Leaking from roof vent, options?


  #1  
Old 07-13-18, 11:26 AM
W
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Leaking from roof vent, options?

Today we noticed some a water staining spot adjacent to a recessed lighting can upstairs.

Taking a peek into the attic space, the spot lines up with a roof vent. Also tellingly, there was a slight depression in the insulation, with some debris in the depression. So the likely story is that rain and debris gets in through the vent and drips down into the attic space. There are other similar depressions next to other roof vents but no staining seen on the ceiling elsewhere.

Is this type of leak typically covered with a home builder's roof warranty? The standard 1 year warranty has expired. How about homeowner's insurance?

I definitely won't be walking about on the roof, so it's something I'll have to recruit a pro for.
 
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Old 07-13-18, 11:55 AM
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If your past a year chances of getting the builder back is slim but still worth a call.

Since there is no real damage yet nothing to claim, and to be honest you never want to file a homeowners claim for minor stuff, that claim will haunt you for years!

So, looks like some repair work is in order, maybe it's something with the vent itself not installed correctly but best to get it resolved before any actual damage occurs!
 
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Old 07-13-18, 12:11 PM
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Thanks for the reply. Good point about not filing the homeowners claim until absolutely necessary.

I'm looking into local roofing companies now, but waiting for the builder's warranty guy to respond to my email. They have not been helpful for pretty much anything after the first year. I've heard about some roofs coming with a 20+ year warranty, but just how much is covered seems very debatable.

Right now my thoughts are that either (1) due to high winds when it rains, the water comes splashing into the vent despite the mesh/grate and other things installed around the vent specifically to prevent this issue.

OR (2) The vent(s) is defective.
 
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Old 07-13-18, 05:43 PM
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A picture of the vent from up on the roof would be a big help.
We do not even know what type vent it is, there's hundreds of different things that could be called a "roof Vent".
Homeowners insurance will not cover poor workmanship.
 
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Old 07-13-18, 07:27 PM
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Plumbing vents usually have a boot that is installed over it an woven in to the roofing to allow water to sheet across it and down the roof and not into the house. You usually see failure of the boots in older homes, but not totally uncommon in new construction. Would guess it is a bad boot and if the home is new, would be covered by either the builder warranty or the Insurance warranty. If course the latter requires a deductible....
 
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Old 07-16-18, 09:48 PM
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I can't get onto the roof myself, but the next time I get into the attic, I will take some photos. The homebuilder's warranty guy is dropping by so we'll be taking a look together this week.
 
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Old 07-16-18, 10:49 PM
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Joe and Z...since he said there's a mesh/grate covering it and water might be "splashing" in to it....I somehow doubt it's any sort of plumbing vent.

More likely the typical square covered attic vent or maybe a slant back or eyebrow type?
 
 

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