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condensation

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The roof is made of 2 by 6 cedar tounge and groove mounted on beams and vaulted, the house was built in 1960. The roof was originally tar and stone, on a 3.5 pitch. There is no insulation, the top of the board is the bottom of the roof. The "roof was leaking" so it was replaced. The roofer used ice and water on the whole surface and then shingled it. The problem arises when we get 4-8 of snow on roof, then water drains down the inside of the wall. The wall that it leaks on has a very large window and the interior finish is plaster. The roofer told me that no way can the roof be leaking with solid ice and water on it. At the same time the soffitt and fascia were wrapped in aluminum. Do you think that the old roof being tar was so think the heat loss never got the roof warm enough to melt the snow and cause a leak ? Please help me I'm going nuts ! Thank you...JL
Jeff Langhart

12/22/2008
If your roofing contractor dint either 1)Install and wrap the ice shield over your fascia or 2)Didn't install the drip edge first so the water will flow on top of your fascia metal you will have a problem. Often times you will see a roofer install the ice shield flush to the eve edge of the roof and in most cases the roof deck is set back off the fascia allowing the water to flow behind your fascia and fill the inside cavity of your soffit and then of course down your newly decorated with holiday cheer wall.
Guest User

12/22/2008
dlc's advice and input are accurate. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

12/23/2008
I completely understand what you are saying and it's not that simple, the ice and water are over the drip edge, this problem was never present with the old tar and stone roof, I can't help but think this is a heat loss issue that the new roof is experiencing more of a heat loss vs the old one, I do not have any facts to back this up. So, lets say the ice and water are installed correctly, can the overhang be part of the issue ( heat loss ) and why does it take 4-6 inches of snow on the roof to cause this problem ?
Jeff Langhart

12/23/2008
I re-read your post. I take it this is an asphalt shingle roof, not a metal roof. This board is for metal roofing questions but I understand you're just looking for solutions. What pitch is the roof? Typically a tar and gravel roof would be on a roof that is too low of slope for asphalt shingles. I have no way of answering your question about heat loss now vs with the old roof. If you're sure that this melting was not going on before then it sounds like you do have more heat loss now. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

12/23/2008
First of all ice and water shield can and will leak--at the seams. The only way to insure that ice and water shield is water tight where it overlaps itself is to roll the laps with a heavy metal roller and apply pressure when you do it and it still may not be water tight. The snow at the peak of your roof will melt before the snow at the edge. If you watch a snow covered roof when the sun is out, you can see snow melting at the top of the roof and not necessarily water running off of the roof. The water is being stopped by ice dams and in some cases refreezing. Shingles are not water tight either. The ice dam prevents the water from running off of the roof and it backs up under the shingles and up past the seam in the ice and water shield. You probably have enough heat escaping from your house to keep this water from refreezing and therefore it enters the house. From the sound of it, I would say the water is getting in at the first lap of your ice and water shield. One last thing on this long post: If you watch the snow melt from a roof it does it from the top down. You can see patches of roof melting off and at the bottom edge, over the soffit, there will still be a substantial amount of snow. The roof is a little warmer over the living space than the overhang. [email protected]
Guest User

12/23/2008
lets not assume that the install is correct lets lift the shingles to check it as we are hanging our x mas lights. P.S. the ice shield will do a better job of shielding all water penetration instead of your old roof system absorbing it without leaking
Guest User

12/24/2008