New roof issues

Roofing/Construction Questions
#1

Hello,
I need some advice about a new roof I just had installed about 3 weeks ago. I tried posting pictures but can’t figure it out but i did upload them to my personal album on my profile. I hope you can see them.
Less then a week after our new flat roof was installed, the first rain, water poured in our house. The roofer came back and the fix he did I find unacceptable. Their is also extreme ponding that occurs, it is pretty much the whole back half of the roof and a few inches deep. We asked him to correct this issue while he was reroofing which he didn’t do and now he is saying none of this is his problem. All of these discussions were verbal unfortunately.

Honestly, i just want other professionals opinion if this looks acceptable.[album][/album]

#2

That is a new roof? Unfortunately if you did not get anything in writing your pretty much hosed. That roof has poor workmanship all over it.

Pic #1 It has a sloped roof jack, and the cap is screwed to the roof jack, if it is a exhaust flue, the cap is attached to the pipe not the jack, and the jack should have been straight not for a sloped roof and a rain collar installed.

Pic#2 Looks like the lap of a torch down? That they didn’t do right and slapped a little mastic on it to call it good.

Pic#3 They tied in to a step up area that dies to a mansard, the stepped up area should have been replaced at the same time, how hard would that have been? Again, slapping mastic to patch a new roof is not right.

Pic#4 Tie off in to another roof with divider wall there, this whole area is wrong, wrong wrong.

Was this a lay over?

Was this the cheapest person in town?

Relative did the work?

What made you chose this guy?

Not trying to be a prick but I see this every day, get stone walled out of jobs because hacks do things like this, and sadly a fair amount of home owners do not learn their lessons. Even if this guy charged $300 and I’m sure it was more, i would charge more to tear this off and do it right because of all the extra work he made me do. Anyone in their right mind would do that same.

So unless you got a good signed contract your out the money, you could try and go to small claims court but with out signed papers they probably won’t even hear your case. My just be a expensive lesson learned.

On the bright side you will have 50 people tell you that it can be fixed, those 50 people are only 1/2 correct, it can be fixed but it wont last long.

#3

We found this guy through Home Advisor. He was only cheaper then the rest of the quotes by only a few hundred. My fiance talked to him and he sounded knowledgable and was a good talker. We paid him $4585 for this job. He tore out the bad plywood at the back the roof that was bad and re did the whole roof and the few side shingles.

We are prepared to go to court if we can’t get this resolved. I know nothing about roofs what so ever but even I didnt think there was any way this could be considered a good roof. I had the township out and they somehow said this passed code even with the huge ponding

#4

And we did get a contract. But somethings he said he would do were verbal which he now denies that completely.
And I completely learned my lesson of thoroughly checking any contractor that does work on our house. I was naive before this and thought i could trust people but not anymore

#5

you may get a judgement the contract will be the ruling factor, good luck collecting :badgrin:

#6

That is a nasty mess.Did he do the shingle work too ?

#7

Yeah he did them too. They seem ok. Some are still not flat but it hasn’t been real warm.

#8

If you can scan and post up the contract we maybe able to help you with more advice, just black out any identifying info. Maybe a few more pictures, total roof pictures ect.

#9

I will add them when I get home. Thanks!

#10

I cant see any pix?

Im curious if your local code is like ours. All roofs must have “positive drainage”. Its a pretty loose written term but its in the code none the less. Some identify positive drainage by water evaporating within 48 hours.

#11

The pics are in my album, I cant figure out how to directly post them here. I dont’ know what the codes are here. The water is not evaporating after 48 hours. I have a twin and apparently the ponding is so bad, my neighbors are claiming it is now making their roof leak. I dont’ see how that is possible considering, there is a firewall in between so my roof should have nothing to do with theirs.
This whole situation is a nightmare.

#12

Ah i see them!

Its tough to tell but that honestly does not look like a new roof from those pictures. At the step up, there has been a white coating done at some point. Was this section part of your “replacement” agreement? Does this roof have any slope to it? …sometimes its hard to see a slope if its minor. Have you checked the slope with a level?

There are not many ways to add slope to an otherwise flat/low-slope roof. Did he propose to install a tapered insulation product? …thats usually the most cost effective way of getting 1/8 to 1/4" slope.

I agree, I think if you added the contract minus contact info… someone could possible help out a bit more.

#13

I would be willing to bet the tie off between the two roofs are leaking, it’s possible that he created more problems, IE neighbors roof leaking. When we do these types of roofs we separate the two units as best we can, some times we can’t with the position of drains ect. Most of the time you can completely separate the two though. The other roof is now the roofers responsibility also. Another reason to keep on this guy, other wise you will be responsible.

One of the things you could do is hire another roofer to do a inspection on it, have them write up a report identifying the problems take pictures and ect, this can help you if it goes to court. It may cost you a few hundred for this but it may help you out.