I am re-roofing and have covered the whole roof with 30# tar paper and shingled one side of the house. Yesterday we got a LOT of rain and I had 3-4 leaks on the side of the house only covered in tar paper. 2 of them was pretty bad and left big spots on the ceiling. Should I worry about this and try and find where it was leaking or will the shingles take care of the leaks when I get them up?
Regards Mike
That's a pretty open-ended question. How about tell what kind of roof pitch, presence of drip edge, if you covered the ridge, any valleys present and how you covered those, similar with chimneys, and vent stacks, and what kind of shingles you're using. And, if you really don't mind, where the leaks in the ceiling are in relation to the roof. The direction and severity of the wind during the rain, and its directional relation to the roof may also be factor.
First, I hope it's not tar (coal tar) but bitumen (Oil bitumen) paper. Then, I hope it's not "paper" but fiberglass reinforced underlayment.
If above is OK, then complete your shingle roof. The "paper!" is there only to prevent snow that may go under your shingles to create problems.
But beware of proper detailing in your shingle laying! Have a look at
Installing roof shingles is a job requiring professional experience... Can't you afford a professional roofing contractor to do it for you? Cheers Daniel
Daniel:
I disagree. All it takes is someone who is willing to pay attention to detail and takes the time to do the job properly. In fact, I've seen "professional" jobs that most certainly are NOT up to my personal standards of what constitutes a good roof installation.
Installation of normal residential roofing (not including concrete tiles or terra cotta) can quite easily be installed by a competent homeowner. I've done it or helped do over a dozen times.
I'm with Bob. The main component of a good asphalt shingle roof job is reading the directions that come on the shingle packages and taking the time to follow them.
Then again, Bob, I don't think you are an average homeowner. :-)
Matt
Matt:
Thank you for the kind words! They are just what I need to brighten the day a little as I sit here working on a rainy Saturday in the Pacific NW.
Someone who is willing to pay attention to detail and do the job properly would be considered professional. If you've seen a "professional" not install to standards, they can not possibly be considered professional, except in the sense of self-proclaimed professionalism.
I disagree that installation can quite easily be installed by a competent homeowner, there is absolutely nothing easy about roofing. Though the average homeowner maybe able to install a straight forward roof covering, when it comes to junctures/flashings/valleys/chimneys/penetrations, they would have had to do some serious reading and have certain tools (brake) to properly bend such flashings. There are tricky areas in some designs of which I do not believe anything in reading, except experience could resolve.
You are welcome. I have a decent day here in PA. 42 degrees and occasional sun.
I just finished installing 8 recessed lights in a new suspended ceiling and my fingers are aching from twisting wire nuts and tie wire. Running a keyboard most of the day doesn't keep ones hands in very good shape for wiring or hanging suspended ceiling grid.
Matt
Simon:
I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. You are most certainly correct that some roofs are not for amateurs (like myself). I guess I had in mind a simple gable or hipped roof when I spoke about a homeowner installation.
I should like to point out that there are many high quality roofing contractors and that they do an excellent job with some very tough roof shapes.
On the other hand I'm looking at the roof of a house I purchased about
10 years ago. A new roof was put on the house by a local roofing company before the house went on the market. There are a few 3:12 pitch areas that drain into the gutters. It would have been a good install to have drip edge or similar flashing in order keep water from flowing behind the gutter and running down the fascia, especially when the wind blows.The rest of the installation was done pretty well except that there are no crickets above the chimneys, so water piles up against the flashing on the uphill side of the chimney and in one case it was not sealed properly so I got a leak.
I have to admit that a "simple" roof isn't so complicated to shingle properly. It's all on how and where one starts (Alignment) and how the details (Ridge, eave, gutter, ventilation, etc...)have been planned. Yes, Manufacturers installation manuals contain all that. Yes, some so-called roofing contractors are often messing up the stuff Yes, I am always trying to push the owners to use the services of building professionals. If they all do everything by themselves, how I will make a living :-(( Cheers Daniel
If you do competent work at a fair price, you'll likely not have a lack of business. At least you wouldn't where I live. There are lots of folks that sell themselves as contractors, but few that are really good.
Matt
attention to
professional,
Don't hang your hat on a word. There are plenty of other professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, accountants, etc.) that I wouldn't trust to make change of a dollar. Professional, in regards to the building trades, usually implies one of two things. Primarily it connotes someone performing the work for pay - whether they earn a living from it or not is a different matter. Secondly, referring to the quality of the work, the term would indicate the job being done in conformance with trade standards.
homeowner.
competent
covering,
There's a bell curve in everything, and roofing is no different. I agree that there are fine points that are not easily within the reach of your average homeowner, but there are owners that don't care how long the job takes - they just want to get it right. That's a major advantage...unless it's _your_ roof that's open and the rain's a-coming!
Conversely, there are too many people in construction who have improper or incomplete training. Just because a guy has a business license and the tools, doesn't automatically mean the work is superior. I'm sure you're not saying that it does.
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