wrote in message
...
Our house is about 115 years old with the original 1" x 10" roofing
boards which still fit tightly together, no gaps in between them.
There's one layer of asphalt shingles guaranteed for 15 years which
were put on in 1990, and three sky lights. To my eyes, the shingles
look to be in good shape with no surface loss or curling.

Recently a leak has developed which usually runs down the wallboard in
the finished attic and dampens the top of the knee wall. During a
violet rainstorm, the water will run further - down through the floor,
a few feet across and through the ceiling in the room below.

We've called at lest two dozen roofers and only three have arrived.
Just mentioning a leak that needs repairing is enough to have them
hang up immediately. One patched it for $50 which didn't work and
doesn't want to come back, but said that the shingles were in good
shape. Another wanted $5000 for a completely new roof then phoned
later to say that he'd reduce his price to $3500 because the shingles
didn't need to be stripped. The third one said that the roof boards
were "moving" and there were gaps in between - even though he couldn't
actually see them and that any shingles guarantee would be void if
they were placed over boards instead of plywood. He wanted $7500 to
strip the roof, cover all the boards with 3/8" plywood then put on new
shingles.

As far as I'm concerned, the third one is out only for our money but
the problem is that my husband knows nothing about roofs and believes
roofers before he believes me. This bit about the roof moving seems to
me to be a load of garbage. What do you all think?

Circe

Well....houses *do* settle and things shift. When shingles are installed
properly, they're a snug fit. I suppose it's possible that the wood
underneath could shift enough to open up a leak.

This is a complicated decision. First of all, is it a question of having the
money, or wanting to spend it? How much longer do you intend to stay in that
house? And most important, do you have any idea how much it'll cost to
replace plaster or sheetrock walls, carpeting, or hardwood floors if this
leak gets worse? In other words, you may be faced with spending the exact
same money for interior repairs, *AND* replacing the whole roof.

If I were you, I'd pay a home inspector to look at the situation. Here
(Rochester NY), a full house inspection before purchase is around $250-$300,
and I once had an inspector stop by for another small issue. That visit cost
$100.00. In your case, it might be worth it. If nothing else, it might
eliminate any misconceptions you or your husband have. In other words, you
might look like a genius and win this round. :-)

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 09:58:07 -0500, scribbled
this interesting note:
snip

As far as I'm concerned, the third one is out only for our money but
the problem is that my husband knows nothing about roofs and believes
roofers before he believes me. This bit about the roof moving seems to
me to be a load of garbage. What do you all think?

From where I sit, and I cannot see the roof or properly examine any of
the problem areas, I'd say don't hire any of those roofing
contractors. Ask around of your friends and family and neighbors.
Surely someone you know knows a good roofer who will come out and fix
your leak. Doing a complete tear-off, including perfectly good
decking, just because of a minor leak that will be simple to fix when
properly identified, is similar to removing a lung just because you
have a runny nose.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Doug Kanter wrote:
/snip/
If I were you, I'd pay a home inspector to look at the situation. Here
(Rochester NY), a full house inspection before purchase is around
$250-$300, and I once had an inspector stop by for another small
issue. That visit cost $100.00. In your case, it might be worth it.
If nothing else, it might eliminate any misconceptions you or your
husband have. In other words, you might look like a genius and win
this round. :-)

Good suggestion, but use a ROOFING inspector, not a home inspector.

"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:
/snip/
If I were you, I'd pay a home inspector to look at the situation. Here
(Rochester NY), a full house inspection before purchase is around
$250-$300, and I once had an inspector stop by for another small
issue. That visit cost $100.00. In your case, it might be worth it.
If nothing else, it might eliminate any misconceptions you or your
husband have. In other words, you might look like a genius and win
this round. :-)

Good suggestion, but use a ROOFING inspector, not a home inspector.



Or something - but a third party.

wrote:
Our house is about 115 years old with the original 1" x 10" roofing
boards which still fit tightly together, no gaps in between them.
There's one layer of asphalt shingles guaranteed for 15 years which
were put on in 1990, and three sky lights. To my eyes, the shingles
look to be in good shape with no surface loss or curling.
/snip/
What do you all think?

Good writeup on the roofing process on a home with 1x10 planks.
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/r...p/tear_off.htm

Note that there is more to this than just nailing on new shingles. The
underlayment or "dry in" is very important in insuring water tightness. You
shouldn't have any problem installing the underlayment directly on the 1x10
boards - but make sure the boards are firmly nailed in place first to prvent
future tearing. Ask your roofer for the cost of renailing... should it be
necessary. Also consider an upgraded underlayment such as GAF's Shingle
Mate
http://www.gaf.com/Content/GAF/RES1/...ingleMate.html

Secondary waterproofing ("ice & water shield") is an excellent idea even if
your local codes don't require it. I have even used it here in the south
over all sheathing joints as additional protection from hurricanes.

Hope this helps.

Use binoculars to inspect the roof from the ground. May be worse than you
think. If you live in a sunny/hot climate the shingles usually don't last
as long as they are supposed to. Especially if you have fiberglass shingles
from 1990 when the technology was still getting the kinks out. Also with a
finished attic the roof probably isn't getting sufficient ventilation. I
would call a professional engineer to evaluate the roof and ventilation
under the roof before doing anything.


wrote in message
...
Our house is about 115 years old with the original 1" x 10" roofing
boards which still fit tightly together, no gaps in between them.
There's one layer of asphalt shingles guaranteed for 15 years which
were put on in 1990, and three sky lights. To my eyes, the shingles
look to be in good shape with no surface loss or curling.

Recently a leak has developed which usually runs down the wallboard in
the finished attic and dampens the top of the knee wall. During a
violet rainstorm, the water will run further - down through the floor,
a few feet across and through the ceiling in the room below.

We've called at lest two dozen roofers and only three have arrived.
Just mentioning a leak that needs repairing is enough to have them
hang up immediately. One patched it for $50 which didn't work and
doesn't want to come back, but said that the shingles were in good
shape. Another wanted $5000 for a completely new roof then phoned
later to say that he'd reduce his price to $3500 because the shingles
didn't need to be stripped. The third one said that the roof boards
were "moving" and there were gaps in between - even though he couldn't
actually see them and that any shingles guarantee would be void if
they were placed over boards instead of plywood. He wanted $7500 to
strip the roof, cover all the boards with 3/8" plywood then put on new
shingles.

As far as I'm concerned, the third one is out only for our money but
the problem is that my husband knows nothing about roofs and believes
roofers before he believes me. This bit about the roof moving seems to
me to be a load of garbage. What do you all think?

Circe

wrote in message
...
Our house is about 115 years old with the original 1" x 10" roofing
boards which still fit tightly together, no gaps in between them.
There's one layer of asphalt shingles guaranteed for 15 years which
were put on in 1990, and three sky lights. To my eyes, the shingles
look to be in good shape with no surface loss or curling.

Recently a leak has developed which usually runs down the wallboard in
the finished attic and dampens the top of the knee wall. During a
violet rainstorm, the water will run further - down through the floor,
a few feet across and through the ceiling in the room below.

We've called at lest two dozen roofers and only three have arrived.
Just mentioning a leak that needs repairing is enough to have them
hang up immediately. One patched it for $50 which didn't work and
doesn't want to come back, but said that the shingles were in good
shape. Another wanted $5000 for a completely new roof then phoned
later to say that he'd reduce his price to $3500 because the shingles
didn't need to be stripped. The third one said that the roof boards
were "moving" and there were gaps in between - even though he couldn't
actually see them and that any shingles guarantee would be void if
they were placed over boards instead of plywood. He wanted $7500 to
strip the roof, cover all the boards with 3/8" plywood then put on new
shingles.

As far as I'm concerned, the third one is out only for our money but
the problem is that my husband knows nothing about roofs and believes
roofers before he believes me. This bit about the roof moving seems to
me to be a load of garbage. What do you all think?

Circe

Your method of repair/replacement is governed by how long do you plan to
stay in the home.
You failed to mention the pitch so these are WAG's

The contractor that wants to put down the plywood might have a better
guarantee. He is quoting something that he is comfortable with, a new
surface that he can put the roofing on.
The contractor that puts down the new roof over old may only fix the problem
for a while.
Skylights are noted for leaks after time. I have never seen one that did not
leak.
As a suggestion, there is a product called Snow Coat, (box store brand name)
It can be used on shingles and will stop leaks. Your view of white streaks
on your roof may tend to nix this idea. I have used the commercial variety
for several years with success on slow/small leaks. These are flat roofs
and not view from the ground.
It is not cheap, if you do 2 coats as recommended it could cost as much as
the new roof.

best of luck thank god I have tile.

wrote:
Our house is about 115 years old with the original 1" x 10" roofing
boards which still fit tightly together, no gaps in between them.
There's one layer of asphalt shingles guaranteed for 15 years which
were put on in 1990, and three sky lights. To my eyes, the shingles
look to be in good shape with no surface loss or curling.

Recently a leak has developed which usually runs down the wallboard in
the finished attic and dampens the top of the knee wall. During a
violet rainstorm, the water will run further - down through the floor,
a few feet across and through the ceiling in the room below.

We've called at lest two dozen roofers and only three have arrived.
Just mentioning a leak that needs repairing is enough to have them
hang up immediately. One patched it for $50 which didn't work and
doesn't want to come back, but said that the shingles were in good
shape. Another wanted $5000 for a completely new roof then phoned
later to say that he'd reduce his price to $3500 because the shingles
didn't need to be stripped. The third one said that the roof boards
were "moving" and there were gaps in between - even though he couldn't
actually see them and that any shingles guarantee would be void if
they were placed over boards instead of plywood. He wanted $7500 to
strip the roof, cover all the boards with 3/8" plywood then put on new
shingles.

As far as I'm concerned, the third one is out only for our money but
the problem is that my husband knows nothing about roofs and believes
roofers before he believes me. This bit about the roof moving seems to
me to be a load of garbage. What do you all think?

Circe
Hi,
First finding where leaking spot is often difficult task but you have to
fine it. My first suspected area is around sky lights.
Then do whatever is necessary. Once I had leak and real leak was several
feet away from where water appeared.
Good luck,
Tony

wrote in message
...

Very interesting. The roofer who wanted to cover the complete
roof with plywood justified this partly because of gaps between the
boards. Notice on this site that gaps are no problem.

If you've mentioned how big the gaps are, I missed it, so the following may
be nothing more than a typing exercise: If the gaps are a hair larger than
the nails used to hold down the shingles, they are too big. Imagine an
excellent pair of leather hiking boots. That's about the thickness of a
shingle. Put a nail through a shingle, and if that nails hits nothing, like
the gap between two boards, that shingle is at risk. You can extrapolate
from there.