Four Common Defects with New Roof Installations

Let’s face it: installing a new roof is not a small job. It’s one which takes an experienced crew several days of careful work to be done right. As such, it’s actually somewhat common for there to be defects in a new roof construction, particularly if the new roof is installed by a contractor who lacks the training or experience of a more established one. What’s unfortunate about many of these defects is that we’ve seen is that many of them could have been prevented with proper training and installation methods. As Colorado Springs roofers, we’ve been called to fix far too many of these defects from other contractors, which leave someone’s home at risk.

Here are four common defects from new roofs and what can be done to fix or prevent them.

Poorly Installed Flashing

A roof is not just a simple, solid cover over your home—it has holes poked in it for things like chimneys and vents. Anything that sticks out of your roof needs to be sealed by flashing, a seal composed of metal or rubber which keeps water and other moisture from getting into your home or damaging your roof through these holes. However, we’ve seen far too many instances where contractors fail to properly install flashing in their hurry to finish the job. This leads to leaks, water damage, and other problems around the site of the faulty installation, and could even cause damage to your brand new roof.

The easiest way to prevent defective or poor flashing installations is to simply take your time when installing it the first time. Flashing is not terribly difficult to install, and any decent roofing contractor should be able to install it without many issues. If you have defective flashing, you’re more than likely going to have to replace it outright in order to re-seal the leak created.

Ponding Water

Ponding water is a phenomenon created by a depression in your roof’s surface in which water will tend to accumulate. Normally the slope on your roof would prevent this from happening, but any lower-slope areas could have this happen in severe cases. Likewise, flat roof homes (which are becoming more popular) are also prone to this if the decking or support structure underneath bows in a certain area to create a depression.

Most of the time this problem is caused by a contractor using poor, sub-par materials. The plywood which a contractor selects to serve as the decking on your roof needs to be flat, level, and free from bowing, warping, curving, or other issues which can affect wood. Either that, or the wood that’s used needs to be fastened down in such a way that the warping or bowing is eliminated and the board lays flat on your roof.

Inadequate Ventilation

Proper attic ventilation is so important for a quality, durable roof. Poor ventilation can lead to everything from sweltering heat and mold growth in your attic to ice dams and leaks from your roof’s surface. Whenever you have a new roof installed, your contractor should plan for attic ventilation. If they don’t, you may wind up paying the price for it later.

It doesn’t hurt to ask your roofing contractor what kind of ventilation they plan to install. Do they plan on putting holes near the baseboards of your attic for air intake? Are they putting exhaust fans near the highest point of your roof so heat can escape? Good airflow is a must, and you could find yourself soon paying the price if you don’t have enough of it.

Leaks & Moisture Intrusion

Finally, arguably the most frustrating and easy to spot problem from defective roof installations is leaks. Leaks generally tend to occur in areas where water congregates, such as in valleys where planes meet, or in low-slope areas. But they can occur just about everywhere, and even the smallest of leaks will quickly be exposed when rain or melting snow starts to creep through your roof and drip all over the sheetrock or drywall that creates your ceiling.

The best way to prevent leaks is to simply take your time and make sure that the materials are installed right the first time. A good contractor will do this, prioritizing getting the job done right over getting it done quickly. After all, the last thing you want to do is have to call the roofer back out right after having your roof replaced because the first rainfall of the season exposed a massive leak.