30
votes
Accepted
Should I extend a drain vent that terminates in my attic?
Bad. Not only are you introducing stink and moisture to your attic, but toxic and potentially explosive gases as well.
Decomposing waste materials in public and private sewer and septic systems ...
- 129k
18
votes
How to properly plug nail holes in roof shingling?
On a cool day, or in the early morning before the sun is on the roof...
Use a putty knife or painter's bar to gently separate the layers of shingles. They should pop apart without tearing chunks out ...
- 129k
17
votes
Are tin roofs "permanent"?
I guess you mean a galvanized or otherwise coated steel. Life depends on weather, specifically rain. In a desert it will last forever. If the current coating is repaired at any damage spots, it will ...
- 8,271
17
votes
How can I monitor my roof to detect roof leaks before they cause damage?
I go up into my attic about once a month (or after we get a heavy storm) with a good flashlight and give everything a visual inspection. Specifically, I make sure I'm very accustomed to the way that ...
- 1,817
16
votes
How far should shingles hang over the drip edge of the roof?
It may depend on the specific brand and version of the shingles used. Here is an advisory from GAF a major manufacturer:
GAF Shingle Advisory
In it they say:
Shingles should not extend more than 3/4”...
- 23.1k
15
votes
Should I extend a drain vent that terminates in my attic?
You should fix this (see isherwood's answer), but you don't necessarily need to extend it back out of the roof again, assuming that you have at least one vent to the outside somewhere else in the ...
- 1,878
14
votes
Should plywood be missing on my roof?
As a R.R.C. and roofer for over 25 years, this doesn't surprise me. Anyone with a pickup truck and a ladder calls himself a roofer.
This is wrong, if they eliminated vents they should have replaced ...
- 141
12
votes
Accepted
What is the lifespan of plywood as roof decking?
I would give your business to one of the "is good and stays dry" roofers who are not blatantly trying to fleece you.
Now, the other two may be working from the assumption that if you bothered to call ...
- 200k
12
votes
How can I locate and repair a leak on a flat roof?
Clearly this has been a problem for a while and also the standing water and patch job on the flat section of the roof is to blame.
There is no real shortcut here, as you can see, so the solution is to ...
- 23.1k
10
votes
Are tin roofs "permanent"?
A galvanized roof that leaks may have leaky nails
Tin roofs are typically held down by nails, and over the years the nails loosen and leak. The new approach is to use nails or screws with an ...
10
votes
Accepted
Best way to join two timber rafters at the apex?
You can use plywood gussets attached with glue and nails or screws to join the rafter peaks. You can also use plain wood, but plywood is a bit tougher if it's not too hard to get.
I would suggest ...
- 200k
9
votes
Should plywood be missing on my roof?
It is not acceptable that the roofing materials were replaced over the plywood cutouts (which actually look more like breakouts).
One can surmise that the stripping crew came one day and removed all ...
- 64.1k
9
votes
Is fiberglass showing on roof shingles an indicator of immediate repair needed?
That's mostly cosmetic, especially since it's almost entirely on the top layer of a two-layer laminated shingle. It is unlikely to result in leaks. That said, they're probably going to continue to ...
- 129k
8
votes
Should plywood be missing on my roof?
WHAT, he eliminated your air vents? Wow, your update is so revealing: 1) sheetmetal is not an acceptable cover over large openings, 2) if sheetmetal was used, it was not nailed to the existing plywood,...
- 23.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Can gutters be installed on top of shingles?
Sometimes the stars align and answers are provided.
After i posted my comment this morning I was watching a previous episode of This old house in which they are restoring a New England Victorian ...
- 13.5k
8
votes
How do I know if a roofing company is using subcontractors?
First, if you have a contract with someone, and a question/suspicion arises about the work specified in that contract, you should just ask the person you are contracting with, rather than go online ...
- 1,010
8
votes
How can I monitor my roof to detect roof leaks before they cause damage?
Roof leaks are caused by many different things. For example:
Shingles or tiles: Cracked, broken, missing, worn
Flashing: Loose, broken, missing, poorly installed, worn
Gutters: misaligned, clogged
...
- 34.2k
7
votes
Best way to install gutters on roof with no vertical facia or eaves
This would be a situation where you'll have to use gutter straps (usually in T or K style):
Image credit to acehardware.com
They install on the roof decking - make sure to follow the manufacturer's ...
- 6,905
6
votes
Should roofing nails be visible in the attic?
Most sheathing now is 1/2 to 3/4 at most and a shingle is only about an 1/8 so with that being said the distance with synthetic is about an inch. If you're using a nail gun, which most roofers do, ...
- 61
6
votes
What is the lifespan of plywood as roof decking?
It's a mistake for the roofers to say that the plywood will definitely have to be replaced. However, they may be familiar with homes in your area, that were built around the same time. So they may ...
- 131k
6
votes
Should plywood be missing on my roof?
To properly answer this question requires proper interpretation of:
Published Building Codes (depending on what part of Canada the residence is in. Canadian Building Codes applicable to the specific ...
- 69
6
votes
How can I monitor my roof to detect roof leaks before they cause damage?
A visual inspection once a year or after a severe storm. A great pair of binoculars could save you trips to up on the roof. Look for any shingles that have lifted or are torn. Also look for nails that ...
- 78.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Can I anchor a safety harness with a ladder or the side of the house?
CERTAINLY NOT A LADDER.
My biggest ladder weighs 50 lb. I weigh considerably more than that. If I tied myself to my biggest ladder and fell, I'd keep falling and the ladder would get yanked onto the ...
- 200k
6
votes
Accepted
How to restore copper hip roof
Just wait a while longer and you'll get lovely verdigris green. The copper oxides actually help protect the roof. But depending on yout local atmosphereic conditions getting from brown/black to green ...
- 200k
5
votes
Accepted
Roof trusses left out in rain, are they still good?
I believe this article should give you some answers:
http://www.sbcmag.info/article/2012/truss-storage
In short, it all depends on how the trusses look after the time. The article says that they may ...
- 3,714
5
votes
Accepted
What do you think this roof construction is?
There are several ways to do this but given that the building is small, not in the Far East, and obviously not an expensive architecture demonstration, the builder probably simulated carved rafters by ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
What is this architectural shingle condition called? Is it reparable?
It’s called “self sealing” shingles (or lack thereof).
Shingles are made to self seal to each other by having the sun heat them up (including the asphalt strip on the underside) and the weight of ...
- 23.1k
5
votes
Is a cracked roof title considered cosmetic
Tile roofs can last anywhere from 35 to 50 years, depending on the roofing material installed under the tile. Cracked tile often happen from people walking on them during pressure cleaning or gutter ...
- 78.6k
5
votes
Ridge Beam Crack?
If the crack is in a part of the roof that has rafters on either side, it will not matter as long as the rafters on the other side are directly opposite of the ones in the picture. Since the picture ...
- 34.2k
5
votes
How can I locate and repair a leak on a flat roof?
Your problem is going to be finding where the leak is coming from. I have found leaks that came in more than 10’ from the entry point. The water can travel under the rolled roofing and drip down at a ...
- 102k
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