LEAK
I live on the parlor floor of a coop. The roof of the extension is over my dining room. That roof is covered by my upstairs neighbor’s deck. The deck is legal and has been there for many years and part of her property. There have been several undiagnosed small and annoying leaks however during…
I live on the parlor floor of a coop. The roof of the extension is over my dining room. That roof is covered by my upstairs neighbor’s deck. The deck is legal and has been there for many years and part of her property.
There have been several undiagnosed small and annoying leaks however during last night’s freak hail storm things got pretty hairy. Water started pouring in through the light fixture in the center of my dining room ceiling. It was like someone turned on a shower. My upstairs neighbor (with the deck) also had leaks around her back window and door frame. I’m guessing these could be two separate issues.
The problem is we just don’t know where the water is coming from and desperately need someone to come in to trouble shoot and hopefully find all these various leaks before Mother Nature turns on the shower again. Next time we may not be home to put pails underneath the deluge … Anyone know anybody who can help?
Thank you everyone.
if you have a roof drain on this roof you could also have a leak where the pipe meets the drain or around the drain. the gap between the pipe and drain used to be filled with led, I think (as you can tell, i’ve worked on older buildings), I do not know what they use now.
The roof drain pipes themselves, often a 3″ running down through the building often go as well.
Steve
I just led a customer of mine around his roof to inspect it. Kind of simple to do, but that does not mean it is easy to find the source of leaks. I once had water coming into a building and when we climbed into the ceiling grid, we found water running along and i-beam and falling off 50 feet from where it had entered the building. Doubtful you have anything like that though.
If that deck is build as pods – squares that can be lifted – it will be easy to inspect the roof. Unfortunatley, it sounds like the deck is older, so it may be constructed as one unit.
There are several things you can look for in and around the roof that can be signs of trouble:
a clogged gutter or roof drain. this may cause water to rise over flashing around openings in the roof. And while that flashing should be cemented, the cement often gives way. In the case of a gutter at the back of the house, the water may rise over the gutter and enter between the membrane and the structure. Usually this type of leak will be evident by water damage down the wall with the water coming out several stories below the roof.
Cracks in the membrane with particular focus on seams. The seams may open. Not only are these easy to spot, but they are quick and easy to fix. They sell cloth roofing tape at Lowes along with Karnaack roofing cement.
Leaks along the parapit wall or voids in the stone along the top of the parapit wall. By the volume and location of the leak you describe, it does not sound like this is the problem, but the gaps between the cap stones at the top of the parapit should be filled. Years ago I think they used lead, now it may be caulk. on the clay caps, mortar seems to be what they use. Leaking parapit walls will be evident by loose and missing mortar between bricks and water filled bubbles under the membrane along the parapit wall.
I am not a roofer. what I am sharing with you is what I know from having worked in commercial buildings here in the city. good luck.
Steve
gutters, gutters, gutters. check ’em. when they clog, the roof almost always leaks. last night was a gutter clogging bonanza. hail knocked down all the leaves onto roofs, which clogged the gutters (among other things like streets). then it poured. mother nature couldn’t have planned it better.
mine clogged but ironically I took no water on the top floor, some water parlor on the wall and ceiling, some basement ceiling. water does tend to find the light fixtures.