Help with leaky roof..

[mopower440]

Dont have a clue what to do. I have a double wide mobil home, bought it BRAND NEW in 2000. The roof is OSB with 30 year shingles on it. The ceilings are not flat, they run upward like the roof does.( not sure what you call that)
The ceilings are 1/4 inch sheetrock. I noticed in the spare bedroom a spot about 1 foot by 2 foot that was starting to sag so i reluctantly knocked a hole in it. Its all dry in there but we have not had much rain at all in 6 months, but i did see a small spot in the OSB right above the sag in the ceiling that looked like its had water on it so im assuming thats where the leak is, but the spot is not in a seam in the OSB, its right in the middle of it, no nail holes, seams or anything, so i dont know how water would just penetrate it and further more i dont see how its getting through the shingles, i got on the roof and it all looked just fine. I dont have the money to call a pro out here, and like i said, the home is only 7 years old and its got 30 year shingles and they look fine, what do i do? How do i find where the water is getting through on the outside of the house?

 

[MrJimi]

Your ceiling style is called Cathedral, and you must have some kind of warranty with your seven year old mobile home?
Did you really put a hole in your ceiling.
With inside moisture it could be just that with 1/4 drywall
Jim

 

[Tig]

What is the pitch of the roof? Any pics of the area? Is the sag near (or down hill from) a vent, skylight valley or any other roof feature?
I'm in the middle of redoing my roof so I'm feeling like an expert tonight. A tired, stiff and sore ex-pert.

 

[randy41]

is there a water stain on the sheetock?

 

[mopower440]

The warranty on the home was only for the first year. The pitch on the roof is 4/12 if i remember right. As far as a water stain on the sheetrock, i dont know, the insulation was laid on top of the sheetrock and it was stuck to the sheetrock on the part that i knocked out, so i couldnt really tell. I dont think that there are any vents or anything upwards from where this happened..

 

[ToadHill]

I had a problem with my roof as well. I raised the peek by 4 ft. and ran new rafters, and then put a metal roof on. This stopped the leaks and helped with snow load in the winter as well. With a dark brown roof and a higher peek, the snow slides off well.

 

[Tig]

4-12 pitch should shed any rain without a problem. I would imagine that snow and ice build up is not a problem where you live. If you look in the dark attic on a sunny day do you see any light from perhaps a errant nail hole or cracked vent seal? That's kind of a long shot but worth a try.
Once the water is under the shingles it could travel quite a distance as it finds it's way to the sheet rock. It will flow down the OSB till it finds a hole or seam then may trickle along the rafter, drip on to the insulation and puddle there until it finds a seam in the vapour barrier. Get on the roof and inspect the seals and flashings around anything that goes through the roof. Driving rain against the side of the building can also cause ocasional problems.
I hope these ideas help.

 

[Soundguy]

As others said.. once water gets in.. it can travel a distence thn drip.

I'd look at the ridge vent.. and crawl from the leaky area up.. and look for the slightest sign of damage..

When you find it.. for a cheap fix.. try to roof-tar it.. you can get it by the tube or tub.. and since you have little budget.. that will have to do.. ( and probably will.. unless you have a huge problem ).

Soundguy

 

[Tig]

Soundguy I think you are onto something. Since the home came in two parts there could very well have been a small shift when it settled. Even if it didn't settle the seam is the most likely suspect.

 

[ByronBob]

Soundguy I think you are onto something. Since the home came in two parts there could very well have been a small shift when it settled. Even if it didn't settle the seam is the most likely suspect.

I don't remember him saying he does have a ridge vent. Without a water stain on the rock it almost sounds like a moisture problem.

Does your dryer vent or kitchen vent go up into the roof attic?

 

[Bird]

He said this is a mobile home and I don't think I've ever seen one with an attic that you could be into. They may, or may not, have the HVAC ductwork in the "attic", but no crawl space. It's also very unlikely to have a ridge vent; that would be unusual in a mobile or manufactured home. However, it's quite common for them to staple clear plastic on part of the roof to prevent wind damage in transit. BIG staples are used, so when the plastic is removed, someone needs to remove those staples and caulk the holes.

Of course, once the OSB gets wet and sags, I don't know of much you can do except some major replacement of a section of the OSB, shingles, etc. Perhaps a "patch" on the bottom side of the OSB???

 

[Amontilado]

Had this sort of problem about two years ago. The leak came though the oiled paper (not tar ) and between two OSB sheets, soaking the ceiling in my daughter's room. After starting to pull shingles up where the water came through between the sheets, I traced the leak upwards and angled towards one end to the roof cap, about ten feet away. Replaced the shingles, pulling the plastic off the tar strip under the shingles (which some feel that removing the strip isn't necessary; why is there in the first place ).
My suggestion would be to start where the leak os coming though the OSB, and start pulling shingles to see where the leak came from.

Steve

 

[George2615]

I just went through this a few months ago. My double wide modular is 21 years old, has a ridge vent, and had been reshingled twice (Only got 10 plus years out of my each set of 25 and 30 year shingles). The cheap 1/2" OSB they used for roof sheathing had gotten wet and sagged over years of rain, snow, and ice dams. In my part of the country the shingles don't stand up well when you have to get on the roof and shovel off snow every year. This time I did the whole thing. Stripped off the entire roof, Doubled up and added more bracing on the 2x3 rafters for strength, (yes, older double wides and modulars use 2x3's), Blew in 14 bags of insulation on top of the rolled fiberglass that what was already there, Installed 5/8" exterior plywood, put down snow and ice barrier shield, and topped it off like Tig did with a dark brown metal roof with ridge vent. I hope I'll get a few more years out of this.

As others have said, check your vent pipes, boots, and around the chimney for signs of aging / cracking. HD or Lowes sells roof sealer in gallon cans. I have used the black wet patch roof cement with good results. It can be applied with a brush, putty knife, or trowel. If you have a ridge vent you can pull it off to inspect underneath. It can be replaced with a bundle or two on new shingles or even cheaper to buy a wider metal ridge vent to put down. Roof leaks can be hard to trace on a double wides since you can't get in to see where its leaking from. Hope you find your leak and get it sealed before any more damage is done.

 

[mopower440]

well, as i said, i made a good size hole in the sheetrock ceiling and directly above that spot, there is a darker spot on the OSB that looks like it may have leaked, BUt, like stated earlier, the actual spot water is getting under the shingle could be many feet away and running between the shingles and OSB then dripping in, so how do you find the spot its actually getting through the shingles?

 

[mopower440]

Well, i got up on the roof and THINK i may have found the problem, the shingle directly on top of the OSB that looks to have been wet has a hole through it, looks like someone started to nail through it, the hole doesnt go into the OSB, but i think the water goes through the hole in the shingle and went through the wood, Now, rather than tear up the shingle, do they make anything to patch the hole that will actually hold up? Also, i did find a few shingles on the ridge that are stapled VERY close to the drip edge. Not leaking there but i dont like it, anything i can seal the staple there with to make sure it doesnt start to leak?
thanks!

 

[dbdartman]

Yes, you can buy roofing tar in caulking tubes at the big box stores. I've used it before & it works just fine for what you want to do (patch a few small holes).

BTW, saw this question on another board & though it looked familiar...

 

[MrJimi]

Well, i got up on the roof and THINK i may have found the problem, the shingle directly on top of the OSB that looks to have been wet has a hole through it, looks like someone started to nail through it, the hole doesn't go into the OSB, but i think the water goes through the hole in the shingle and went through the wood, Now, rather than tear up the shingle, do they make anything to patch the hole that will actually hold up? Also, i did find a few shingles on the ridge that are stapled VERY close to the drip edge. Not leaking there but i don't like it, anything i can seal the staple there with to make sure it doesn't start to leak?
thanks!

I would recommend a gallon of roofing tar for now and next time
Jim

 

[Soundguy]

I don't remember him saying he does have a ridge vent. Without a water stain on the rock it almost sounds like a moisture problem.

Does your dryer vent or kitchen vent go up into the roof attic?

if it is a DW.. it will have something.. either a seam or RV.. I don't see many DW's moved whole..

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Well, i got up on the roof and THINK i may have found the problem, the shingle directly on top of the OSB that looks to have been wet has a hole through it, looks like someone started to nail through it, the hole doesnt go into the OSB, but i think the water goes through the hole in the shingle and went through the wood, Now, rather than tear up the shingle, do they make anything to patch the hole that will actually hold up? Also, i did find a few shingles on the ridge that are stapled VERY close to the drip edge. Not leaking there but i dont like it, anything i can seal the staple there with to make sure it doesnt start to leak?
thanks!

Ditto.. as I said.. get a tube of the black asphalt roof repair.. it's a couple bucts.. use a nail to lif the shingle.. put the nose of the tube in.. git it a hevfty blop. push the shingle down and let it spread the tar.. then put a tar blop on top of the hole.

Soundguy

 

[Tig]

The only caution when sealing shingles is to not trap water in. Seal on the top and the sides if you must plus any problem spots but try to not completely seal the bottom edge. You want any moisture that gets under there to be able to run out.
Any shingles that you pry up to peek under should get a small gob of tar under the tab, just to stick them down before the wind gets them. That may save to trouble later.
I've used tubes of tar and even silicone rubber for spot work.