Roofing Information

However, if you are trying to come up with a ballpark figure and understand what may be involved before taking the next step, what follows is a good start to get an idea of what it might cost to replace your roof. And remember, as your estimations add up, a new roof, whether for aesthetics, prevention, or maintenance, is an investment—the money you put in will yield dividends for years to come.

Getting Rid of the Previous Roof

Expect to pay at least $1,000-$2,000 for the contractor to remove and haul away the previous roof from your home. Obviously, this cost will increase with the size of your roof and the difficulty of workers to remove the old shingles—the longer it takes, the more man-hours will be required.

Shingles

First, some basic roofing terminology: A 10-by-10-foot section of roof is commonly referred to as a square. That equals a 100 square feet, so a 2,500-square foot roof is 25 squares. Here are some basic estimations on the cost of one square of shingles (actual costs will vary, of course, depending on shingle quality, materials used, and brand):

• Asphalt shingles: $80-$120

• Cedar shake shingles: $600-$900

• Slate tile: $300-$500

• Metal roofs: $200-$1500

Other Roofing Materials

From the nails used to the underlayments that shingles will reside upon to the flashing that secures joints, seams, and edges, the materials to hold your roof together will be part of your investment. The quality of these materials can vary—generally, the more you spend, the better the roof—but plan on about $50-$100 per square

Roof Size and Pitch

Again, the larger the roof, the more cost involved, not just for materials, but for time spent on the job. Moreover, the pitch of your roof—the angle and slope—can add to cost; a flatter roof is obviously going to be less technical to replace than a more angled one. If your pitch is steep, multiply your costs by 1.25 to 1.5 times.

Labor

By now, you may have a general idea of a cost to replace your roof for mostly just the materials. As a good rule of thumb, the estimated dollar amount you just computed will give you a rough idea how much labor will additionally costs. Put another way, double the number you’ve come up with for an almost total cost. There’s one more consideration to factor in …

Warranty

Extended roof warranty options are a smart add-on to your investment, but the coverages available are complex. Generally, expect to pay into four digits for the warranty, and of course, the more comprehensive, the more expensive the warranty will be.

If this seems like too much math, the best way to determine the cost replacing your roof is to seek help from a qualified, local, and experienced contractor. Such an expert is familiar with the DMV market, can describe the various choices available to you (including warranties), and will even discuss financing options with you if necessary—all without a hard sell.

What has prevented you from replacing your roof?

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Sometimes it’s obvious to see that you have a leaking roof. You may notice water dripping or dark stains start to form on your ceiling. Sometimes the roof water leak is more subtle, showing up as a very small spot. But, it’s equally important to fix the roof leak as soon as possible to prevent more damage, because a bad roof leak will eventually require significant repairs both inside and outside your house.

If you are just wondering, “is my roof leaking…” or “how do you know if you have a roof leak…”, here are a 17 things to look for:

• Water stains or damp spots on your ceiling

• Moist drywall or paint around light fixtures or electrical outlets

• Damp spots around interior air vents or fireplaces

• Interior paint bubbling or peeling during hard rains

• Dripping sounds inside your home

• Water stains on rafters or on roof sheathing inside your attic

• A musty house smell (especially in your attic)

• Curling or buckling shingles on your roof

• Loose shingles laying in your yard

• Loose or exposed nails on your roof

• Cracked or damaged flashing around roof vents

• Loose flashing or cracked sealants around your chimney

• Roof rot with discolored or excessively degraded shingles

• Peeling paint or rotten areas under roof eaves

• Clogged or loose gutters & downspouts

• Debris piles in roof valleys or above chimney

• Shingle granules in your gutters

This is not an exhaustive list of signs that you may have a roof leak, but if you see one of these, it could point to a roof leak.

Finding the source of a leaking roof can be tricky. It’s not uncommon for roof leaks to start high and for water to travel down rafters or drywall before dripping through the ceiling or running down a wall. Sometimes the water will travel several feet from the entry point to the point at which the leak shows up.

If Your Roof Is Leaking Right Now

• Go into the attic with a flashlight and some chalk to mark with while it’s raining.

• Look for damp spots on the underside of your roof.

• Also, look for a thin stream of water flowing down one of the rafters.

• Follow the water uphill till the wood is no longer wet.

• Look for potential entry points (like roof vents, valleys, loose nails) and mark the area with chalk, so you can examine the exterior of your roof after it quits raining.

• While in the attic, if water is not visible on any wood, look for water running down pipes that penetrate the roof, and also look for water around the chimney.

• Mark any problem areas with chalk.

• After the rain has stopped (and it’s sunny outside) examine the exterior of your roof to look for problem areas that may be causing the leak.

We’ll cover some of the most common causes for roof leaks below.

Find a Roof Leak When It’s Not Raining

• Start in the attic.

• Look for discoloration on wood sheathing or rafters caused by water.

• Water stains will often appear darker due to wood rot, mildew or mold.

• Some water stains appear light colored.

• You may see stain streaks along rafters or other supports.

• Look around penetrating pipe vents and chimneys.

• Mark the stains and go outside to examine the roof from the exterior to see if you can identify the cause of the roof leak.

• Pay special attention to vent pipe and chimney flashing, as these are often the culprits.

Keep in mind, some of these stains may have been caused prior to a recent roof replacement or roof repair. If a visual inspection both inside and outside the house does not determine the cause of the leak, you may need to perform a water test.

Common Causes of a Leaking Roof

There are dozens of possible areas where your roof could be leaking, but most of them fall within some very common causes of roof leaks.

Leaking Roof Vent Pipe

Roof vent pipes are common areas for roof leaks. Roof vent pipes (from plumbing or exhaust vents) penetrate the roof and are usually sealed using a collar-style flashing made out of a flexible material like EPDM rubber or flexible PVC. Commonly called a pipe boot or vent pipe flashing, the flexible seal “hugs” the vent pipe and seals it from water. However, over time, the materials often degrade from heat and sun exposure and can shrink or split. This leaves a crack in the seal and an opening for water to enter your roof. In extreme cases, degraded vent pipe boots can leave gaping holes in your roof. Vent pipe leaks are very common, and vent pipe flashing should be regularly inspected to prevent roof leaks.

Roof Air Vent Leaks

Roof air vents allow air to circulate from the underside of your roof to the air outside your roof. This is vitally important to the health of your roof. Proper roof ventilation prevents excess moisture buildup under your roof and helps prevent mold, wood rot and rapid deterioration of your roof. Roof vents come in a variety of shapes and styles. Your roof might have a ridge vent running along the peak of your roof, or you might have a turbine vent, free air vent or powered roof vent. Most vent styles are made to prevent water leaks. However, some roof vents include a fairly low profile with little overhang on the sides or top. Allowing a hard driving rain to whip water up into the vent, which then leaks into your attic below. If your roof vent only leaks during heavy rain, you may be able to create a shield to prevent the rain from entering the vent. If your roof vent leaks with gentle rains as well, you may have a problem with the shingles around the vent or exposed or loose nail heads, or it could be that the roof vent itself is cracked or damaged.

Roof Leaking Around Chimney

The source for leaks around your chimney can be difficult to pinpoint. If you notice moisture around your chimney during or after a rain, you may have one or multiple issues, starting at the top. Perhaps your chimney cap is damaged, or maybe the chimney crown is cracked (allowing water to leach inside the chimney). It could also be that the brick or stone veneer on the chimney has cracks, or you have mortar cracks in your chimney. These could all lead to water leaks inside and around your chimney.

If you notice the walls are damp around your chimney during or after a storm, it could be that the flashing around your chimney is loose or worn out. In either case, it is likely that the flexible sealant around the flashing has cracked and formed gaps.

Another potential cause for roof leaks around your chimney is the design of the roof above your chimney. 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. 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.

Damaged or Missing Shingle Roof Leaks

If you’ve noticed a shingle laying in your yard, examine your roof for missing shingles. Shingles could be missing due to wind damage after being blown off during a storm. When this happens, your roof may have exposed nail heads or exposed gaps between the shingles laying below the missing one. This creates a couple different entry points for a roof leak, and it’s important to replace any missing shingles as soon as possible. If you don’t see any missing shingles, but you still suspect the leaking roof is related to a shingle issue, it could be that you have a different type of shingle damage.

You might have roof hail damage. Hail damage can crack or tear shingles at the point where a hailstone hits the shingle. On asphalt shingles, look for small dark spots where granules are missing. On wood shingles, look for dimples or cracks. There are other clues that may point to roof hail damage. Look for dents or small dimples in gutters, metal roof vents or metal flashing. Also look for tears in your screens, damaged siding or window casings.

Severely degraded, curling or buckling shingles can lead to a leaking roof, as the shingle edges loose contact with the roof surface creating gaps between shingles, exposed nail heads and rapid shingle deterioration. Even small gaps or craks on newer shingles can cause a roof leak. Tree limbs, tree branches, piled leaves or other debris laying on your roof can also cause pooling of water, leading to roof leaks and shingle deterioration.

Clogged Gutter Roof Leaks

Your home’s gutters and downspouts are designed to carry water that drips off the eaves of your roof down to the ground and away from the house and foundation. A properly functioning gutter system protects your roof, siding, foundation and landscaping. When your gutters are clogged, water and debris will pool inside the gutters while it’s raining. In severe situations, this water can leach under your eaves and shingles, leaking down into the walls of your home. Heavy clogged gutters can also deform or separate from your house in areas, which can cause waterfalls that run down down exterior siding or pool in areas of your landscaping or yard.

Roof Valley Leaks

Roof valleys are created wherever two roof surfaces intersect to form a shallow “V” shape. Roof valleys carry a lot of water. Although professional roofers take great care to properly install roof valleys, they can be susceptible to roof leaks. Due to their shape, they also are a prime spot for debris to collect, which could lead to water pooling in roof valleys. During the wintertime, roof valleys may collect more snow or ice than the flat slopes of your roof and could cause problems when the snow melts. Roof valleys may include an additional barrier of protection under your shingles in the way of an ice and water shield. This thick underlayment material offers added water protection around roofing nails and helps protect against ice dams and heavy water flow. However, not every home uses an ice and water shield in the valleys, and with poorly placed nails near seams and low spots, you might have a leak in the roof valley. Other roof designs call for metal roof valley flashing to form a solid metal water barrier.

Roof Nail Leaks

Roof nail leaks can happen when roof nails have been loosened slightly from high winds or have simply pulled out over time. If shingles get lifted or torn from high winds, the damaged shingle exposes nails holding the shingle below it. These nails will eventually rust, and just one rusted out nail can cause your roof to leak every time it rains.

Nail pops can also occur where the a nail or multiple nails push up and out causing the shingle above to lift, eventually penetrating the top shingle and causing a leak.

Nails or screws that were used for mounting satellite dishes or other roof-mounted equipment can leak. Make sure you patch any holes for equipment that has been removed. No matter how the hole forms in your roof, it needs to be fixed to prevent roof leaks.

Skylight Roof Leak

Roof leaks around skylights are fairly common. Installation of a skylight creates a large roof penetration that must be sealed around the entire perimeter to prevent leaks. Over time, it’s not uncommon for roof leaks to form around skylights. While skylights are designed to shed water, the top edge of every skylight forms a flat surface that raises from the roof surface. As rainwater flows down the roof, it hits the frame of the skylight, and if the frame or flashing is not water-tight, it can lead to a leaky roof.

The upper edge of your skylight is also a place where leaves, snow, ice and other debris can collect. This leads to pooling and faster deterioration of flashing and seals. Bear in mind that while skylights can and do leak, if you see a leak dripping from your skylight, it could be condensation on the inside of the glass or it could be that water leaked into the roof higher up and is exiting out the area of your skylight.

Dormer Roof Leaks

A roof leak at the edge of a dormer can allow a lot of water to enter your home. Dormer leaks can be caused from a number of issues. Rotten or missing trim or siding can allow water to leak behind flashing and into your roof. Worn out flashing or missing sealant can also cause roof leaks around dormers. When inspecting your roof, look for step flashing that has shifted, as this could leave areas exposed. Pay special attention to areas around dormers where debris has built up or where ice forms in the wintertime. Look for cracked caulk around window casings, and also check the upper and lower corners of the dormer to make sure there are no gaps or areas where water could flow under or behind flashing materials.

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