Flashing in DeWitt
Roof flashing repair in DeWitt, NY: a chimney, skylight or vent pipe leak starts at the joint
Roof flashing repair in DeWitt, NY starts at the joint, because a drip beside a chimney or an added wall rarely comes through the shingles. Tell us which joint is nearest the stain, then book the visit that checks it.
Asking where the water gets in commits you to nothing.
What we do
We help you find where the water really gets in and book a diagnostic visit with an independent roofer, who puts the fix in a written proposal.
Our word before the ladder goes up
- You owe nothing for asking, and you can walk away.
- The visit looks for the way in before any roof talk.
- You see the repair proposal in writing before work starts.
- The $100 credit follows the rules on our Terms page.
The roofer you hire answers for their own work and contract.
Signed Roofing Pros Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
What this word covers
Questions
Questions about roof flashing repair, for DeWitt
Is a chimney leak a flashing job or a roof job?
Usually a flashing job, since the joint is where brick meets roof. Ask the contractor to show where the water enters before anything larger is priced.
Why would a wall stay damp when the siding looks fine?
Where wall flashing is missing, siding can hide water damage for years. The stain often shows indoors before anything shows outside.
Can I tell which joint is leaking myself?
You can narrow it down. Note which wall, chimney or vent sits closest to the stain, and whether it shows in rain. The contractor confirms it at the visit.
Roof flashing repair at DeWitt chimneys and added walls
Older housing commonly has a chimney from a past heating system and an addition with a wall running into the main roof. Both are joints where water finds a way. Nearly one DeWitt town home in five (18.7 percent) was built in 1939 or before, so you may well have more than one of these.
The state code asks for flashing at every wall and roof intersection, and at every roof opening. Where a roof meets a vertical wall, the metal should run unbroken or step along in pieces, and stand four inches tall. Ask the contractor which kind your wall has.
A chimney wider than 30 inches across the slope also needs a cricket, a small peak behind it that sheds water around the sides. If your chimney is wide and has none, say so at the visit.
Signs
Marks that point to roof flashing repair in DeWitt
It drips only in rain, near the chimney
Water that follows rain and sits beside a chimney points at the joint between brick and roof.
A stain along the wall where an addition meets the house
That line has flashing that has to turn up the wall and under the siding.
Water around a vent pipe or skylight
Every hole cut in the roof has a seal. Note which hole is closest to the mark.
Siding looks fine but the wall inside is damp
New siding can hide a flashing gap for years. The damage shows indoors first.
Is it the joint, or is it the attic?
A joint leak tends to follow rain. An attic-air stain tends to follow a cold, clear night. Write down which one you have before you call, because the two need different work.
If the stain grew when no rain fell, read attic ventilation in DeWitt first. If it shows only in rain and sits beside a joint, flashing is the likely place. The article on where roofs actually leak maps all six joints.
When two causes seem to fit, ask the contractor to rule one out in writing. That is worth more than a guess.
What a DeWitt flashing proposal should list
Flashing work is smaller than a roof, so the proposal should be specific. Ask for these in writing:
- Which joint is leaking, and how the contractor found it.
- What flashing is there now, and what will replace it.
- Whether the siding or brick near it will be opened.
- Where the water goes after the joint is closed.
If the answer is only about the shingles, ask which joint the work fixes. The DeWitt page lists the other four jobs a stain can lead to.
Other ways in
When roof flashing repair is not where DeWitt should begin
Roof Leak Diagnosis
Trace the stain to its source first.
Low-Slope Roofing
Ask for the pitch before anyone patches again.
Gutters and Drainage
Follow the water from edge to ground.
Attic Ventilation
Seal the ceiling before adding any vents.
Nearby
More roof flashing repair pages around DeWitt
Name the joint nearest your DeWitt stain.