I really hope someone can help us here.
We have lived in this house 7 years and noticed a small leak in a closet at the back of our house over a year ago. The roof above that closet is part of a small addition that had a flat roof.
We had Roof Company #1 come out, who quoted us on replacing the shingles on the flat roof (well it's not completely flat, but too flat for shingles) with torch-down. He said it would solve the leak. It didn't.
Roof company #2 said the leak must be originating higher, on the second story dormer. We had them replace that part of the roof, as he said it would solve the leak. It didn't.
We finally saved up enough money for an entire new roof, and Roof company #3 did the replacement for us. We thought the problem was solved.... until the next big rain. We were told our gutters were old and not hanging properly. We hired Gutter company to replace them.
Are you with me? It is STILL @#(*$&@# LEAKING.
So my husband and I took out the paneling and insulation in the closet ceiling to get a good look. Yesterday he went on the roof with the hose, and I sat in the closet with a flashlight. Starting at the lowest point along that seem, he let the hose sit for 10-15 min. then moved it up a few inches. The closet was dry. He also did this around the boots and other places on the torch-down roof, and the closet remained dry.
So then he moved the hose up to the roof that slopes down above the closet, and started spraying there (purposely avoiding the seem where it meets the dormer). As the water started running down through the gutter, the leaking began in the closet almost instantly. (the blue arch in the photo is where he was spraying when this happened).
We immediately got Gutter company on the phone and the owner came out. It was raining today when he came, and we showed him what we did and why we think water is getting in somewhere around the gutter. He insisted that it wasn't possible, and kept pointing toward the seam where the sloped roof meets the side of the dormer. My husband kept telling him that no, he was not getting that area wet when we had the hose. This guy was a jerk and insisted that gutters don't cause leaks like this. He said we needed to call Roof Company to come out and start removing shingles to find the source. Roof is about 6 months old, Gutters are about 2 months old. The leak has been happening since before either were replaced. The closet is under the back addition (laundry room) right at the seam, by the windows.
I am attaching a photo (it's old - from 7 years ago when we moved here, but the only one I Have showing the layout on the back of the house.) We have since also replaced windows. Everyone is blaming "the other" company and I am ready to invite them all over to duke it out until someone figures this out and fixes it. Our house is going up for sale Wednesday, this MUST be fixed ASAP. And we are helpless and don't know who to call next. Roof Company is coming out on Monday to look again and eliminate the seems as the cause of the leak.
Any suggestions??? Anyone?? My husband and I are NOT handy but I am beyond frustrated. After hiring so many jerks to fix this for us, not one went on the roof with a hose like we had to do ourselves. We feel like we have isolated the area that is the source of the leak, but what do we do next??
Ok, just managed to snap another photo from above (stuck my head out dormer window). We stuck hose under gutter and along that whole seam where the torch-down roof meets rest of house, and nothing. That area is not the source of leak. My husband thinks it has something to do with the gutter right here. Maybe the way the metal things are attached at an angle and water is running through where the screws go in? Is that possible? Does anything look "off" about this gutter?
We have lived in this house 7 years and noticed a small leak in a closet at the back of our house over a year ago. The roof above that closet is part of a small addition that had a flat roof.
We had Roof Company #1 come out, who quoted us on replacing the shingles on the flat roof (well it's not completely flat, but too flat for shingles) with torch-down. He said it would solve the leak. It didn't.
Roof company #2 said the leak must be originating higher, on the second story dormer. We had them replace that part of the roof, as he said it would solve the leak. It didn't.
We finally saved up enough money for an entire new roof, and Roof company #3 did the replacement for us. We thought the problem was solved.... until the next big rain. We were told our gutters were old and not hanging properly. We hired Gutter company to replace them.
Are you with me? It is STILL @#(*$&@# LEAKING.
So my husband and I took out the paneling and insulation in the closet ceiling to get a good look. Yesterday he went on the roof with the hose, and I sat in the closet with a flashlight. Starting at the lowest point along that seem, he let the hose sit for 10-15 min. then moved it up a few inches. The closet was dry. He also did this around the boots and other places on the torch-down roof, and the closet remained dry.
So then he moved the hose up to the roof that slopes down above the closet, and started spraying there (purposely avoiding the seem where it meets the dormer). As the water started running down through the gutter, the leaking began in the closet almost instantly. (the blue arch in the photo is where he was spraying when this happened).
We immediately got Gutter company on the phone and the owner came out. It was raining today when he came, and we showed him what we did and why we think water is getting in somewhere around the gutter. He insisted that it wasn't possible, and kept pointing toward the seam where the sloped roof meets the side of the dormer. My husband kept telling him that no, he was not getting that area wet when we had the hose. This guy was a jerk and insisted that gutters don't cause leaks like this. He said we needed to call Roof Company to come out and start removing shingles to find the source. Roof is about 6 months old, Gutters are about 2 months old. The leak has been happening since before either were replaced. The closet is under the back addition (laundry room) right at the seam, by the windows.
I am attaching a photo (it's old - from 7 years ago when we moved here, but the only one I Have showing the layout on the back of the house.) We have since also replaced windows. Everyone is blaming "the other" company and I am ready to invite them all over to duke it out until someone figures this out and fixes it. Our house is going up for sale Wednesday, this MUST be fixed ASAP. And we are helpless and don't know who to call next. Roof Company is coming out on Monday to look again and eliminate the seems as the cause of the leak.
Any suggestions??? Anyone?? My husband and I are NOT handy but I am beyond frustrated. After hiring so many jerks to fix this for us, not one went on the roof with a hose like we had to do ourselves. We feel like we have isolated the area that is the source of the leak, but what do we do next??
Ok, just managed to snap another photo from above (stuck my head out dormer window). We stuck hose under gutter and along that whole seam where the torch-down roof meets rest of house, and nothing. That area is not the source of leak. My husband thinks it has something to do with the gutter right here. Maybe the way the metal things are attached at an angle and water is running through where the screws go in? Is that possible? Does anything look "off" about this gutter?