Roof Leak Where Two Gables Meet

Identifying the true location of roof leaks in the attic.

Roof leak where two gables meet.

If you have an attic the easiest way to spot the leak is to up there on a rainy day. The valley flashing laid over the joint where the two roofs meet should overlap the step flashing at least 2 in. The goal is to find the leak before the entire roof goes bad. If you don t direct water from the roof into a gutter it can pour into the wall.

This should cover the most leak prone areas. If your roof is older it is possible that the leak is within the roof field. More questonable or ugly roof wall flashing examples. The gables over the set back porches guarantee that snow accumulates up against the siding they ve combined gable vents with ridge vents short circuiting the soffit venting paths the double gable dormer valley is incapable of soffit to ridge venting on the valley side pitches where the dormer ridge meets the upper roof the ridge vent is guaranteed to be buried for months in sloughing snow from the higher roof probably leaks drips.

Ground zero for roof rot is often where roofs meet walls. The valley flashing laid over the joint where the two roofs meet should overlap the step flashing at least 2 in. The diagonal rafter that runs from the intersection of the ridges down to the. If your roof is asphalt then you can walk around with ease.

This should cover the most leak prone areas. Other materials such as slate concrete tile or clay tile may not be so forgiving. Valley rafters and valley jacks where two gable roof lines meet the intersection forms inside corners called valleys. Then reshingle sliding metal step flashing behind the fascia board the trim behind the gutter.

Once you locate the source of the water mark the area. The field of shingles. Two ways to flash roof edges. If leaks continue to occur from ice dams consider installing roof edge heating cables.

If your steep roof creates a sharp valley where it meets the chimney you may have a buildup of leaves sticks or other debris that sit above your chimney. Then reshingle sliding metal step flashing behind the fascia board the trim behind the gutter. Below we illustrate that using a single piece of metal flashing where the uppermost edge of a shed roof abuts a vertical building sidewall works fine though the use of exposed nails see our photo below may form leak or wear points in the roof. Water will reflect light so bring a flashlight along.

This debris can allow water to pool or ice to build up which makes degrades flashing and sealants and allows water to leak around your chimney. If leaks continue to occur from ice dams consider installing roof edge heating cables. Every little crevice is an entry point for water and one of the most vulnerable points in any roof is the valleys.