I recently got a call from a couple in Raleigh that told me their roof was leaking. They said it did not leak every time it rained but wanted me to take a look and repair it for them. I went out the next day and met the homeowners at their house and noticed the water stains on the ceiling in the bedroom on the left side of the house. So I went up on the roof and inspected the shingles, flashing and pipe boots. The roof appeared to be in good condition and there was no apparent reason for the leak. I then sat down with the homeowners and they told me the leak typically happened when it was windy and raining. So I went in their attic and saw the reason for the leak. The wind was blowing rain in the louver on the left side of the house and wetting the ceiling. While this did not happen often it was still creating a problem for the homeowners as they were concerned not only about the appearance of the wet spots but also damage to the sheetrock and the possibility of mold. Their option was to seal off the louver from the interior with some plastic when we had these wind driven rain storms. Of course I reminded them to remove the plastic once the storm was over to allow for cross ventilation for the louvers. I checked in with the couple last week and after several periods of rain they indicated they had not had any more leaks.
Cole Roofing and Construction provides Roof Replacement and Repair in Raleigh Durham and Chapel Hill NC.