modified.

Past beyond all the faulty seams in the vicinity

Bled out all the seams and applied a bead of roof cement.
Metal basket was placed back on securely.
roofers view.

Last days of Fall

Homeowner noticed water stains after the last heavy storms.

Also this showed in other areas as well.

The culprit!

Regular preventative maintenance.At least once a year.

A roofers view 

There was a heavy layer of dead leaves not visible from the ground
This was blocking the water downspout completely.

The eminent damage,again not visible unless you have your attic checked as well.

At this point even the rafter is weakened by the water damage.

Plywood needs to be replaced and rafter reinforced to prevent a low spot on the roof.
Snow and ice over a low spot will cause tremendous interior damage.

All of these over clogged up rain gutters and downspouts.
When this backs up in the middle of winter you have an ice dam.
Costly repairs interior and exterior .
Remember preventative maintenance its the key.
7

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Ponding water !

Re-roof recently completed. The conditions on this roof were rather troubling.
This had been serviced by others,and of course its always a lot harder to fix somebody elses mess.
several cracks were visible on the existing material.
Needless to say this roof held a lot of water,it even leaked during the days it did not rain.

Moisture was visible on the existing "patches" good old roof cement after a few months of severe
weather will take a toll on the temporary seal.

Hairline cracks,this material had been up on the roof for a long time,something of this nature needs replacement,there's no substitute for a new roof
.

 Almost completed,one way vents were installed.and termination bar was installed to prevent the flashing from falling in the future,good quality urethane based caulk was applied as a final seal

Panoramic view
 
 
Quite a difference.almost like day and night.