(4 Minute Read Time)
One of the most common issues we find that require roof repair during our inspections in Austin is an air vent that has become compromised and no longer sealed properly. These repairs can be fairly easily fixed but can be tough to diagnose as often there may not be much that looks like a glaring issue to the untrained eye.
Typically an issue around an air vent will be caused by one of a few issues. Among the primary culprits on an air vent that contribute to a roof leak are worn out caulking that creates exposed nail heads and an opportunity for water to come in around the nail, a puncture in the vent itself, improper sealants and underlayments under the shingles in the surrounding area and worn out or missing shingles in the surrounding area that create an opportunity for extra water to flow into the area and take advantage of the natural vulnerability of the large perforation in the roof created by the roof vent.
Sometimes, repairing an air vent can be as simple as identifying some worn out sealant, applying some new caulking, and boom! You’re all set.
More frequently however, any more serious issues are going to require fully replacing the air vent that is creating the issue. This article will walk you through the steps on how to do that. Of course if you want to simplify the process, you can always contact a quality local roofing company (like us!) to handle the repair for you and get more life out of your roof before it’s time for a roof replacement further down the line.
Diagnosing the Roof Repair
As mentioned earlier, the first step is identifying the source of the leak. If the air vent is the source, you need to further inspect to identify the issue. The most common issues we see are exposed nail heads, perforations in the vent, missing shingles around the adjacent area and a lack of sealant around the vent.
Materials
In many cases except for minor issues like exposed nail heads, the whole vent should be replaced to ensure a proper roof repair job. Luckily these repairs are relatively straight forward. You will need a few simple items including a new vent similar to the old one, a bundle of shingles, a box of 1 ¼” roofing nails, a roofing knife, a roofers hatchet, some caulking and a caulking gun.
Performing the Repair
Once these items are collected by removing the old vent as gently as possible with the roofers hatchet so as to minimize damage to the shingles in the surrounding area. You will also want to remove the nails in the surrounding area so that the new vent can easily slide in. After the old vent and nearby nails are removed, replace any damaged shingles in the surrounding area by cutting new shingles to size with the roofing knife, making sure not to nail in the area the vent will go just yet. Once the shingles in the surrounding area have been repaired size out the cut by placing the vent in the area it will be going and mark out the width of the portion of the vent that will protrude above the roof. Cut the shingles back to a size that will allow the vent to be installed and slide the vent into place once complete. Once this is done, secure the new vent with nails as well as nails to secure the shingles immediately adjacent to the vent itself. Once this is done seal the exposed nail heads with caulking and if necessary apply a bead of caulking around the base of the vent itself.
From there you will have successfully completed the roof repair and bought yourself another few years before needing to do a full replacement!
Conclusion
Of course you can always ensure a high quality job and save yourself the headache by calling a trusted roofing company in Austin like The Roofing Artist! We offer free diagnostics and reasonably priced repairs and can help show you how to get years of extra mileage out of your roof before needing to explore a new roof replacement on your home in Austin, Texas.
Always feel free to contact us by phone at 210-417-7728 or by e-mail at [email protected] for free inspections, diagnostics and quotes.
