Rafter tail rotted from roof leak

[Montgomery Geldern]

Dear group,

My 35 year old concrete barrel tile roof is starting to leak. I plan to replace it as soon as the rainey season here in Tampa Bay Florida is over. I was planning to do the soffit and facia work myself and hire a roofing contractor. The place that has me worried is the inside corner of the overhang right by the front door. Recently, I have noticed water dripping from the joint in the facia board and upon testing the area with my finger learned that the facia board, plywood soffit, decking and the rafter tail that supports it all is mush! There is even a gutter there which is okay so the water must be entering down at the end of the drain valley between the two hips but out on the eve portion. I need advice on the best way to replace/splice new wood/repair that section of the rafter. The rest of the work I think I can deal with.

Thanking you, Monte

[ameijers]

If the roof is gonna be stripped anyway, figure on opening up that area of deck, and replacing all or part of that rafter. If you are lucky, it will be solid at the top of the wall, and you can just replace the tail, with sistered splices to keep it solid. If this is the valley rafter itself, a major part of the roof structure, I highly recommend having a pro look at it. The roofing contractor who is bidding the work will have a line on somebody, and can probably roll it into their bid. (with the bid being subject to change of course, once roof is stripped and they can eyeball the deck.)

So what are you going to be replacing the roof with? I understand some of the new synthetic barrel tiles are a lot more forgiving during installation, and a lot more resistant to the mortar joints opening up. Barrel tile roof always struck me as being awful brittle for something sitting up there in the wind and rain and tropical sun, doing all that thermal cycling. Seems like any flex in the roof structure at all, and leaks would be inevitable.

aem sends....

[Jimmy]

Given where you live I would not be surprised if this rot was termite damage. Be prepaired for the worst. We had to replace roof and rafters on my dad''s house.