When we get abnormally heavy rains in Portland, homeowners will start to see problems on their roofs that they might not have seen during a typical rainfall.
This morning I stepped out to check on the roof that had a leak. I asked the homeowner if she’d tried to call the roofer who installed it. She said she had, but he wouldn’t call her back. So I needed to get up there and see what had caused this leak.
The first thing I needed to do was figure out where the leak was coming from. As it turns out, the water was coming in around the chimney, all the way down the brick, and around the lath and plaster. It was apparent that the roofer had no idea what to do to keep the lower part of this chimney watertight.
He used a peel-and-stick style product that is actually designed for a garage or shed. He ran the roof down the back of the chimney and took this product around the shingles. He then ran it up the chimney and tried to wrap the chimney. Well, that’s not going to work. It’s just not made for that purpose and will definitely not stand up to huge water storms.
He then proceeded to mess up the chimney. He went back and took out the old metal step flashings that were mortared into this chimney. He ruined the bricks on the chimney by cutting a diagonal cut through it. Because of all his rookie mistakes, we have to go back and replace the roof below and have a local Portland chimney company repair the damage to the chimney. It’s going to cost about half of what she paid for her brand-new CertainTeed roof.
When you have a leak, it’s never in the middle of the field. It’s in the transitions, the valleys, the pipes, and the chimneys. Those are important parts of your roof and not the ones you want an amateur roofer working on. Call Roof Life of Oregon and we’ll make sure your components can withstand the storms.