# Tied in Porch Roof to Existing Roof - Leaking



## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

I had a contractor build a new porch roof on the back of my house and he had to tie in to the house roof to get enough pitch. I tried to attach a picture - not sure if it worked. He did a great job constructing it, but the roof is now leaking. he came back and added ice dam material where the two roofs meet, but it is still leaking. It looks like where the new roof lays on the old roof, there is a 1/2 or 3/4 inch dip (the thickness of the plywood) and the water is backing up there and then getting under the shingles, even though it is tarred and he added the ice dam material. Now, he says the only way to fix it is to rip the roof off completely and make it all one piece.....any other alternatives/suggestions would be appreciated.


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

I am not trying to nitpick, but from the pictures, it does not look like you have anywhere near enough slope for composition shingles.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

I have no idea. The new porch roof, which is the new white portion coming off to the left in the photo, comes out about 12' from the back of the house and it does drain off.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

rather, it comes off about 12' from the back of the main taller portion of the house, so the part where it is tied into the lower portion of the house is actually about 15' out...kinda hard to explain. i just can't imagine the only way to get it not to leak is to rip off the entire roof of the lower portion of the house and tie it all in - there has got to be another way.


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

The siding looks like double 4". Rake cut looks to be around 4'. That gives you 2" of drop for every 12" of run. 

The slope of the new porch is less than that. 

I would be concerned with a 2/12 slope to begin with. 

Anything less than that, in my opinion, is not suitable for composition shingle application. 

Just my opinion, best of luck!


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

bharling said:


> rather, it comes off about 12' from the back of the main taller portion of the house, so the part where it is tied into the lower portion of the house is actually about 15' out...kinda hard to explain. i just can't imagine the only way to get it not to leak is to rip off the entire roof of the lower portion of the house and tie it all in - there has got to be another way.


Not sure how everything ties in.

Perhaps you could do away with the shingles and put steel roofing on the low slope section.


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

First question
Where is it leaking?

2nd question
Can you throw a ladder up there and take a pic for us?

3rd question
Has he been paid in full?


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you for all the replies! Unfortunately, there is snow on the roof right now, so can't see anything, but maybe it will melt later today or tomorrow. So, maybe there is another type of shingle or maybe steel? wouldn't that have to go all the way to the top of the back half of the house roof so it is all one piece? It is leaking at the end of the original overhang - you can see where the soffit was removed so we could see where it was leaking? It is leaking from the beam at the left end of that small section where the sofffit is missing. not sure if that is clear. of course, he is already paid. The work was done in October...took weeks for him to come back the first time and now he keeps saying he will come by but doesn't. I think he removed the shingles from the back of the house as far up as he needed to go and then framed out what he needed to get the slope on top of that and then tarred the seam where the new plywood met the old roof and then re-shingled. I tried to attach an old picture of when he was putting it up - if it works, you can see originally, he did not come to the end of the house, but i made him change that.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

unfortunately, the file is to big to upload that prior photo.


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

Looks like it ties into the house siding on the left.

Did he remove any siding? 

The detail where the roof ties into the house siding MUST be step flashed, if it is not, some type of sealant is the only thing that will prevent a leak.

If no siding was removed step flashing could not have been properly installed.


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

A proper roof installation does not, and should not, require TAR.:no:


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

bharling said:


> unfortunately, the file is to big to upload that prior photo.


Try compressing it with Picture Manager
or Photobucket


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

He did not remove any siding. Attached is a photo from when he was putting it on - not sure if you will be able to tell much from it though.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

Also, it is leaking from where the post is in the first picture, although the new roof section is tied in about halfway up the existing roof - it is getting in between the two and i guess is working its way down under the new roof section until it finds a way out, which is the beam where the post is, if that helps.


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

Bless your heart. I hope you stay with us, we will help you figure this one out. 

More pictures would be a great help in resolving this issue. 

When the snow clears please upload some.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

ok, I will. Thanks again for all your help!!


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

To me it looks like it needs to be a single ply roof. No where near enough slope to shingle that.


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## tcleve4911 (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm guessing he used tar paper as his underlayment.

Grace Ice & Water Sheild under the tabbed shingles would have helped a lot.


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

Yes im sure it would. He did say he put some down but i belive that was in the slope tie in. Doing the whole thing would help. Still for me its to low of a slope. If he doesnt want the looks of a epdm or tpo roof, one could use a SA Mod bit they come in somewhat matching colors of the shingles. They have it in torch down too. Also some TPO makes have a shingle inprint on them. Couple of ideas.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

ok - I hope these pictures help...and i hope they upload right 
[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Too low a slope and a dip at the tie-in. Rip it off, get a nailable base, 1-2 inner plies and a brown granuls SDS Cap sheet system on there, all the way to the ridge. 
Make sure the tie-in is done correctly; Run the sheathing up to the tie-in, take the first existing board fromt the rafters. Finish sheathing into the existing rafters, re-cut the board that was removed to fit and re-install it.
I'll look for a pic while you read this.


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

Improper installation for sure. 
Cracked shingles
Low spot at transition line
No wall flashing( that I can see)

If you want my advice, I would do as was mentioned earlier in this thread.Get a roofing contractor in there. He will be able to place a modified roof on it and your worries will be over.

I am not sure as to your relationship to the builder of this project, perhaps he should be excluded from any future work on your house.


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Before. First pic was taken facing down the roof.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

Great, thank you so much for all of your help! No, definetely not using him again, although, I hate to pay someone else to fix it when he should have done it right the first time....we will see.

I will let you all know what happens. You have been a great help


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

This is how it's supposed to be done.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

Great pictures! So, basically, he should have ripped off the lower part and tied it in, rather than just laying the new one on top....? I am sure there is more to it than that, but that is the general idea?


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## waterman1971 (Apr 19, 2009)

bharling said:


> Great pictures! So, basically, he should have ripped off the lower part and tied it in, rather than just laying the new one on top....? I am sure there is more to it than that, but that is the general idea?


Just at the transition. The old decking is cut back a few inches to allow the new decking to sit flush with the elevation of the old. In tinner666's pictures the addition is done in a similar fashion to yours. Notice in his pictures the new rafters are nailed on top of the old roofing and decking.


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

bharling said:


> Great pictures! So, basically, *he should have ripped off the lower part and tied it in, rather than just laying the new one on top....? * I am sure there is more to it than that, but that is the general idea?


It could be framed properly either way. The leak issue is not in the framing. The roof slope appears too low for 3 tab shingles (and maybe for dimensionals with ice and water shield under them). The new portion of the roof needs some type of membrane on it.


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

Both slopes look to low for shingles of any type. He couldnt have tied in the new shingles look how far down the old shingles go, right to the breaking point of the two slopes. I doubt you have much warranty so you might be on your own. Get a couple of low slope roofers to look at it. The dip could be feathered out with a tapered edge strip that will make it smooth. The builder should have decked this right. Put a single ply membrane or a 2 ply with a SBS cap sheet. You will be much happier and leak free if done right.


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## bharling (Mar 6, 2011)

Great. Thank you all soo much!


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