What would you do?

[MaggieD]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

 

[Superfly]

Is that the only place that it's leaking? I guess what I am asking is - where it's coming in, is it a direct line to your living room? Or is it possible that it's leaking in the walls, and other places as well, that you might not see right away.

 

[PirateMk1]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

If the roofer hasn't already, have him the check the rest of the roof inside where he can get access to. If this leak is it, I personally would repair it especially up in you neck of the woods. You really don't want water inside your house. Besides making things wet or soggy they can get moldy if they stay that way for a period of time which is very expensive to get rid of. Also it can begin or accelerate deterioration of the building materials near the leak. Which means more stuff to fix. I would check with your insurance to see if they cover this sort of thing, they do in some policies so it behooves you to check. Even if it comes out of your pocket it will save you money in the long run in just additional repairs.

 

[Superfly]

And how much to replace the entire roof?

 

[Risky Thicket]

Call Angie's List and find a reputable roofer. Get a couple of opinions and estimates. Then decide.

Last year because of pigeon and quail crap I had a small leak in a corner of the roof. House, 17 years old, same thing. I have a red tile roof. None of the tiles were cracked. I finally decided to have them replace the felt under the tiles. They used a high grade felt, better than the builder. Using Angie's List i found an excellent roofer and saved almost $4,000.

(I also had a pigeon/quail company come out and put netting on the appropriate areas on my roof. Now the pigeons sit in a big tree and crap all over our ramada. )

I don't know about roofs in Chicago land, here in the desert the average roof needs replacing at around 15 to 20 years.

 

[MaggieD]

And how much to replace the entire roof?

I don't know the answer to that, but I'm thinking probably around $10,000 or more. (For a comparable product.)

 

[lizzie]

It would depend on what other damage could likely occur due to the leak. If it were me, I'd probably diy a new roof, assuming the roof wasn't extremely complicated. Since water leaks tend to cause damage slowly and gradually, I probably wouldn't feel too satisfied with just catching the leaking water in a bucket.

 

[Superfly]

It would depend on what other damage could likely occur due to the leak. If it were me, I'd probably diy a new roof, assuming the roof wasn't extremely complicated. Since water leaks tend to cause damage slowly and gradually, I probably wouldn't feel too satisfied with just catching the leaking water in a bucket.

that's what I'm worried about. Water carved out the grand canyon. Think of what it can do to your house.

 

[Lutherf]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

Fix the leak. What you described is fairly common and the suggested fix should be fine.

 

[longview]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

I would get several quotes on the repair, and have it repaired.
It might also be a good idea to start putting a little money aside for a new roof
in the next 10 to 15 years.

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Valleys are notorious for this kind of thing and it sounds like valley flashing was not properly installed. Get it fixed or you risk a lot of issues in your walls.

 

[Jerry]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

Your roof is the single most important part of your home. Even the foundation is second to the roof. Your roof protects everything.

Options:
1. Pull the nail in question and apply a generous amount of lap seal on both sides of the leak; under/over all shingles involved, the roof sheathing, everything. This is a bandied and will not last more than a couple months of rain, but is a $6 fix.

2. Do the repair yourself. A do-it-yourself project like this will cut the repair cost in half. No warranties, though.

3. Pay the $1,500 to have the roof don. Be sure to personally inspect the work with your own eyes. If you can't be there, ask them to take lots of pictures as they go.

 

[jimbo]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

What is the material in the roof? Architectural covers a lot of different styles, but a 40 year roof sounds like some form of composition, which is not all that difficult to repair. I would get several estimates. $1500 sounds high.

Putting a bucket under it is the worst possible solution.

 

[Gaius46]

I'd repair it. Water damage is insidious. Though $1500 sounds high to me. After Sandy I had a hole in my roof about a foot across and that only cost me $2,500 to repair - they wound up replacing a couple sheets of plywood (I live on Long Island which is a fairly expensive market for home repairs).

Personally I wouldn't do it myself. But I hate ladders and will look for any reason to not have to climb one.

 

[humbolt]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

There's some good advice here from others. Do the repair. Be careful about which ice shield you use. Some are self-sealing, and some aren't. If you're handy, you could probably do the repair yourself and save a good bit. If your roof is steep though, you might want to think about it. Valley flashing can be tricky sometimes. Depending on the aesthetics, I generally prefer to have exposed flashing in valleys because any damage or deterioration is usually obvious and easily found.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

We could never find it. So yesterday, a roofer came over to inspect and found it. It was pouring rain outside. We were 5-ft off or so in where we were looking. He photoed it. Shows where the inexorable dripping is coming from a nail pounded through the roof - an installation error.

The fix is to rip off the shingles in the gully involved, install an ice and water barrier while they're at it, and replace the shingles.

A $1,500 fix. They'll guarantee the repair for five years.

Or put a bucket under it.

The only reason I'm thinking about NOT fixing it is . . . what happens if another leak forms? And maybe another? At $1,500 a pop, it wouldn't be long before we'd paid for a new roof.

What do you think?

It may not seem connected, but I'd advise that if you can afford the $1,500 and the roofer knows what he's doing and assures you, in writing, that there are no other leaks or problems, you should do it. I say this, knowing what else is now going on in your life. I found that with the "new responsibilities" I didn't have time or the patience to deal with other irritations and if I let them fester, they made other parts of my life fester too. You'll have plenty of aggravation in the near future - get this one out of the way and move on.

 

[rocket88]

I don't know. It's kind of like a car repair - how many expensive repairs before you just replace it outright?

 

[MaggieD]

It may not seem connected, but I'd advise that if you can afford the $1,500 and the roofer knows what he's doing and assures you, in writing, that there are no other leaks or problems, you should do it. I say this, knowing what else is now going on in your life. I found that with the "new responsibilities" I didn't have time or the patience to deal with other irritations and if I let them fester, they made other parts of my life fester too. You'll have plenty of aggravation in the near future - get this one out of the way and move on.

You're right about this. I agree.

 

[Fisher]

I don't know the answer to that, but I'm thinking probably around $10,000 or more. (For a comparable product.)

I'd fix it. I can't believe you are considering not fixing it. A little water on a regular basis can do a lot of damage.

The last roof I had done with architectural shingles ran us about $8500 4 years ago on a roof that had lots of angles and flashing. If we had replaced the copper flashing with copper flashing it would have been closer to $11K. $10K might be a little high at least in my area but is in the ballpark.

 

[Dragonfly]

FIX IT!!!

An ounce of prevention or a pound of cure.

Small leak now = much bigger problems in the future.

FIX IT !!!

 

[Dickieboy]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

What do you think?

40 years for a composite (shingle) roof sounds a bit extreme but we live in a MUCH warmer climate thus our mileage varies differently. I would get another opinion on the condition of the balance of the roof. 10-15 years around here is pretty much the norm.

FIX IT without question...as the bucket idea will become monotonous. If the roof has many valleys others may fail similarly thus considering the alternative roof condition opinion AND ~$10k re-roof I would decide accordingly. Also consider how long you plan on living there...?

 

[Jerry]

Okay, so we have a roof leak in our living room . . . at one corner. The roof is 17 years old, but is an architectural roof that, according to the roofer, has a life of 40 years. The rest of the roof is in excellent condition, according to this company.

40 years for a composite (shingle) roof sounds a bit extreme but we live in a MUCH warmer climate thus our mileage varies differently. I would get another opinion on the condition of the balance of the roof. 10-15 years around here is pretty much the norm.

FIX IT without question...as the bucket idea will become monotonous. If the roof has many valleys others may fail similarly thus considering the alternative roof condition opinion AND ~$10k re-roof I would decide accordingly. Also consider how long you plan on living there...?

Modern architectural roofs, or at least the materials used, come with 40-50 year warranties. However, a misplaced nail is an installation error, not a material deficiency, and most construction is only guaranteed for 1 year, so I'm afraid Maggie is stuck with the bill on this one.

This sucks Maggie, I feel for ya. Do yourself a favor and pay the money to get it fixed right, and sleep well at night.

 

[Dickieboy]

Modern architectural roofs, or at least the materials used, come with 40-50 year warranties. However, a misplaced nail is an installation error, not a material deficiency, and most construction is only guaranteed for 1 year, so I'm afraid Maggie is stuck with the bill on this one.

This sucks Maggie, I feel for ya. Do yourself a favor and pay the money to get it fixed right, and sleep well at night.

Not so fast there Jerry...

Owens Corning Roofing Warranties

 

[MaggieD]

Modern architectural roofs, or at least the materials used, come with 40-50 year warranties. However, a misplaced nail is an installation error, not a material deficiency, and most construction is only guaranteed for 1 year, so I'm afraid Maggie is stuck with the bill on this one.

This sucks Maggie, I feel for ya. Do yourself a favor and pay the money to get it fixed right, and sleep well at night.

The written quotation he emailed to me included a 90-day warranty. I questioned him, and he said "minor roof repairs" aren't covered by new-roof-type warranties. Said if I wanted a 5-year warranty, they would kick the price to $2,500 ($1,000 more) and do a yearly inspection every year for five years. I'm inclined to go with the 90-day warranty as I think it's a reputable company. They've been around a loooong time.

 

[Jerry]

The written quotation he emailed to me included a 90-day warranty. I questioned him, and he said "minor roof repairs" aren't covered by new-roof-type warranties. Said if I wanted a 5-year warranty, they would kick the price to $2,500 ($1,000 more) and do a yearly inspection every year for five years. I'm inclined to go with the 90-day warranty as I think it's a reputable company. They've been around a loooong time.

Really unless you're looking over everyone's shoulder 24/7, a misplaced nail shot can easily be overlooked. I've made that mistake, it's easy to do and not even realize it, or realize it but conclude it's not a critical error.

If I were in your place I would do the same thing: shop the price a little bit for a better deal with a reputable company, and ultimately drop the cash with the 90-day warranty to have it fixed.

I hope everything works out well for you. Please send a few pics if you can, just for interest