# Vent Pipe Boot



## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

Remove nails from the shingles nearby and also nail the boot flashing in place, plus use a bead of sealant under the shingles that get trimmed on the left and right side of the pipe and the top upper portion of the flashing. You may also want to apply some sealant under the bottom of the boot flashing which will remain exposed so that wind does not blow upwards under the flashing.

Ed


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

Ed the Roofer said:


> Remove nails from the shingles nearby and also nail the boot flashing in place, plus use a bead of sealant under the shingles that get trimmed on the left and right side of the pipe and the top upper portion of the flashing. You may also want to apply some sealant under the bottom of the boot flashing which will remain exposed so that wind does not blow upwards under the flashing.
> 
> Ed


Could that be the reason why my roof leaked at that point? Wind blowing water up the boot?

It's rained before, but never leaked. But, today Hurricane Hanna came through, and it leaked because it was also quite windy. 

Doesn't sound that simple especially since my roof is about 25 ft. above ground. How much would a roofer charge to replace this boot, assuming I provide the boot?


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## buletbob (May 9, 2008)

handy man88 said:


> Could that be the reason why my roof leaked at that point? Wind blowing water up the boot?
> 
> It's rained before, but never leaked. But, today Hurricane Hanna came through, and it leaked because it was also quite windy.
> 
> Doesn't sound that simple especially since my roof is about 25 ft. above ground. How much would a roofer charge to replace this boot, assuming I provide the boot?


Is the boot damaged? check and see if the seal is opened around the pipe, if so spread some roof sealant around this area. and lift the front flange and install sealant under that area. I have never changed the plumbing flange's, unless the boot was riped. or was installed improperly.
from what your saying the wind blew the rain under the front flange. BOB.


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

If that was the only time it leaked, it probably was the upward flowage of rain going up and under the bottom flange, so just apply sealant from a caulking tube under that flange for the time being and be careful on the roof. It is easy to lose your footing and slip on the granules.

If you are slow at this type of thing, bring an old foam couch cushion on the roof to rest your knees or hip on while doing the repair, plus it will give you some more traction.

Ed


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

Ed the Roofer said:


> If that was the only time it leaked, it probably was the upward flowage of rain going up and under the bottom flange, so just apply sealant from a caulking tube under that flange for the time being and be careful on the roof. It is easy to lose your footing and slip on the granules.
> 
> If you are slow at this type of thing, bring an old foam couch cushion on the roof to rest your knees or hip on while doing the repair, plus it will give you some more traction.
> 
> Ed


OMG. All this sounds scary.

The "good" think about this vent pipe is that I think I can access it while on the ladder. I won't have to actually climb onto the roof itself, which is very steep. 

I may be able to reach it to squeeze some sealant, but the house is 10 years old. Is this timeframe about right where it needs to be replaced? Are 10 year old shingles easy to crack when trying to remove the boot?

I'm going to monitor the next storm, and if the area gets wetter, then it may be time for repair. I picked up a new boot today from Home Depot and it's not as simple as I thought. The boot itself is attached to metal.


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## Ed the Roofer (Jan 27, 2007)

If it does leak again, don't even consider doing it yourself unless you can "Easily" reach it from the ladder. People stretching farther than intended is a major cause for falling and it sounds as if it too steep for you, so in your case call someone up and see if they will do a service call for between $ 75.00 to $ 150.00.

The money will be well spent to protect your health and safety.

First monitor it after the next moderate rain though.

Lay tissue paper on the floor of the attic to see if any drip stains materialize after the rain on it.

Ed


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

Ed the Roofer said:


> If it does leak again, don't even consider doing it yourself unless you can "Easily" reach it from the ladder. People stretching farther than intended is a major cause for falling and it sounds as if it too steep for you, so in your case call someone up and see if they will do a service call for between $ 75.00 to $ 150.00.
> 
> The money will be well spent to protect your health and safety.
> 
> ...


That's probably the best piece of advice I got today. Thanks.


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## ldbrandhorst (Dec 15, 2009)

*Replacing Rubber Boot Around Vent Pipe*

If the flashing itself is in good condition, and the only problem is that the rubber boot around the pipe is deteriorating, then you can buy replacement rubber boots ($2-$5, I've seen universal all-size ones for $20) and have a much easier job than replacing the flashing. Finding the replacement rubber boots may require a plumbing supply house rather than Home Depot (I haven't looked on the Internet).

If the existing rubber boot is not deteriorated very far from the pipe, then you can slip an appropriate size new boot over the old one. Make sure the new boot fits tightly enough to be waterproof around the pipe. Some replacement boot types have a smaller hole than the pipe it's sized far, but the thin rubber inner edge will stretch appropriately as you pull it down over the pipe. 

When pushing it down against the previous boot, pull up a little on the pipe. Many times the pipe will have some give, and pulling it up will allow you to get the boot further down. Then the boot will be held snug against the top of the old boot. You can put a bead of roofing sealant on the old boot before pushing the new one down as well. You can put a bead of sealant around the top edge of the boot and vent pipe if you're not sure it's snug enough. The only possible bad result there is that it's tougher to clean off the sealant when you have to do this again in 10-15 years.


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## leenga (Jan 16, 2010)

*How to replace Vent Pipe Boot, Not Flashing*



ldbrandhorst said:


> If the flashing itself is in good condition, and the only problem is that the rubber boot around the pipe is deteriorating, then you can buy replacement rubber boots ($2-$5, I've seen universal all-size ones for $20) and have a much easier job than replacing the flashing. Finding the replacement rubber boots may require a plumbing supply house rather than Home Depot (I haven't looked on the Internet).



This is exactly what I'd like to do, but I can't find anywhere to buy the boots? Anyone have some suggestions?? I've checked all over the internet but everything comes up with the flashing!


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## ldbrandhorst (Dec 15, 2009)

*Finding Roof Vent Replacement Boots*

These replacement boots are very easy to find on the internet (though dealing with your local plumbing supply will many times allow more interaction for knowledgeable advice). Just search using the words: vent pipe roof vent.
Here's an example of one that comes up:

http://www.bestmaterials.com/penetration_seals.aspx

Regards, --Lynn


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## hammer71h (Jan 23, 2010)

*no need to replace the boot*



leenga said:


> This is exactly what I'd like to do, but I can't find anywhere to buy the boots? Anyone have some suggestions?? I've checked all over the internet but everything comes up with the flashing!


hey leenga...there is really no need to replace the boot...it was most likely wind driven rain...especially since you mentioned the fact that you had a hurricane come through...and the fact that the house is only 10 years old...

it is very doubtful that the rubber part that make the seal to the white pvc pipe is leaking...just put three nails across the bottom of the metal part and then put roofing caulk/sealant over each nail head...you could even put a little sealant under the metal making a seal there....before you nail it...

if you decide you dont want to do any of that...you can call a local roofing company...the job is very easy and small...i own a roofing company...and these are great little jobs right now for me since im in ohio...and we're kinda of out of season right now...and since i need to eat...i will do stuff very cheap right now...should be able to have someone fix that for no more then $50 it will take less then 15 minutes total....

hope this helps....


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## ldbrandhorst (Dec 15, 2009)

*Additional advice worth no more than you paid for it...*

Diagnosing the actual problem is essential, or the fix will not fix. You did not give any background on the problem, only indicated that you knew the replacement boots were what you needed. I hope that's true. If you're not absolutely sure, then get a reputable contractor with roofing knowledge out to examine your roof, tell you what's wrong, and hopefully give you an estimate (or fixed cost bid!) of the cost to repair -- with a warranty.

As a final note, I would NEVER, NEVER, EVER hire someone to fix this problem who has, without seeing your house, given you a different diagnosis and offers to fix your house on the cheap!



hammer71h said:


> hey leenga...there is really no need to replace the boot...it was most likely wind driven rain...especially since you mentioned the fact that you had a hurricane come through...and the fact that the house is only 10 years old...
> 
> it is very doubtful that the rubber part that make the seal to the white pvc pipe is leaking...just put three nails across the bottom of the metal part and then put roofing caulk/sealant over each nail head...you could even put a little sealant under the metal making a seal there....before you nail it...
> 
> ...


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## MJW (Feb 7, 2006)

Those pipe boots say "no caulk" right on them.

I have seen the rubber boot fail and that is probably the problem. I would hire someone to change out the whole flashing as the boot is secured to the flashing. Anyone "on the cheap" I would stay away from unless you want to fix it again later.


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## NJHomeowner45 (Jan 4, 2011)

I had a similar problem during the recent blizzard in the NY/NJ area. I've been in my house for 2 years now (it's new construction) without incident, but during the blizzard, a leak developed in an upstairs bathroom. Water was coming from the outside of the exhaust vent pipe. Went into the attic and found some snow had gotten in near that pipe and was melting. We had wind gusting over 50 mph, so it's probably a freak occurrence, but I would still like to fix the problem. Had 4 different roofers take a look and got 4 different "answers". One blamed the cobra vent on the ridge line (after walking the inside of the attic), one blamed a missing screen on the roof vent cap (after walking the roof), one claimed the rubber boot around the pipe was installed on top of the shingles instead of under them (claimed he could tell from the ground; he didn't get up on the roof), and one didn't have any idea how the snow got in (he walked the roof and the attic). How can I tell who is real and who is full of crap?


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

NJHomeowner45 said:


> I had a similar problem during the recent blizzard in the NY/NJ area. I've been in my house for 2 years now (it's new construction) without incident, but during the blizzard, a leak developed in an upstairs bathroom. Water was coming from the outside of the exhaust vent pipe. Went into the attic and found some snow had gotten in near that pipe and was melting. We had wind gusting over 50 mph, so it's probably a freak occurrence, but I would still like to fix the problem. Had 4 different roofers take a look and got 4 different "answers". One blamed the cobra vent on the ridge line (after walking the inside of the attic), one blamed a missing screen on the roof vent cap (after walking the roof), one claimed the rubber boot around the pipe was installed on top of the shingles instead of under them (claimed he could tell from the ground; he didn't get up on the roof), and one didn't have any idea how the snow got in (he walked the roof and the attic). How can I tell who is real and who is full of crap?


As painful as it sounds, do what I did. Check after every rainstorm and bring your camera. Check the insulation directly below the opening. Be lucky it's not the summer time.

When you first found the leak and climbed around the attic, you should have taken pictures.


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## NJHomeowner45 (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks. A co-worker had the same recommendation. Makes sense. I don't want to pay for a fix that doesn't fix the problem. The good news is that it wasn't a big leak that could cause a major problem.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

NJHomeowner45 said:


> Thanks. A co-worker had the same recommendation. Makes sense. I don't want to pay for a fix that doesn't fix the problem. The good news is that it wasn't a big leak that could cause a major problem.


Another thing that you may want to consider is putting a shallow pan inside a shallow box and lay it on top of the insulation directly below the boot.


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## JodyRodgers (May 3, 2012)

Make sure to use the "Ultimate Pipe Flashing", it's warrantied for the life of your roofing. That way, you won't be doing this again in 3-6 years. Costs more, but worth it.


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## Pittsville (Jan 8, 2011)

Another possible solution...

http://www.permabootstore.com/


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