The roof redux

[rayinpenn]

Before I get into my story I must admit I am, by all accounts a very lucky fellow. Successful career and comfortable and happy in retirement. Recognizing and appreciating this should help me deal with life’s little curveballs right? I am doing my very best.

My neighbor texted me a picture of my roof.. the same roof that cost me and the insurance company over $20,000 6 years ago. There is what I’ll call a major pop of the plywood. Could it be one of the OSB boards the roofers replaced?

The roofer had to come back 3 times to fix the leaks and repaint the kitchen ceiling. I was at my wits end and got sick to my stomach each new failure. Their Q/C person was working for 2 companies at the same time. He would disappear and things would go horribly wrong. Even thought there’s a guarantee on the roof I won’t call them. I simply cant deal with them they do shoddy work. Fool me twice shame on me. I’ve called a local guy and I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. Since I see no evidence of leaks it will be fine.

I always endeavor to do good work, I simply cant understand their ‘we back it up so it will be fine’ mantra. I say do it right the first time.
I think I better understand why people occasionally go postal. It is however just a roof and I have the means to fix it. I can’t help but think of my BIL who’s been in and out of the hospital for the last month and a half. Now he’s got the right to complain.

I just finished an over 1 hour walk, the metal knees are working great - I think I’ll focus on what’s important.

 

[Winemaker]

I would never accept OSB as a base for my roof. However, in March I replaced a roof on a rental property that I have. The 1909 built structure has southern yellow pine boards as a base, and when I asked if I should replace those old boards with brand new plywood, he said the 110 year old boards were the best money could buy and recommended that I didn't replace them. This is the third roof this Amish roofer has put on my buildings, and I have one more scheduled to replace this spring. I can go up in the attic in the summertime, and it smells like I'm walking in a pine forest.

 

[target2019]

OSB is not the best choice, for sure. Another component to look at is the material used between shingles and sheet goods. There are problems that can develop through bunching of material. I also believe that an engineered,permeable material. But I am not an engineer or roofer, just a guy that recently purchased a roof.

 

[Murf2]

In my opinion, OSB is not horrible. I think it’s better than CDX plywood. If I had to guess, I’d say they didn’t use any H clips when they did the repair. I’d make them fix their screw up,

Good luck !
Murf

 

[Music Lover]

OSB is code and it's cheaper than plywood so that's that builders will use. Installed correctly it will be just fine. But if I was building I'd use 3/4" instead of 7/16" or whatever minimum code is these days.

Murf2...regarding the H clips...missing ones will cause sags, not bulges.

 

[Murf2]

OSB is code and it's cheaper than plywood so that's that builders will use. Installed correctly it will be just fine. But if I was building I'd use 3/4" instead of 7/16" or whatever minimum code is these days.

Murf2...regarding the H clips...missing ones will cause sags, not bulges.

It was my impression that the H clips also maintain the suggested 1/8 “ spacing between sheets so they don’t hump up. I guess I was misinformed.

By the way I use 5/8 never 7/16, although 7/16 meets code most places.

 

[target2019]

GAF certified builer uses plywood, that I know. Yes, it costs more.

Our 2500 sq ft roof is over 45 years old. Two partial sheets were used when we had the roof done. I was surprised by this, and was expecting a lot of new plywood as old shingles were removed.

I tried to fix a gutter on friend's shore home. Previous owner used OSB as fascia, under vinyl cap. The OSB was rotted for a foot near the end due to rain and weather damage. It could not hold any fastener you could think of.

 

[Sunset]

OSB panels are cheaper and frankly lousy for roofs, because if they get wet repeatedly from a small leak, they basically dissolve, and spread the wetness over a large area.

You can pull the panels apart by hand as the "rot" so fast.

I spend the extra few bucks per panel and get plywood. Installation cost is the same for either.

 

[Sunset]

I would never accept OSB as a base for my roof. However, in March I replaced a roof on a rental property that I have. The 1909 built structure has southern yellow pine boards as a base, and when I asked if I should replace those old boards with brand new plywood, he said the 110 year old boards were the best money could buy and recommended that I didn't replace them. This is the third roof this Amish roofer has put on my buildings, and I have one more scheduled to replace this spring. I can go up in the attic in the summertime, and it smells like I'm walking in a pine forest.

Since 1909, that is Quality !!!
Besides the boards much more resistant to moisture rot than OSB, they also have the feature of not having a leak run down 4->8 feet from the source before dripping out, so it's easier to pinpoint a roof leak.

 

[Bamaman]

We used plywood when sheathing and roofing our lake house in 1980. And all the facia and trim is redwood. We never have had a second's problem out of anything.

The mistake we made when reroofing was reusing aluminum flashing on the vents going through the roof with rubber touching the vents. The rubber rotted and caused leaks that put stains on my bedroom ceiling. When we re-roofed the house, we used lead flashings on the vents.

 

[mountainsoft]

I’d say they didn’t use any H clips when they did the repair.

That was my thought too. When we built our house back in 2004 I installed H clips everywhere except for the transition between our 6/12 main roof and the 3/12 porch roof. Naturally, after a few years the edge of one of the sheets on the porch roof warped up, just enough to trap water and cause a leak. After a few failed repairs, I stripped all the shingles and discovered the problem at the transition (thankfully no damage was done). I used metal brackets and screws to tie together the upper and lower sections of the transition, then covered that with two layers of weathershield membrane before reshingling the roof. I probably went overboard, but I never wanted that to leak again.

Another possibility with the OP's situation, the roofers may have missed the rafters/trusses when nailing down the sheets. It's easy to miss if you're in a hurry or the rafters are warped a little. I checked ours from below after nailing on the plywood to make sure I hit all the rafters.

 

[Jerry1]

Ray - That sucks big time. I'd want the entire roof redone and I'd try to sue the original company though I would have no delusions that I'd get any money. I dislike contractors with a passion. When they give me their crap about standing behind their work I laugh in their face and make it clear that I have no belief that they will even be around when it fails and I will not pay one dime more for them to "stand behind their work". Quality is added in the process and not after the fact. And, what I really hate is when you paid up and thought you went with a top notch, higher quality company and still get a crap job.

What are you going to do? Do you need to have the entire roof redone? Is the OSB covering the entire roof or is it just a couple panels where it was needed in the repair?

 

[rayinpenn]

Ray - That sucks big time.

What are you going to do? Do you need to have the entire roof redone? Is the OSB covering the entire roof or is it just a couple panels where it was needed in the repair?

1. Roofer who did my roof without problems long before hail damage will look at it in a couple of weeks.
2. I am not suing
3. I am not having those people on my roof again ever
4. A couple panels of OSB we’re used.

I will contact universal builders and seek reparations...truthfully a
I am not going to let the roof get me crazy. I got burnt I called there references it just didn’t work.

 

[Badger]

The two times I had my roof replaced with 35 yr warrantied, major name, shingles. They only lasted about 12 years with frequent leaks . The warranty was useless by then and only covered prorated years on the shingles but not labor. Half the roof was sheathed with 6 inch tongue and groove while the other half was some kind of 3 inch thick insulation board as a nail base (house was built in 1955). Part of the short lifespan might be due to our proximity to the ocean in Florida. So 5 years ago I bit the bullet and had a standing seam metal roof installed. I had the insulation roofing board covered with plywood and all the metal screwed down. I should be good now until the bucket is kicked.


OSB should be alright for siding but I would not trust it for roofing. The chips can peel if soaked long enough from a leak.



Cheers!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I'm almost positive that your Homeowners Insurance would not cover the necessary repairs to your roof, and I wouldn't advise you to submit a claim. But, it would be interesting to have an experienced property claims adjuster take a look. Property adjusters see more roof damage than most roofers and are very astute at what the real cause of the damage is. I've also found most are extremely honest and professional and many have a construction background. I'm not sticking up for the insurance industry, but they have seen it all and may be able to tell you what to avoid to prevent this from happening again.

 

[rayinpenn]

I'm almost positive that your Homeowners Insurance would not cover the necessary repairs to your roof, and I wouldn't advise you to submit a claim. But, it would be interesting to have an experienced property claims adjuster take a look. Property adjusters see more roof damage than most roofers and are very astute at what the real cause of the damage is. I've also found most are extremely honest and professional and many have a construction background. I'm not sticking up for the insurance industry, but they have seen it all and may be able to tell you what to avoid to prevent this from happening again.

No plans on seeking money from anyone but the installer universal builders...

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Good luck, please let us know how it develops.

 

[target2019]

I read a handful of complaints at BBB about the roofer. I'm hoping they make good on this.