Repairing A Roof Valley Leak

Start at the upper row of shingles at the upper end of the.

Repairing a roof valley leak.

Move to the highest end of the valley and work your way down cleaning. When a valley begins to leak it s very difficult to surgically address the leak. In order to stop the leak in your roof you need to get to where the leak is occurring. 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.

The right thing to do here is to pull a valley basically pull a valley apart and rebuild it. Start low soaking the area just above where the leak appears in the house. Typical valley flashing is 14 inches wide. If a leak is difficult to find enlist a helper and go up on the roof with a garden hose.

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 roof leaks in valleys often turn into unsightly repairs. For example soak the downhill side of a chimney first then each side then the top on both sides. This will require that you remove the shingles.

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. Follow these three preparatory steps to get ready to fix the valley leak. Take measurements of your roof flashing most flashing is 14 inches wide but yours may vary. Carefully remove the shingles from the whole area of the leak and extend it approximately three or four feet beyond the leaking area.

Measure the width of the sheet metal valley flashing. Make a neat pile of the shingles that you will be able to continue using. Clear any debris in the roof valley and surrounding area. A properly flashed roof valley should have an ice and water shield installed with roofing felt being properly secured over the ice and water.

Isolate areas when you run the hose. Just like in nature a valley on a roof is designed to collect water. The best way to find and stop the roof leak is to start over and roof the valley the right way. And you can tar it but it s a real stop gap band aid like measure.