Residential roofs

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So kinda an off topic here on BITOG but I'll bet there is some good, knowledgeable folk around. The MIL noticed a leak in her home during some of the recent rains we received. It was just on one day, and seemed to disappear after the first day. Inspected the attic it looks like a single leaky valley with mild mold and no structural involvement. Inspecting the exterior the roof feels solid, shingles appear in good condition with no curling/buckling and well finished. Only had time for one "quote" at this point and they immediately (without assessment or even much introduction) went right to replacing the entire roof. Granted, the roof is approx 30 years old which everywhere I read seems to be a strong indication of replacement.

I have little to no roofing knowledge but I do have some/plenty of DIY time as well as a reasonable head sitting atop my shoulders. Seems if there is only one leaky spot and everything looks good, why wouldn't it be prudent to seal up the leak and monitor? Worst case is a new roof next season, right? Well, I guess WORST case would be the leaking getting worse over winter resulting in water damage, but monitoring should catch that early and allow me to add more sealer/tar, right?
 
If the shingles look good then just have it repaired. Problem is there is little money in repairs because of the cost to send someone there, setup, do the repair, take down their ladders, clean up and put together an invoice.

You can get shingles from your local home improvement place and fix it yourself. It's not that hard and there are lots of videos online showing you how to do it.

My dad and I repaired his house after a windstorm where the damage was minimal and insurance wasn't going to cover it because the deductible was too high.
 
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If the roof is 30 years old it needs to be replaced. If the budget allows it that is exactly what I would do. Is the insurance going to cover part of it?

I am assuming you could get this done before the weather gets ugly.
 
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It's cold most of the year in Michigan as it is in Ontario so it's possible the 30 year roof still has 10-15 years left in it. I just had mine done 5 years ago with a 50 year shingle. (I don't expect it to last 50 years but you see my point)
 
Why was the valley leaking? For how long? What's underneath the valley and shingles now?

To properly repair it may have required stripping part of the roof. With 30 year old shingles that's not likely to turn out well. Replacing the roof may have been the best solution - long term.
 
Originally Posted By: buck91
why wouldn't it be prudent to seal up the leak and monitor?


That is what I would do.

I had my roof repaired in 2003, and it's been fine since. Only one place that came by even offered a repair as an option. Everyplace else wanted to replace the whole roof.
 
Was there any trauma to the roof?... hailstorm?... somebody walking on it? I never step in valleys when I'm on the roof. Valleys are the worst areas for leaking and most sensitive to damage.

If it happened spontaneously, then your roof has degraded to the point of leaking. Other problems were not far behind.

Diagnosing the source of a roof leak can be frustrating, if not impossible. That's one of the reasons why the roofer didn't bother with repair.

I don't think you wasted your money with having the roof completely redone.

Everybody has their own special way of roofing a house. I did my roof myself. The valleys got a layer of ice and water shield, followed by an 18" wide galvanized steel layer, followed by california cut architectural shingles.
 
The only 50 year shingle that will last that long is a metal roof.

Most of those warranty claims are gimmicks since you need to do the entire roof with that manufacturer's products including membranes etc. If they fail to use one of their products then the warranty is void.

When you speak to most roofers, a shingle roof will only last 10-12/years esp on the south facing exposures.

I changed part of my roof this past summer. Two years ago I had to replace a smaller section where half of the entire granules wore completely off. Original roof was Iko which are garbage shingles.

Roofers want to do large jobs not repairs. It's not worth their time and money.

Did you get quotes/and what brand of shingles are they using?
 
Quote:
What Is The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty?

The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty provides coverage against manufacturing defects for all major GAF components on your roof (not just your shingles) — so you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that, if any covered roofing component fails, it will be covered by the warranty (see ltd. warranty for complete coverage and restrictions). The warranty is available through GAF's factory-certified contractors, and is a low-cost way to get up to 50 years of non-prorated coverage (against manufacturing defects) on your new roofing system. For the small additional cost of the System Plus ltd. warranty, this is probably the best value you can get for your investment.
 
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Originally Posted By: StevieC
Quote:
What Is The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty?

The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty provides coverage against manufacturing defects for all major GAF components on your roof (not just your shingles) — so you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that, if any covered roofing component fails, it will be covered by the warranty (see ltd. warranty for complete coverage and restrictions). The warranty is available through GAF's factory-certified contractors, and is a low-cost way to get up to 50 years of non-prorated coverage (against manufacturing defects) on your new roofing system. For the small additional cost of the System Plus ltd. warranty, this is probably the best value you can get for your investment.


Yeah, their warranty really is something. If you just do a DIY job, it's just a 2 year warranty, you have to jump through a bunch of hoops in order to get the 50 year. Use all the right material etc. At one point, it was a 30 year shingle, then the next year it was a 50 year shingle. Same shingle. But if you do it right, it might last 50 years. Architectural shingles seem to be lasting pretty long around here. I've seen a few that were 15-20 years old and they still looked like new whereas with a 3 tab shingle, when they're 20 years old, they look it.
 
I had an approved contractor that is registered with them do my roof. How is this jumping through hoops? I have architectural shingles. BTW. It's been 5 years and they still look they they just went in. (I have been on the roof for things)
 
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Shingle warranties are written by lawyers, no matter how bulletproof you think it is, they will find an escape route. I did shingle roofing for quite a few years, there isnt a 50 yr shingle made as far as I am concerned, most around here are lucky to make 20-25.
No matter how good you think the shingles are a 30 yr old roof would be extremely hard to repair due to the age of the materials, you would just be throwing good money after bad. Count your blessing that it lasted this long and get the new roof.
Theres a good reason my new house has a metal roof on it.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I had an approved contractor that is registered with them do my roof. How is this jumping through hoops? I have architectural shingles. BTW. It's been 5 years and they still look they they just went in. (I have been on the roof for things)


You have to make sure the contractor is certified through them. They have different levels too. Was it a system plus or golden pledge? Different warranty coverage depending on the certification of the contractor. You also have to use all the right materials like ice and water, starter strips, cap and ridge, etc. If you had the right contractor then they probably did everything correctly.
 
Back to the OP,

It would be good to ask the contractor why they feel it isn’t repairable.

My first 3 guesses would be:

Valley construction
Matching
Brittleness
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Quote:
What Is The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty?

The GAF Weather Stopper® System Plus Ltd. Warranty provides coverage against manufacturing defects for all major GAF components on your roof (not just your shingles) — so you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that, if any covered roofing component fails, it will be covered by the warranty (see ltd. warranty for complete coverage and restrictions). The warranty is available through GAF's factory-certified contractors, and is a low-cost way to get up to 50 years of non-prorated coverage (against manufacturing defects) on your new roofing system. For the small additional cost of the System Plus ltd. warranty, this is probably the best value you can get for your investment.


I had this put on by a GAF certified installer. The whole system. I had 15 quotes. It was cheaper than some, more expensive than some. In the end it was the best system also at the best price.
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
The only 50 year shingle that will last that long is a metal roof.

Most of those warranty claims are gimmicks since you need to do the entire roof with that manufacturer's products including membranes etc. If they fail to use one of their products then the warranty is void.

When you speak to most roofers, a shingle roof will only last 10-12/years esp on the south facing exposures.

I changed part of my roof this past summer. Two years ago I had to replace a smaller section where half of the entire granules wore completely off. Original roof was Iko which are garbage shingles.

Roofers want to do large jobs not repairs. It's not worth their time and money.

Did you get quotes/and what brand of shingles are they using?


"10-12 years"??? What kind of shingle is only going that long....cardboard...lol. If you aren't getting 25 something is very wrong You are in Canada...maybe the sun is harsher in the summer up there?
 
No just the taxes. They come and steal 50% of your roof over night!
lol.gif
 
First guy was a hack. Subsequent did. Thorough inspections, walked us through repair process...and couldn't believe it was as old a roof as we claimed. I am skeptical myself,but MIL swears it.
 
Standard procedure for most folks is to replace a 30 year old roof that is starting to leak. But it can be patched. Just make sure to keep an eye on things so that the next leak (inevitably it will happen) is fixed before it causes to much water damage in the house.
 
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