Lyons Roofing

Roof Replacement and Repair Contractor Louisville, KY and Indiana

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Chimney Leak

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Rain pouring into your living room or den can be an unwanted experience? So what if you have a fireplace in your living area and you get the unsightly brown spots or water dripping on the floor or running down after every rain.

 

chimney leak

 

Chimneys


Chimneys and fireplaces are beautiful and relaxing. If you are fortunate enough to have one in your living room then you can relax with a good book and listen to the crackle of a warm fire on a cold winter night. Or even better, maybe you have one in your bedroom and can set the mood with your spouse and a nice glass of wine!

chimney-flashing

The provide dimension to the outside of your home and give the classic America feel to most homes. But, if flashing is installed improperly or sealant begins to break down you can find yourself using the wine glasses to catch water and that romantic mood can quickly turn into a nightmare!

 

Problems with chimneys

 

What can cause these leaks? First, your flashing could be the biggest problem. So what if you have a brick fireplace, then check the sealant along your counter flashing. If it is broken or cracked, that is more than likely your problem. If you have siding on your home, check the corners of the chimney and flashing, the flashing wraps around the corner and any sealant can break down over time.

 

chimney brick

Some lesser known problems can include sealing of your brick. Over time your brick can become porous and create a sponge effect when it rains. Regardless of how good your chimneys flashing job is, it could still leak!

 

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If your chimney is any more than four foot wide you more than likely need to have a saddle installed to divert the water around each side of the chimney instead of directly in the back.

 

Check with your local professional roofing contractor and have an inspection done if you think you have any problems. It is better to make sure al of these problems are addressed during replacement but can be easily addressed if needed after your roof has been replaced.

Can roof flashing mean roof leak?

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roof flashing

Roof flashing has many jobs on your home. There can be many different styles of flashing on your home, from drip edge to step and counter flashing, pan flashing, pipe collars and vents, both HVAC and plumbing.

 

It is more than likely that if your roof has not been properly maintained and inspected over the years, you could be in trouble and have a potential leak just waiting to strike.

 

Different styles of roof flashing

 

Drip edge:

 Drip edge

Drip edge is your first and one of the most important flashings on your roof. It does not look like much but without it you will have a lot of roof decking to replace during your next roof replacement

The purpose of drip edge is to prevent the roll over of water to the decking. This small piece of metal, installed on the base and the rakes of the roof prevents water from being blown on to the decking or water rolling over the edges of the shingles and working back to the roof deck.

 

Step Flashing

step flashing 

Step Flashing is very important. Not everyone has this style roof flashing on their home. Step flashing is used in areas that either walls for another story on your home or a chimney would protrude out of your roof.

 

This flashing normally never seen goes between the shingles and behind either wood or vinyl siding or counter flashing on brick homes. This flashing allows water to run below the shingle on top and run off onto the shingles below. One important thing to note is that this flashing should never be nailed down towards the bottom. This will likely create a leak.

 

Counter Flashing

 roof counter flashing

Counter flashing is a roof flashing used on brick homes or in areas of brick chimneys protruding out of the roof. This flashing is used to protect the step flashing below and gives a decorative look to the brick areas on your roof.

 

Now, keep in mind there are different ways counter flashing can be installed on your home. Neither being wrong, counter flashing can be nailed to the brick with a stiffener bend along the top and front and sealed with silicone caulking. Secondly, some contractors prefer to cut the flashing into the mortar joints and re-tuck the mortar leaving a more long term flashing. Both are normal practice but the later can make it a little harder the change out if your metal ever needs replacement.

 

 

Pan Flashing

 pan flashing

Pan flashing, very similar to step flashing is installed on the front area of any dormers or chimneys that are protruding out of your roof. This flashing is meant to protect the area where shingles are cut to match up to the wall or chimney. This flashing will be hidden behind siding but visible on the roof. On brick homes you will see both the roof and wall faces of this siding matching up with the counter flashing that is installed along the walls.

 

This flashing will be nailed on both the wall and roof side. Like counter flashing can be cut in the mortar or laid on top and sealed on both sides. All nail heads on bot roof and wall side should be sealed with silicone.

 

Make sure that when your pan flashing is installed that they include stiffener bends on both sides to ensure your metal does not warp and wrinkle due to temperature changes.

 

Pipe Collars

 

Pipe Collars are in a league of their own. Depending on plumbing or HVAC needs you could have anywhere from one to who knows how many! Your pipe collars provide protection from and pipes or heat stacks that protrude from your roof.

 

These flashings are installed easily but do require the most maintenance. Pipe collars should be checked at least every year to ensure the rubber seal around the pipe itself has not started to dry rot. Pipe collars can be replaced during your roofs life cycle but normally a small bead of silicone around the rubber seal can give you a few more years of life.

 

There are newer versions of pipe collars that provide a lifetime guarantee these can be found at your local Lowes or Home Depot.

 

Conclusion

 

Regardless of what kind of roof flashing you have on your roof, you should have it checked at a minimum yearly to make sure there are no small potential problems that will turn into a big leak. Contact your local professional roofing contractor to schedule an inspection.

Do you have bump’s on your roof?

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Have you ever looked up when pulling into the driveway and seen random bumps on your roof? On the other hand, what about long raised sections systematically lifting up all over your roof? If so, you could have a major problem!

 

What causes bumps on your roof?

 

Lets start with the small random bumps on your roof. Multiple things could cause these small raised sections. Most commonly know as nail pops, these areas are caused by either a roofing nail not being driven all of the way in or one that gets driven in side ways and will hold the shingle up just slightly.

 

buckled plywood

On the other hand what about the long raised up sections that seem to be showing up systematically on your roof? This is a easy problem to diagnose, but not very easy to fix. The fix on this is something that can be very intrusive. However, we will dive into that later. These long raised up sections are from improperly nailed roof decking. If your home has plywood decking below your shingles and the plywood was not nailed properly. In time the decking will start to warp and curl on the ends causing these raised sections.

 

How to fix bumps on your roof

 

            Nail Pops:

 bumps on roof

Small areas otherwise known as nail pops can be easily fixed by a homeowner if they can safely do so. In most cases, a simple hammer on the nail will take care of the problem. However, if your shingles are sealed to the point where you cannot safely pull them apart without tearing them then you may need the help of a professional to take care of the problem.

 

If you are fortunate to still be under your roof warranty this is something that will be covered under labor warranties. If not depending on how many nail pops you have on your home you may have to shell out a few hundred dollars to have a company come in and fix the problem.

 

            Buckled Plywood:

 

What if you are one of the unlucky ones that has the problem of buckling plywood? This is most likely something you will have to consult a professional contractor on. It can be a possible easy fix, but you would have to go to every raised section and drive screws into the decking to try to pull it straight back to the rafters. However, if you put the screws through the shingles then you will have the perfect storm for leaks all over your roof. Even if you put the screws through the lower layer of shingles, you could great the opportunity for a leak.

 

nail pops

 

The only way to properly fix this is during the full replacement of the roof. At that time, a contractor can address the raised decking and if needed replace any decking that has warped beyond repair.

 

Regardless of small bumps or larger raised ridges along your roofline, if you have a steeper pitched roof you should contact a professional contractor. It is much safer and can take care of the problem without having to leave the comfort of flat ground. Yes, it may cost you a few dollars but at least you know the work will be done right and done the first time.

Roof Leak at Pitch change

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Do you have a pitch change on your roof? Do you have a nagging leak you just cannot figure out in that same area?

What is a pitch change?

pitch change

First off, what exactly is a pitch change? Most commonly, found on homes that have an extended front porch tying into their main home. It can be found on normal homes that have been built with dimension in order to break up the look of a straight home.

 

So how exactly can a pitch change create problems? Is it something that can be fixed in a DIY situation or something a professional contractor should address?

Problem areas in pitch change

Pitch changes do create an interesting situation. In areas that receive a fair amount of snow or long cold spells are at high risk of ice damns forming in areas of pitch changes. This can allow water to back up and work its way behind shingles and coming into your home.

 

Additionally, during the installation of your roof if nails are installed right in the middle of the pitch change can create major problems.

What to do?

So how as a homeowner can you try to fix this yourself? Well there is no easy way to as a homeowner. This issue should be address one by a professional contractor and even better if addressed during the original installation.

 

If you are installing the roof as a homeowner or having a contractor install the roof then its best to make sure you request an Owens Corning ice and water shield or similar product, in the pitch change in addition to all valleys. Make sure there are no nails nailed directly in the center of the pitch change.

replacement pitch change

Those seem like simple enough but a major issue that most people miss and even some contractors miss is “short shingling” the lower slope. If the slope is below a 2/12 pitch then an asphalt shingle system is out of the question, you must go with a system designed for low slopes.

 

Extra Protection

Another extra layer of protection that some companies install and we at the Lyons Roofing Company recommend is for any low slope system from 2/12 to a 4/12 pitch we install Owens Corning Ice and Water shield on the entire section.

 

As a homeowner or a do it yourselfer make sure you address these areas during the installation. If not you will have years and years of headaches.

 

Add Another Layer to your Roof?

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Should you Add another layer to your roof?

Tear off or add another layer

Is it time to replace your roof? I know we all dread that day! So why not just add another layer to your roof and avoid the cost of labor and dump fees to remove that old roof? Is it a viable option, or should you just replace the whole roof and call it a day?

 

So what is the big deal anyway, why cant you just throw another layer of shingles on top of the existing?

 

In some cases, you can. However, most building codes limit a home to only having two layers, most homes can handle two layers but adding a third can greatly stress rafters and other structural parts of your home. Additionally, make sure that the product you decide to use warranties this type of application.

 

Why you should not add another layer to your roof

 

We talked about the basics, to much weight, against code, warranties. Why are those important factors? I mean it is the same thing on top of another right?

 

First, roofing material suppliers want their products to last. Layering shingles in the eyes of a manufacturer diminishes the overall performance of their product; if they say it is a lifetime shingle and it only lasts 17 years, you would be pretty upset right?

 

Multiple layers means more wear and tear on the new shingles, the layer below can create an effect that traps heat in and hurts the overall life expectancy of the shingle. The shingles are not able to breath and any cool air that your attic ventilation brings in will be used to cool the bottom layer instead of your newer higher performing layer.

 

Weight from multiple layers

 

Your home is a machine, designed to perform in a certain way for its life. Any change in design that you may cause can have detrimental effects over the life of your home, including adding multiple layers of shingles.

 

Bet you are probably sitting there looking up at your ceiling and wondering, how much weight does it really add?

 

Let us say you have an average size home (35 sq.) you decide to add an additional layer of Owens Corning Duration coming in at lets say 70 lbs. a bundle now with this particular shingle you are looking at three bundles per square. That comes out to a total of an additional 7,350 lbs. on your roof. Yes, if you have one layer on your roof, your home will more than likely hold it and you will never know the difference. However, you could be just setting yourself up for some major settling and structural issues down the road.

 

However, ask yourself this, would you park an Escalade on your home and not worry about it?

 

So there, you have it, just a few reasons why some roofing contractors may try to talk you out of a second layer. Do not think they are just trying to talk you out of it because it only means more on the total bill right now. They more than likely have your interest at heart and I know if Lyons Roofing Company is going to put their name on it, we want it to last. I am sure plenty of other companies feel the same way.