HOLE IN ROOF

[1452366]

Hi there...

i am networker and just did some wiring yesterday for my OWN house. When i drilled a hole from the bedroom up in to the attic, i accidently drilled straight out of the roof.

It about the size of finger.

Is it going to cause a lot of damage if i leave it like that...or should i repair it.

I temporarly put some of that white silicon stuff in it, and a small bucket underneath to see if it leaks. If it doesnt leak, can i trust that for a good few years.

If now, what is a good solution to fill in the hole, so that the house doesnt get damaged

one more thing!..my father doesnt know yet...so i need help FAST!

[hallerb]

use roof cement that matches roof color.......

best if you can lift gently existing shingle with hole and spread gob of roof cement under damaged shingle.

fix immediately otherwise water damage WILL occur!

dont just patch from above water running between shinglers can still leak in.

might be better to fess up, collateral damage can be expected when working on houses, or cars too.

its not what you damage its how well you fix the damage you create.........

[1452366]

I cant really get on top of my roof.

I was reading about the great stuff expandable foam. Will that stuff work if i just spray that in?

[Noozer]

Assuming that you aren't a troll, Go ONTO the roof and patch it from the OUTSIDE!

[dverls1]

[RicodJour]

No. The foam breaks down when exposed to sunlight and there are other drawbacks.

You can repair the hole from the inside about 80% on the quality index. That other 20% is the part that won't be a visible leak but it will be enough moisture over the years to start some substantial rot.

To give you an idea of how straightworward of a repair it is to do correctly, the roofer or handyman would need a strip of aluminum flashing, a caulking gun of roof cement and about ten minutes - fifteen including setting up the ladder.

I guess the choice you have to make is whether to fess up to your Dad and see what solution the two of you can come up with for repairing his roof, or for you to do an amateur repair from the wrong side of the roof that he won't know about for some years so you can save a few bucks.

R

[dverls1]

go to any hardware supply or lumber house ask for a small tube of flashing cement and a nail washer they are used with shingles put a small amount on the surface then put the washer over the hole, now you are going to apply more of the cement and cover the washer,do a neat job now that repair will out live you my friend.

[mm]

Why is there a roof there in the first place?

You said it was your OWN house, but I think it is your father's. If it is your father's house you shouldn't have been drilling into it without permission.

I'm not sure you or anyone can fix it from inside the house. The man I bought my house from had tried to fix two leaks from inside, and he failed both times. It's not just houses whose leaks are difficult to fix from the inside, it's just about everything.

Now that you've screwed up once, don't screw up a second time. Tell your father so that he can get it fixed right.

[1452366]

thanks a lot guys...i have talked to a design teacher at school...

she has told me to put in the expandable foam, and then go on top of the roof and put a new shingle, with flashing cement underneath it.

I guess ill just have to go up on the roof...

once again..thanks..appreiciate the help

[RicodJour]

If you haven't replaced shingles before you'll probably do more harm than good trying to replace the shingle with the hole. I'm assuming it's a small hole as you had said something about running wiring. There is no reason to put in the expanding foam unless you're doing so as a temporary measure. If you're going to go up on the roof and do it the right way you don't need the foam or anything else unless the hole is bigger than about 3/4" or so. Sliding a strip of aluminum flashing up under the uppermost tab of the shingle with a hole and holding it in place with a dab of roofing cement is all the support the repair will need. Dab a little roofing cement in the hole from the top and smooth it with a putty knife, then sprinkle some of the colored granules from the roof shingles (there's usually some to be found in the gutters) on the roofing cement patch and the repair will essentially disappear.

R

[EXT]

This is the correct, and simplest and easiest method to fix it, but it requires fixing from the outside. I am sure your father won't lambaste you past the initial chastisement and will thank you for researching the fix. The two of you can bond while repairing it on the rooftop.

[buffalobill]

if your dad doesn't kill you the fall off the roof might, so just run the repair solutions past him and offer to point the chimney and clean the gutters while he holds your ladder!

[e-mail] wrote:

[mm]

I didn't mean that screwing up the second time would be fixing the roof wrong, though you could easily do that too. I meant it is wrong to drill holes in your house with out your father's approval and perhaps supervision, and it is wrong to try to fill the hole without notifying him. It is his house a lot more than it is your house. He (and your mother maybe although she hasn't been mentioned) paid for it, he's paying for it, he will pay for future repairs, he plans to live there for decades maybe after you leave, and he needs the money it will bring in the future in order to retire.

Posted and mailed because the thread is old, or is it??