Anyone Know About Roofing?

[MarkD]

My roof has developed a leak, and I wanted to check some information I got from a roofer.

My house started off as a cape-cod, and there were two additions made to it over the years before I bought it. One addition has a peaked roof t right-angles to the original roof and with a similar (steep) pitch. The other is a flatter roof that intersects those two roofs. It's not totally flat, but much shallower than the two "main" roofs. All three roofs were replaced about ten years ago with "Timberline" shingles. The shallow-pitched roof appears to be leaking. We used to get drips if leaves piled up at the point where the three rooflines intersected, but now we get them even when the roof is clear. It seems to depend on which way the wind is blowing too, if the wind is up the roof it leaks.

A roofer took a look a couple years ago and recommended replacing the roof on the shallow part with a bonded roof, but those are UGLY (you can see this roof from the street, so appearance is an issue). The other day a different roofer told me we could do that but recommended against it because of the appearance, but he did recommend replacing that area of roof with three-tab strip shingles.

Can anyone verify for me that this would be the way to go? I'd hate to spend the money and still have leaks, but I'd also hate to have to put one of those ugly bonded roofs on what's really a nice-looking house.

[Fivetoes]

I would avoid shingles on a low pitched roof. In ten years they will be leaking again. Have you given any thought to a metal roof in that area. they don't look bad and last forever.l

[blackeagle603]

i hates leaks.

How close can you come to verifying point of entry? You have attic access to underside of roof in suspect/transition area?

re: Shingle styles
I don't understand that roofers rec to replace with 3 tab shingles. Esp if the Timberline shingles are the heavy built 30 yr architectural grade style (is that correct assumption).

Pics would help. I'd get a referral and consult another roofer.

Other than that, pretty roofs are nice but functional roofs are required. Pretty is, as pretty does.

iow, Form follows function.

[Aglifter]

Note: Haven't worked on a roof since high school.

The only reason I can see to replace dimensional w. 3 tab is if the roof has an odd shape, and it's hard to get the shingles to lay properly. Even then, I don't understand, unless your lower roof is REALLY flat. (Unfortunately, Architects don't normally worry about leaks when designing a house.)

Bonded roofs usually stink -- if you do get one, be very choosy about the roofer, frankly, you need to go for a hot roof if you go that route. -- Frankly, roofing is a field where many crews think "I can pound a nail, ergo I'm a roofer" but where it really requires experience, and skill to do a proper job. Ask around, look for someone w. lots of experience, not price. If you get a hot roof, meet the contractors/subs, and ask who pushes the mop. It's a nasty job, but on a good crew, the foreman/a very senior guy, pushes the mop -- getting the tar down properly is a key step.

Those joints are problematic. For some reason, I think we'd actually use multiple layers of hot roof membrane, mopped down, and treat those joints like they were a penetration... Of course, we also used multiple layers of single-layer roofing material on our hot roofs.

+1 for photos, and if you really get stuck, I might be able to track down some people who would know what to do.

[Erik]

I had my roof redone a year ago, but it's a brick tile roof.
Had all of it redone, new paper, new wood and new bricks, I got a fixed quote for all of it. If it's done right it will last decades, but it has to be done right. There was a troublespot where two parts of the roof met, and the paper under hadn't been laid properly, so water gathered in a small pond, and that's just asking for leaks.
The important thing is to do the work underneath properly, then it's more of a personal thing what you like for the appearance.
A lot of people here go away from brick roof, and choose metal instead, because it's cheaper and faster to do, but I like the appearance of the genuine bricks.

But it's not really the same thing as your roof, we do have a bit of a different climate here I think too. The roof has to be able to hold a feet or two of snow as well.

[rightisright]

Mark,

How low is the pitch? Shingles (3 tabbed or Timberline-type) are good to about a 3 on 12 pitch. After that you get problems with ice-creep and wind blown rain.

A lot pf problems with low pitch meets higher pitch can be solved by installing 2 layers of Ice/water shield self-sealing membrane under the shingles. This stuff works great in eaves, valleys and roof intersections. What kind of intersections do you have now? Weaved, cut, semi-weaved?

As the other guys said, take some pictures.

I've been in residential construction in NJ for over 20 years and can probably hook you up with someone in your area. Bergen Cty, right?

[MarkD]

Rightisright,
I'm in Bergen County, near Paramus and Hackensack.

I'll try to get outside sometime when it's light out and take a picture to post. Probably won't be until this weekend though, it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home.

[308Mike]

Any luck getting pics? If you can, get some that show the pitch of the almost flat portion so we can see what kind of an angle you're dealing with on the leaking seams.

[MarkD]

Sorry, no pics, the roof was covered with snow so I doubt you'd have seen any detail anyway.

[martini]

I am down in BR and just had my roof replaced and I grew up in a hardware store. So I am not a professional roofer. That said I have done a lot of construction/maint type work on family properties growing up. If the pitch is really flat you have two choices, some sort of membrane roof, not necessarily a hot roof, we put a single sheet rubber commercial on my grandfather's store after katrina and it has been great, or rebuild the roof to have a better pitch and work better with the rest of the structure. It really sucks but it is worth it in the long run if you plan to live there for a long time.