## Roof Leak Investigation in Piper Glen, Charlotte, NC
**Jay, Blue Fox Roofing & Renovations:**
Jay with Blue Fox Roofing. We're here in Piper Glen, overlooking this beautiful golf course.
Where would you rather be? Down there or up here?
We've got a pretty bad roof leak, and we're trying to figure out what's causing it.
I'm guessing this roof is about 12 years old, maybe 15 at the most. It's been replaced before, so it's not the original roof.
And take a look at this nice hack job right here!
They reused the existing flashing. Maybe that's what they intended to do, but I can't imagine any homeowner saying, "Yes, that's exactly what I want my roof to look like!"
Of course, the homeowners are down there, not up here. They have no idea what it looks like.
So why is this roof leaking, especially during heavy downpours?
Well, there are a couple of reasons.
First, take a look at this downspout. All the water from the upper roof comes down through here and empties onto this lower section.
Now, I don't like seeing a shingle seam this close to a downspout, and here's why.
If you look closely, there's an exposed nail right there.
As water comes down from the upper roof, it travels across this area. You can actually see a little water stain, or witness mark, showing where the water has been flowing over that nail.
That creates an opportunity for water to get underneath the shingles.
Now, because this downspout is higher up, it doesn't collect quite as much water as the next one we're going to look at.
Which brings us to our other downspout.
Here's another shingle seam. The question is, will we find another nail?
Oh, no.
Yes, there it is!
So now all that water coming down from the upper roof is running right over this exposed nail, potentially forcing water underneath the shingles.
And look at this one. The nail is already starting to rust!
The other nail wasn't rusting, but this one is. That's a good indication that it's been exposed to a lot more moisture.
So this is likely part of the reason water is getting into the home.
Now, let me show you another small detail that's contributing to the problem.
When you're installing shingles against a wall, you obviously have to cut them to fit.
But look what they did here!
I don't know if their mother would be proud of this work, but take a look.
That's plywood right there!
They cut the shingle all the way across, apparently thinking the overlap would be enough to keep water out.
Well, of course, it's not.
And to make matters worse, the flashing ends right here.
So any water that gets into this area can travel underneath the shingles and potentially enter the home.
These are the kinds of installation mistakes that lead to roof leaks, even on a roof that's only 12 to 15 years old.
Hack, hack, hack!
