Roof Waterproofing 101

Roof Waterproofing 101

Your home is most likely your biggest investment. It is probably the most expensive thing you own and the front-line defense for protecting your family and possessions. One of the biggest threats your home faces is water and waterproofing. A properly sealed home and roof is one of the most important things that homeowners should ensure is working in their favor. Precautionary measures can save you thousands in home repair costs.

Roof Waterproofing

There are multiple things that will cause your roof to leak and seep water in your home.

Exposed roof sheathing and missing shingles.

Ineffective water diversion on your roof.

Lack of roof waterproofing barrier.

Roof Waterproofing 101

The first step in ensuring an effective water barrier to protect your home is the correct and complete roof installation and waterproofing. When installing a roof, there are many necessary materials that make a complete roof system, as shown with our Guaranteed Roofing System.

For a complete roofing system, the roof should contain at least the following materials:

Roofing Underlayment: This consists of a few different materials. First, roofing Ice and Water barrier is required to be installed on at least the first two rows of eave and all roof valleys, per Connecticut State Law (this building code varied state-to-state). In addition to the thick Ice and Water underlayment, roofing underlayment (typically called roofing paper) is installed over the entire roofing surface to assist in roof waterproofing. This acts as the first protective barrier to be installed over your roof sheathing.

Roofing Drip Edge: Roofing drip edge is a protective piece of metal installed along all of the edges of the roof. The purpose of this is to direct water away from the fascia and to protect the underlying roof components.

Roof Boots: Your roof will contain various pipes that allow gasses to escape from the building and go into the atmosphere. Roof boots, sometimes called roof boot collars, are (usually rubber) pieces which sit over the boot to ensure water runs off the boot, onto the roofing shingles, then off the roof and into gutters. Many of the leak calls our Guaranteed Roofing experts visit are for worn out roof boots, which greatly affect roof waterproofing. Because these are often made of rubber, they tend to deteriorate over time and wear out. Because of this, the loosen and do not hold tight against the roof vent pipe. This allows water to seep through the vent pipe and eventually cause water stains to show up in the ceiling or attic of your home.

Roofing Shingles: Roofing shingles, whether they are asphalt, metal, tile, synthetic, or otherwise are the outermost protective layer of your roof and are critical for roof waterproofing. There are many different shingle manufactures that design and produce various shingles. At Guaranteed Roofing, we pride ourselves on leading with some of the most prominent and well-respected shingle brands in the industry.

Roof Flashing: Roof flashing is a material used by roofers use to direct water away from critical areas of the roof. Flashing is installed over critical areas of the roof and those which are often highly prone to leaks. Vents, walls, dormers, chimneys, and skylights are areas which flashing is typically applied and are very important for effective roof waterproofing.

These roofing components are some of the most important parts of the roofing system. When discovering leaks in your roof, these are some of the most important areas to look at for roof waterproofing. It is of critical importance to properly seal all areas of the roof, in particular the areas where there are penetrations in the roof.

If you are experiencing issues regarding roof waterproofing, be sure to call our Guaranteed Roofing experts. Our certified roofing technicians are able to diagnose and find roofing leaks for all customers. If you are having trouble with your roof waterproofing, please contact us at (860) 546-6292 by texting, calling, or scheduling a free estimate at this link.

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