Ah, the fun of homeownership.

Keep in mind the peeling paint within the toilet ceiling that I discussed final week? The peeling paint that I felt sure was as a result of humidity from the bathe and lack of enough air flow? Effectively, I used to be unsuitable. The paint is peeling as a result of we’ve got a leak within the roof.

It appears to be a small leak, nevertheless it’s a leak nonetheless.

Monday morning, I seen that there was a tea-colored water stain within the space the place the paint had peeled. “I do not like that,” I believed, and I snapped a photograph.

I drove as much as the household field manufacturing facility, the place my brother and I spent a number of hours ready for Mother to be discharged from the hospital. Whereas we waited, we sorted by her paperwork to make sure we had every part so as. We up to date her personal-finance information. We chatted in regards to the future.

Ultimately, Mother was not launched from the hospital on Monday, so I drove residence within the heavy rain. Once I arrived, I checked the water spot within the toilet ceiling. Had it grown? It had.

[Photo: A *bigger* stain in our bathroom ceiling]

So, I ventured into our attic for the primary time.

Crawling round at the hours of darkness, I managed to find three roof leaks. None of them had been excessive — there was no water pouring in wherever — however all had been most actually leaks.

Yesterday morning, I climbed on the roof to see if I might find the sources. I couldn’t. Though I helped set up a roof as soon as way back — again in 1993! — I am no roof skilled. I poked and prodded on the shingles, however I could not discover any apparent harm. (The supply of a leak, in fact, is not all the time the place the leak manifests. The harm may very well be upslope and working beneath the shingles earlier than it finds a spot to drip.)

As a result of our attic had no walkways (which means that with a purpose to transfer round up there, I needed to transfer from joist to joist), I purchased ten low cost boards at Dwelling Depot. I hauled them up the ladder and into the attic, then nailed them down with a purpose to make it considerably simpler to maneuver by the cramped area. After that, I moved in to get a better view of the leaks.

Finally, I made a decision there are two (presumably three) issues:

  • There’s a very small leak — a seep? — coming from the chimney. That is possible as a result of issues with the flashing, which the house inspector had referred to as out in August. This seep wets a rafter, however I am unable to discover any indicators that it ever drips. The insulation and joist beneath weren’t moist, and I am unable to discover something inside the home that may present earlier issues.
  • The bigger leak, the one which spurred all of this, is close to a photo voltaic tube. The wettest space is close to the downslope a part of the photo voltaic tube, which is smart, however the upslope a part of the roof is moist too. To me, this means that the leak may very well be above the photo voltaic tube — or that your entire space across the cut-out is problematic.
  • The third drawback spot is about twelve inches downslope from the photo voltaic tube. This may be a 3rd leak, nevertheless it may also be residual run-off from the larger leak upslope. I do not know.

After three hours mucking round with the roof, I got here inside to do analysis on the interwebs. Is that this one thing I can repair myself?

I made a decision that whereas repairing leaks is theoretically non-difficult, it isn’t one thing that I am certified to sort out in the course of Oregon winter. If this had been summer season and I had time to fiddle with the shingles, wonderful. I might attempt it. However it’s not summer season. It is a very moist winter (as all the time), and I am afraid that if I started to tinker, I might make issues worse.

I referred to as the specialists.

The person who answered the telephone on the roofing firm requested me some questions in regards to the problem. “This does not sound too unhealthy,” he stated. “We’ll ship anyone out tomorrow or Thursday. If this is so simple as it sounds, he ought to be capable of repair it in an hour or two.” I certain hope so! There is a $250 cost only for popping out (which incorporates the primary hour of labor), then it is $130 for every further hour. Plus supplies, in fact.

Whereas I do know that issues like this occur with homes — particularly older houses like ours — I am unable to assist however be a little bit distraught. We simply offered a house that wanted fixed repairs (though by no means on the roof, humorous sufficient), so I’ve a little bit of PTSD. These roof leaks are most likely a minor one-time blip. I get that. However the cynical aspect of me worries that that is an unwell omen.

Once we purchased this home, Kim and I talked about future adjustments we would prefer to make. There’s not a ton to do, however there are a number of bigger upgrades we would prefer to sort out.

We hate the carpeting within the bedrooms, for example. It is an off-white that stains simply and exhibits each little bit of grime and particles. Yikes. I wished to interchange the carpeting earlier than we bodily moved in. Kim satisfied me to not. On reflection, we should always have achieved it.

The most important venture we would prefer to sort out is transforming one (or two) of the loos. Now we have three loos however no tubtubs. As a result of Kim and I each prefer to soak, this can be a nuisance. Now that we’ll need to repaint the ceiling within the corridor toilet, I’ve begun toying with the thought of taking the chance to truly transform that room this summer season — and to do it myself. It could be a problem, little question, however I feel it may be enjoyable.

We’ll see…



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