Repairing A Roof Valley Leak

Typical valley flashing is 14 inches wide.

Repairing a roof valley leak.

Just like in nature a valley on a roof is designed to collect water. Follow these three preparatory steps to get ready to fix the valley leak. In order to stop the leak in your roof you need to get to where the leak is occurring. For example soak the downhill side of a chimney first then each side then the top on both sides.

And you can tar it but it s a real stop gap band aid like measure. Take measurements of your roof flashing most flashing is 14 inches wide but yours may vary. Position an extension ladder against the lower edge of the roof near the valley that is repaired. Isolate areas when you run the hose.

If a leak is difficult to find enlist a helper and go up on the roof with a garden hose. A properly flashed roof valley should have an ice and water shield installed with roofing felt being properly secured over the ice and water. Carefully remove the shingles from the whole area of the leak and extend it approximately three or four feet beyond the leaking area. And roof leaks in valleys often turn into unsightly repairs.

The right thing to do here is to pull a valley basically pull a valley apart and rebuild it. Clear any debris in the roof valley and surrounding area. A lead valley is a particularly difficult item to dispose of as lead is toxic and so a repair may involve simply patching up your lead roofing. Start at the upper row of shingles at the upper end of the.

If that water doesn t shed off the roof fast enough or gets under the roofing material roof leaks will soon develop. Start low soaking the area just above where the leak appears in the house. If the ice and water shield is missing then you will have to remove the shingles on both sides along the valley put ice and water shield in place and re shingle the roof. Move to the highest end of the valley and work your way down cleaning.

If you find that this is a problem then you will need to repair your roof valley before anything serious happens such as plaster loss or even major water damage. And if they put a second layer of shingles on they brought it up the valley but they didn t replace the valley it s probably leaking and cracking and split. When a valley begins to leak it s very difficult to surgically address the leak. This will require that you remove the shingles.