In alt.home.repair on Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:27:49 -0400 "Chucky D"
posted:

hello
I am investigating a possible slight leak in the roof , how do I get in the
attic to investigate I can get a ladder and climb up but there is no
flooring and just insulation. Do I put boards on so I can stand while
looking , otherwise I will fall through the ceiling below.
any suggestions?
thanks

I think boards are a good idea.

Although one can stand on the joists, and even steady himself with his
hand up on a rafter, it gets tiring pretty quickly, and I personally
know one guy who fell through his ceiling. Not all the way, but
still. And I have a place where the tape between two pieces of
ceiling sheetrock is bulging. I once lost my footing. Didn't think I
put my weight on the sheetrock, but I guess I must have.

And if you're going to go up there again, you might as well make it
easy as soon as possible.

My maximum width through the trapdoor was 18 inches, so I took 4x8
sheets and cut them in thirds lengthwise, 16 inches wide. I think I
started with 2 sheets, 6 boards. That gave me 4 for the center and 2
to move around. Plus I've used some scrap wood from me and my
neighbor. (None of my neighbors use their attic at all afaik. I use it
for storage, although it got cold and my lava lamp broke. If I'd
realized it was filled with water and not lava I might not have put it
up there. )

Also watch where you put your head. The roofing nails come through.
When I had my roof replaced, he used longer nails yet, and I think
they may go past my natural limit on how close I let my head get to a
ceiling, so I'm thinking of wearing a hard hat up there. or at least
some sort of hat for early warning if not protection. Scalp wounds
really bleed, I hear. (Haven't been out of the center since then,
where it is higher than my head)

You can investigate, and if you do it when it's raining, I'm pretty
sure you'll find the leak. Even when not raining, you may find a
water stain. Darker wood? But I think it has to be repaired from the
outside.

The guy who sold me my house tried putting silicone up in the cone
surrounding the stovepipe chimney, but he didn't get it in far enough,
let alone stop all the paths the water could have taken. No one could
have. It made it easy for me, however, to know I had to recaulk (or
what do you call the black stuff that goes around a chimney) the base
of the chimney. It was also missing the collar that most of my
neighbors chimney's had, and that my own furnace chimney had.
Probably not your problem but ftr, that was hard to find. No one sold
one as big as my pipe (12 inches iirc) and I found only two places in
all of Baltimore and surrounding towns that sold a universal one. One
furnace supply store and one fireplace retail store, with a parts
departement. Only ~ten dollars and takes very little storage space.
Did other places have this but didn't want to sell to me? Had to be
trimmed a lot with tin snips before it would fit my pipe.

Meirman
--
If emailing, please let me know whether
or not you are posting the same letter.
Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.