By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
We were recently in our attic and noticed that the outside light is visible through the roofing in many places. We contacted our builder, and he says this is normal. He suggested that we do some caulking around the flashing and insisted that this is not a warranty problem. When we spoke to another builder, he said that answer is nonsense. Who is correct? - Sid
Dear Sid,
Light in an attic is not as desirable as light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. In most cases, it is a sign of faulty roof installation. However, there are some exceptions, depending upon the type of roofing you have. For example, with a wood shake roof or with some kinds of tile roofing, light may be visible beneath the flashing in some places. But light should only be visible when looking down slope within the attic, not when sighting upward along the interior surface of the roof.
In your case, I would strongly recommend an evaluation of the roof by a licensed roofing contractor and possibly by a home inspector, as well. If your builder is not willing to take responsibility for construction defects, you should have at least two professional opinions to back up your position.
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