Roof vent pipe leaking into your Clearwater living room. What do you do now?

As a long term local roofing company in Clearwater, we’ve seen all kinds of roof leaks. Almost all houses have at least one vent pipe sticking up through the roof; usually one for each bathroom.

The leaky vent pipe if a common kind of roof repair problem because the run in Clearwater can be brutal on roofing materials. The summer heat damages the water proof seal between the vent and the shingles. When the Summer showers drench the roof, the leaks start to show on older roofs.

By way of explanation, the vent pipes run from the bathroom, up through the top of the roof. Or, a better way of thinking about it is that the pipes run from the roof down to the bathroom. This allows air pressure to come down on the plumbing system, which allows water to flow down into the drains. It’s like when you put your finger on the top of a straw, the liquid can’t drain out until you lift your finger. That’s air pressure and gravity pushing/pulling the liquid down.

The vent leaks frequently come from improper installation of the flanges that secure the pipe to the roof. Also, there is a sealant between the pipe and the roof itself that can wear down and form cracks over time.

Tracking a leak can be difficult. The water may be seeping through your roof and then run down the underside of your roof or down rafters in the attic and show up as a drip coming through your ceiling and into a room that can be 10-30 feet from the actual leak in the roof.

If left untreated, the water can damage the wood it touches in the attic and cause rotting to the roof deck, rafters, insulation and drywall.

The fix for the vent leak may just be replacing the flanges or sealants. Or, it might include replacing the pipe itself.

If you suspect a roof vent pipe leak, it’s time to call a roofer.

We deal with these situations all the time.