Flat Roof Meets Wall Leaking After Heavy Snow

Others allow a 1 4 inch slope.

Flat roof meets wall leaking after heavy snow.

Water coming down the side of the old french door now doorway to house extension and trickling to the floor. Looks slightly damp above the door to one side so i guess water is coming down the outside wall past the flashing behind the dot and dab plasterboard and landing on top of the french door. If a roof leaks whether it has rained heavily or not then there is a good chance that there is an easily identifiable eg broken roof tile or hole in roof cause. During the wintertime roof valleys may collect more snow or ice than the flat slopes of your roof and could cause problems when the snow melts.

Possible solutions flexible sealant apply flexible sealant to cracks or holes in the brick mortar or home siding. Some metal building manufacturers will not warranty a roof with a 1 4 inch slope. Ice dam leaks plague people in the snow belt. Metal roofs leak under these circumstances.

When ice or snow fills a gutter any resulting melting water can go over the top of the gutter and back up the roof and penetrate the roofing tiles or shingles. It could be that a vent is leaking further up on the roof and the water is traveling down a rafter before entering the wall. Ice dams block the natural flow of water down a roof. If your roof vent only leaks during heavy rain you may be able to create a shield to prevent the rain from entering the vent.

The water begins to back up under flashings shingles tar paper etc. Proper roof wall abutment flashing examples. For clarity flat roofs actually have a slight slope to allow rain water to drain off the roof but they seem flat when compared with more traditional steeply sloped roofs. Mold on exterior walls or where roof and wall meet.

If a roof only leaks in heavy rain then the above reasons come to mind first and it gives us an easy starting point to successfully track down the cause s of the leak s. When the snow piled up on the roof melting occurred and ice dams resulted in water ponding 3 inches deep. The homes and structures which are most susceptible to snow damage are those who are uninhabited and or poorly maintained when snow keeps accumulating unchecked over time. So the chances of roof damage from too much snowpack are minimal after a single snow event.

Once water begins to flow into the house it can drip for days. Or those which have undergone improper renovations where load bearing walls might. Below are two photographs of roof wall step flashing completed and effective of a slate roof against a brick wall below left and in process with step flashing against a dormer sidewall before the dormer siding has been put in place below right. After heavy rain just not discovered a leak.