Fixing Leaky Roof Vents

This old house general contractor tom silva shows how to create a watertight seal around a vent pipe.

Fixing leaky roof vents.

Use the knife blade to scrape the pipe clean and smooth. Sealing tapes can be placed underneath the vent to act as an added layer of protection. Use a pocketknife to scrape rough edges and sharp points from upper end of plastic vent pipe. This is how to stop a roof leak in the rain.

As you won t be able to fix the roof vent leak from outside emergency fix must be done from under the roof or the attic. The immediate thing to do is to contain dripping water from the leak. How to fix a leaking roof vent screen guard shape metal screen wire to form a barrier around the outside of your vent hood to stop hard driving rain flexible roof sealant apply flexible roof sealant black jack roof patch rubberized roof cement from a can or tube to fill holes gaps flashing and loose shingles around roof vent. Cut away the old caulk from around the vent pipe.

Fix a leaky roof vent pipe with a oatey rubber gasket. Patch the nail or screw holes by slipping a piece of roof flashing underneath the shingle. Steps for fixing a leaking rooftop vent pipe. Rarely will caulk or roof cement cure a leaky roof at least for very long.

Apply a thick bead of lap seal caulk around the seam between the vent pipe and old rubber gasket. They can also have holes put through them which is a more obvious roof leak to fix. Fixing roof leaking around a vent pipe although caulking around the roof vent can fix the problem for a while it s not a permanent solution. If your roof vent leaks during heavy rain the rain may be blowing up under the hood and into the vent.

See below for a shopping list and tools subscribe to. That means replacing or repairing existing flashing instead of using any type of sealant as a leak stopper. Moreover this can cause more problems since it may mask the damage that s already been done to your home by the leak. Small nail holes left behind from old vents satellite dish brackets or anything previously attached to the roof can allow water to enter and cause damage for years before leaking is noticed.

Only use caulk for very small holes and when flashing isn t an option as a leak stopper. For leaks around vents take off the vent and re apply the sealant before putting the vent back on.