I have a bathroom fan that vents through the ceiling then to the roof. It drips water when ever it rains. I was convinced it was leaking into the vent penetration on the roof. I even confirmed it when I tore out the penetration, replaced it and re-roofed around it. It didn't drip for the rest of the year so I figured I had fixed it.
This spring it rained, a lot! It leaked, a lot! I had other pressing things to deal with so when we knew rain was coming we just set a bucket under the fan to catch the drips. My schedule finally loosened up a little and I got ready for battle, again. Then I got thinking and dragged the garden hose onto the roof and sprayed water just below the vent penetration. In a half hour later is dripping out of the fan! I climbed up into the attic, what fun, plus my 63 year old bones don't bend like they used to to climb through the hatch in the kitchen pantry closet. Also a screwed up left shoulder doesn't help either when I have to lift myself off the top of the ladder, scrunch my legs up and try hook my feet on a inch wide ledge in the hatch opening. Then climb over the insulation box around the hatch opening. I figure mama would have to call 911 to get me out of there!
Well, I get up there and with a good flashlight and see water dripping from the underside of the roof, a couple feet below the vent penetration. Well, damn, why didn't I see that last summer when I went up there while it was raining? It turns out the vent penetration was a bit farther up the roof, and the roof leak was right over the fan.
I went back on the roof and looked around. Nothing obvious, shingles are 20 years old, but in good condition. I started lifting the edge of the shingles in the area and find one roofing nail that was driven in a bit low, the edge of the shingle above it just covered it. I poked the nail with my finger and it moved. I was able to get a finger nail under it and lifted it right out. Well hurrah! I found it! Grabbed a tube of roofing tar and sealed it up.
The next day, after the tar set up a bit I ran water on the roof again, and found one more nail a foot or so over. Same deal, loose, pulled it out with my finger. More tar, gave it a day and ran the hose on the roof again and dry as a bone in the attic. I am pretty sure the nails hit the space between to boards. The roof is sheeted with 1x6 pine boards.
Pretty sure I got it, and I will not admit how many years we have been dealing with it!
This spring it rained, a lot! It leaked, a lot! I had other pressing things to deal with so when we knew rain was coming we just set a bucket under the fan to catch the drips. My schedule finally loosened up a little and I got ready for battle, again. Then I got thinking and dragged the garden hose onto the roof and sprayed water just below the vent penetration. In a half hour later is dripping out of the fan! I climbed up into the attic, what fun, plus my 63 year old bones don't bend like they used to to climb through the hatch in the kitchen pantry closet. Also a screwed up left shoulder doesn't help either when I have to lift myself off the top of the ladder, scrunch my legs up and try hook my feet on a inch wide ledge in the hatch opening. Then climb over the insulation box around the hatch opening. I figure mama would have to call 911 to get me out of there!
Well, I get up there and with a good flashlight and see water dripping from the underside of the roof, a couple feet below the vent penetration. Well, damn, why didn't I see that last summer when I went up there while it was raining? It turns out the vent penetration was a bit farther up the roof, and the roof leak was right over the fan.
I went back on the roof and looked around. Nothing obvious, shingles are 20 years old, but in good condition. I started lifting the edge of the shingles in the area and find one roofing nail that was driven in a bit low, the edge of the shingle above it just covered it. I poked the nail with my finger and it moved. I was able to get a finger nail under it and lifted it right out. Well hurrah! I found it! Grabbed a tube of roofing tar and sealed it up.
The next day, after the tar set up a bit I ran water on the roof again, and found one more nail a foot or so over. Same deal, loose, pulled it out with my finger. More tar, gave it a day and ran the hose on the roof again and dry as a bone in the attic. I am pretty sure the nails hit the space between to boards. The roof is sheeted with 1x6 pine boards.
Pretty sure I got it, and I will not admit how many years we have been dealing with it!
