I have small leaks that are, for now, manageable. I also noticed yesterday an area about 12 square feet that is soft looking and is showing signs of sheathing damage on my roof.
I am considering having the entire roof replaced, sheathing replaced where damaged, a new ridge vent installed, a chimney flashing replaced, and 2 old vent piping taken out and openings sheathed over.
My questions are: Taking into consideration of the time of year it is, will there be a problem with the curing of the sealant that are to be used? How about the asphalt shingles and or underlayment? As far as I understand all these are nailed down, but the shingles have an adhesive tar coating on the under side that needs to cure.
I am trying to balance out the pros and cons of the project and a decision either to go ahead or to wait for the warmer months of spring.
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Senor Dorado
Replies
The "manageable" part is really up to you. If it indeed is manageable then IMHO you should wait till better weather comes along. That "twelve sq foot area" may need to be completely replaced and it that's the case, the weather in your area would really be a factor in it's repair. Depending on who and how they go about repairing/replacing your roof could be just the tip of a small disaster and big inconvenience to you.
Since you have known leaks and one discovered soft spot in the sheathing, odds are good that upon stripping this roof, you will find a lot more to replace. That calls for a large crew or better weather, IMO
But unless you are in certain climate/geographic or high wind zones, the sealdown working is one of the lesser concerns. Most I have in stalled in winter do eventually seal. Where it was a problem is in places like West texas where dust storms laid a powder in the meantime preventing good sealing.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
You doing it yourself or having it done? A reliable, competent roofer should warranty the roof against blow-offs for at least 6 months, giving the roof time to experience some summer sun to fuse the tar strips.
Roofing in cooler weather is harder for the roofers, and is apt to generate more call-backs to replace blow-offs, but generally they charge the same price (or even less) because business slacks off. Of course, there are temps below which it becomes impractical to roof because the materials are too brittle (I'm thinking around 20F), and it's obviously dangerous to roof when icy or with blowing cold.
The one thing that's hard to judge is whether you'll get a poorer job in cold weather. Especially if it's windy, shortcuts are apt to be taken.
shortcuts are apt to be taken
Now stop posting #### like that. Have you ever roofed in the winter? I have, and I will tell you, if you are working you don't notice the cold. "generate more call-backs to replace blow-offs" That might be, but hasn't happened to any roofs I nailed on.
Here is one reason to put a roof on in climate like where I live, we don't get a lot of rain in the winter, which means tear offs don't endanger the house as much as in the spring. Good tarp on the ground, to catch what is ripped and you are good to go.
"generally they charge the same price (or even less) because business slacks off."LOL, anytime somebody wanted me to roof in winter, I charged more, because it cost me more.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Just read a thread about cold weather shingle replacement and it advises using 6 nails instead of usual 4. This should get you over the winter until the summer. If your shingles are damaged enough, that is, brittle, you should replace the whole thing. I was going to recommend a caulk and a few shingle replacements to get you over the winter, but your "good" shingles may crack from age and temperature while you are working on the bad ones. Hope this helps.