Roof Repair in Hempstead, NY

Why does a leak show up far from where the water gets in?

Because water runs along the underside of the roof, down the rafters and along the joists before it drips. The stain can be several feet from the opening.

Rainwater that gets under a shingle or past a flashing does not fall straight down. It runs along the top of the roof deck, follows the slope of the rafters and finds the easiest path to the ceiling. A stain in the middle of a room can be the end of a route that started at a valley or a chimney several feet away.

This is why the first visit starts in the attic. The roofer follows the wet wood upward, and the route it shows is the place to look on the roof. A repair made at the stain alone will leave the real opening in place.

What do nor'easters do to shingles and flashing?

They drive rain sideways and lift edges, which pushes water under shingles and past flashing that was sealed for calm weather. The damage is often found after the storm has passed.

A nor'easter brings long hours of wind and rain from a direction that the roof was not built to face head-on. The wind can lift the edges of shingles, especially at the eaves and the rake, and drive water beneath them. Flashing that was installed with a small gap or a worn sealant is the first to let water in under that kind of pressure.

Wind damage is often hidden. A shingle can be lifted without being torn away, and the seal can break without any visible sign on the surface. The roofer checks the seal line of each shingle near the damage, and the repair includes the seal, not just the tile.

Repair or replace the section?

A repair suits a small, localised failure in a roof that is otherwise sound. Replacing a section makes sense when the decking or underlayment is soft or the shingles are brittle across a large area.

A roof with a few cracked shingles and a sound deck is a repair. The roofer replaces the affected shingles, reseals the surrounding ones and checks the flashing. A roof where the shingles break when lifted, or where the surface is worn across the whole slope, is a different matter, and a replacement is the better decision.

The decision also depends on the decking. A soft or dark board that gives underfoot needs cutting out and replacing, because a repair on top of a soft board will not hold. The roofer records the extent of the soft wood so the homeowner can see the reason for the decision.

• Repair: a few failed shingles, a sound deck and sound underlayment
• Repair with decking: soft boards in a small area that can be cut out
• Replacement: brittle shingles across most of a slope, or widespread soft decking

Why flashing is checked on every leak call

Because flashing is where most leaks start. The metal and sealant at the chimney, the vents and the skylight take the most movement, and they fail first.

Flashing is the metal that seals the joint between the roof and anything that projects through it, such as a chimney, a vent pipe or a skylight. It is sealed with a bead of roofing sealant and bent to shed water. Over time the sealant dries, the metal moves and the joint opens. A storm finds the opening and the water follows it in.

A roofer checks each flashing joint near the leak, looks for cracked sealant, lifted metal and gaps at the corners, and repairs or replaces the flashing as needed. A new shingle laid over failed flashing will leak at the same spot, which is why the flashing comes first.

What the homeowner should do before the roofer arrives

Photograph the stain and the damage, move valuables away from the wet area and avoid walking on the roof. Those steps protect the house and the roofer.

Photograph the stain and the room where it appears, and take a photograph of the attic space if access is safe. Place a bucket under the drip and move furniture and rugs away from the wet area. Keep the photographs and notes with the date, since they are useful for a later repair or an insurance question.

Do not climb on a wet or damaged roof. A fall is a far greater risk than a leak, and the roofer can reach the damaged section from a safe position with the right equipment.

• Photograph the stain, the room and the attic if access is safe
• Place a bucket under the drip and move valuables
• Note the date and the weather that caused the leak
• Do not walk on a wet or damaged roof

What the caller can ask for on the phone

The roofer's name, the county licence for the business, the scope of the repair, the written report and the photographs of the damage that will be taken.

Nassau County licenses home-improvement businesses, roofing included, through its Office of Consumer Affairs. A caller can ask for the county licence of the business that will do the work, and for the name of the roofer who will attend. Those are ordinary requests and should be answered plainly.

The caller should also ask for a written report and photographs of the damage. The report is the record of the repair, and it is useful for a later insurance question or a sale. It also tells the caller what else on the roof should be watched after the next storm.

• The roofer's name and the business's Nassau County licence
• The scope of the repair, in writing
• Photographs of the damage and the finished work
• A list of parts of the roof to watch after the next storm