Roofing Repair - Building a Roof Saddle to Correct Water Leak

Preparation for Roofing RepairSteve Way Builders, LLC got a call from the homeowners of this home in Delta Township to investigate a water leak. Poor initial roof design, combining with improper flashing techniques, allowed water to creep behind the brick exterior. Water was entering into the basement without much notice, and it wasn't until some staining on the ceiling of the first floor office that the leak was noticed.

After some discussions, the only true solution was to fix the problem at its source. An attempt could be made to repair the flashing, but to ensure the problem would not return, a change in design was necessary. A roof saddle was constructed to redirect the water away from the problem area, and off the house altogether. The problem area can be seen in the pictures below. So much water was being forced into the area beneath the gutter and into the brick it was working its was behind the home. The saddle will be built in the valley area between the two gable ends.

Roof Saddle Proposed Location          Water Leak Problem Area

The first step in construction of the roof saddle is to remove shingles and gutter from the roof structure to expose the problem area. This will expose the existing roof sheathing and determine if the is any water damage on the roof structure. Fortunately, there was no additional damage other than drywall discoloration in the office, and some wet spots on the concrete basement floor and foundation wall. After no additional damage was discovered, construction of the roof saddle can begin. New rafters were built and tied into the existing structure of the home, and osb sheathing was installed for the roof deck of the saddle. Due to the low slope of the new roof saddle, ice and water shield was installed on the entrire deck. This will help prevent any water leakage into the home if water backs up the face of the shingles.

New Sheathing of Roof Saddle          Water Shield on Roof Saddle

Construction continues with the installation of new shingles. One major aspect of home repairs, and home remodeling is that the new materials need to match the existing home. It was a little difficult for this repair to match the shingles. The shingles had been on the home for around 10 years, and had discolored greatly due to high sun exposure and no shade in the area. We ended up mathing the shingles with a different color than the original shingle color. The new color matches extremely well, and also cannot be seen from ground level due to the low slope of the roof. After the saddle was built, a new gutter system was installed to get the water off the roof, and into the existing drainage system of the home. This required a little creativity, but the end product matches the home quite well. Water has not entered the home after construction of the new roof saddle.

Completed Rood Saddle Repair          Gutter and Downspout Repair

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