Hello, my house was built in the 80s and is located in the NE United States. I recently had a handyman in to do some work outside replacing some rotten wood and he said it looks like some corners were cut when the house was built, the builders did not install 'flashing' around the edges of the roof, and the roof doesnt overhang the siding in many places. Also he said the house doesn't have a 'membrane' layer, which is is a more recent requirement. As a result water can get behind the siding and cause rot. He thinks that the roof shingles need to be replaced in order to install the flashing. I think the shingles are in pretty good shape. Its not the original roof, but it is at least 10 years old. I dont want to get a new roof if I dont need to. He knows a roofing guy who will take a look, but I plan to get an independent roofer to check as well. Does the bit about flashing sound correct? And can flashing be installed without replacing the whole roof? Thanks
You can add drip flashing there, just by sliding it under the shingles. The shingles should not be nailed that close to the edge.
?? You mean the shingles don't overhang the edge of the roof enough? You could install flashing under the shingles there too.
Depends on what locations he's talking about. If it's at the lower portion of the roof, above the gutters, that would only be an issue with ice damming. That happens when snow melts, but the bottom of the roof is still blocked with snow and ice and the water backs up. It can run into the house and cause damage. If you are somewhere that it happens enough, I guess it can lead to rot too, but water at the interior walls or ceilings is the typical problem. By code in locations where ice damming occurs, there is supposed to be a water barrier applied from the bottom edge of the roof up to two feet above where the roof plane crosses a heated wall.
If it's just flashing at the edges, the answer is no. Even if it was other flashing, eg step flashing, you could get that in there and only have to remove and replace the shingles in that area. To install a membrane though, then IDK. I guess you could just take off shingles from the lower several feet, then replace. But with any of the work where it gets to replacing shingles, since the roof is 10 years old, they won't match.
I think the shingles are in pretty good shape. Its not the original roof, but it is at least 10 years old. I dont want to get a new roof if I dont need to. He knows a roofing guy who will take a look, but I plan to get an independent roofer to check as well. Does the bit about flashing sound correct? And can flashing be installed without replacing the whole roof? Thanks
Where exactly is the rot? How extensive? What was the initial problem that got him involved? If they didn't have the shingles overhang the roof properly and/or didn't put flashing there, that can easily lead to the fascia boards on the soffits, behind the gutters rotting.
I've very little experience, but I've seen many houses where the roof overhangs not at all, although the gutters overhang the width of the gutters.
How long have you been there? Have any of these probless? (Oh, yes, some wood rot somewhere)
If ice dams have bee a problem -- temperature is high enough for snow on top to melt but ice closer to the edge of the room keeps it from running off the roof -- there are some metal things I see nailed to the roof that I think are intended to stop that. Unless of course tthey are for some other reason, like keeping piles of snow from sliding off the room onto visitors on the porch.
Maybe someone will say what they are for and if that, maybe they can relieve ice dams.
It will be a good way to judge the roofer if he says, Yes, you can just slide the flashing in from the edge. versus Yeah, you need a roof. Keep notes of who is who.
There is also flashing used at chimneys and valleys. I presume you have any that is needed there.
You don't need to replace the whole roof. Depending on the age of the roof, you may want to do that if you're having work done.
To install flashing, you need to remove the row of shingles between the wall and the roof. Maybe one or 2 rows, that's all. More important, yoou need to remove siding to get at the wall/roof interface. The flashing bridges that space.
That's if it's step flash 'It looks like some corners were cut when the house was built, the builders did not install 'flashing' around the edges of the roof, and the roof doesnt overhang the siding in many places."
It could be just drip edge flashing. If there was no step flashing, he should have big time leaking into the house. Sometimes you can even replace step flashing without removing the siding, if it was installed correctly, not nailed to the wall and about 1" gap was left at the bottom. Since it's
10 years old, if it comes to that, the next question is if it's in a location where the new shingles not matching the weathered ones is noticeable and matters.
"Tar Paper" has been a REQUIREMENT for years - the newer membranes may be better protection - but anyone who puts on a shingle roof without "underlayment" is not worthy of being called a roofer. It should also have ice and water guard on the lower 2 feet or so
The "blades" in the roof are to prevent sheets of snow and ice feom dropping on heads, cars, etc. The only way to prevent ice dams is proper insulation and venting to prevent the snow from being melted from below, and then freezing. Keep the heat from escaping from the interior, and vent the bottom of the roof to get rid of any heat that has escaped before it melts the snow.
As further protection, "ice and water guard" prevents water from getting into the roof if it backs up under the shingles.
The drip molding MAY be possible to install without tearing off the whole roof - but it's a nasty job. The bottom row of shingles will have to be lifted - and they most likely will break - meaning they have to be replaced - and they fit UNDER the row above them. Not impossible - but perhaps almost as labor intensive as re-doing the whole roof. While the old roof is off new sheathing can be installed to replace where the edge has rotted - and provision can be made to extend the roof beyond the outer edge of the siding too. Proper underlay "membrane" and ice and water shield can be installed at the same time. If the roof is 10 years old without amembrane it's most likely high time to replace it anyway. Not to mention it is very difficult to prooperly install the drip edge on rotted wood.
He didn't say it has no underlayment, only no membrane for ice damming.
Oh, BS. You can very likely lift the bottom row of shingles to slide 1" of drip edge under it. And he said the roof is about ten years old. Ten year old roofs are repaired all the time without tearing the whole thing off.
While the old roof is off new sheathing can be installed
I'd bet 99.99% the roof already extends beyond the siding. Now the shingles may not be as long over the edge as they should be, but too can be corrected with flashing without a new roof.
Proper
WTF? Roofs go for 30+ years, the full life of the shingles, without membranes. The membrane really has nothing to do with the life of the roof and it's only required in areas that are prone to ice damming. He said he has a FLASHING problem.
Drip edge isn't 100% necessary, you might get some rot on the edge of the roof but it shouldn't cause any leaking.
Drip edge should be installed with ice barrier membrane. That's 4 or 5 feet of shingles to remove so might as well replace the whole roof if you're going for it.
I wouldn't tear off a roof just for a drip edge. It's easy enough to replace some plywood the next time you need a total shingle replacement.
Just had 4 plywood sheets replaced in the work I'm having done now.
Drip edge and ice barrier are two different things. Unless the OP is actually having ice damming problems, why tear apart the roof? You can slip drip edge in under the existing shingles.
The big info lacking here is what was rotted that lead to discussion about the roof. If it's rotted fascia boards, which it sounds like it could be based on what the OP has said, it can be fixed with drip edge or longer gutter flashing, that gets the water into the gutters, not running behind it.
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