partner to The Roofing Portal
You can ask him anything at all – whether it is directly related to roof repair work or not.
But you must be PRECISE in your questions – because Jack can give you misleading answers if you ask ambiguous questions.
And if you ask too many questions – Jack will get very tired
Hi Jack, my roof does not have any sarking. I have lichen on it and contacted an exterior cleaning company to pressure clean my roof. They will not do it because of fear of water ingress as I do not have sarking. Is this true? Because in the past we have had severe heavy rain. I don’t see the difference?
Hi Kim,
The two main differences with high pressure water cleaning and normal rain is:
1) There is a huge difference in water pressure between rain and high pressure cleaning. When the stream of water from the ‘gun’ is aimed at the joints between the tiles, it will force water past the lap. It is like the difference between someone stroking your face and a slap.
2) The angle of the water stream: Rain is mainly vertical of in extreme cases, 30 to 45 degrees to the tiles. The tiles are designed for these cases.
When high pressure cleaning is carried out, the angle of the nozzle varies a lot and there is a tendency to push water past the laps of the tiles – because tiles are not designed to have water attack it from all directions.
I have come across many cases of home owners experiencing major leaks during high pressure cleaning. Even roofs with sarking get leaks.
Hello Jack,
Do you happen to speak mandarin? My roof is in need of some repairs and it is hard to discuss with my mother since my mandarin is not the best… I have already booked an inspection for this Thursday (14/09).
Hi Fu,
Thanks for booking your inspection on our calendar.
I don’t speak a word of Mandarin.
But I can point and nod.
Jack
Hi Jack, your channel is excellent source of information for novice home owners. Please commend a roofing company in Melbourne for new home construction and which also does roof repointing services too.
Hi Savu,
Sorry, we do not have a reliable roofing partner in Melbourne yet.
Jack
Hi Jack,
We recently had new gutters installed and have noticed that water is dripping between the back of the gutter and the fascia around the entire perimeter of the house. Upon inspecting the issue, it seems that when water runs down the tiled roof, it’s splashing back under the tiles and over the back of the new gutters, which is causing the dripping, possibly due to capillary action. I tested this theory using a garden hose spraying water onto the roof. This wasn’t an issue with our old gutter system, so I suspect the profile of the old gutters may have been higher at the back compared to the new ones. Trying to understand what we could possibly do to rectify the issue or if it is a gutter installation issue.
Roof type: concrete tiles
Hi Wayne,
This is an interesting situation.
The old style quad gutters have a lower front – and as a consequence, it was limited in the ability for the gutters to be installed to the fall recommended by current code standards. As the gutter falls towards the downpipes, they are located further down the fascia and the discharge from the roof tiles would ‘overshoot’ the front of the old style gutter. Therefore most old style gutters were not installed to code requirements of fall towards the downpipe.
The old style gutters were then installed higher up the fascia to counter the ‘overshoot’ problem. Your suspicion about these gutters are therefore correct.
Modern high front gutters are designed to be installed at the correct fall (with a higher front to catch the ‘overshoot’) – and therefore can be installed lower down the fascia. This is probably how your new gutters have been installed.
If your roof tiles have been laid correctly with the required overhang into the gutter, you should not have any capillary ‘backflow’ problems with your new gutters.
My suspicion is that your roof is too ‘flat’ (less than 20 degrees pitch) – or there is insufficient overhang into the gutter.
Hope this helps.
Jack
Do you, or do you know someone, that installs new roofing?
I am in Western Sydney.
Looking to use Bondor Solarspan.
Hi Bruce,
Sorry, I do not know of a good awning installer.
Have you tried checking with the Bondor supplier if they have preferred installers?
Jack
No worries. Yes I have and I got some quotes.
I saw a house I designed on one of your YouTube videos “Dangers of Hebel…”
I was wondering if you would like to visit the site again and I can show you what is being done in more detail etc.
Hebel was recommended by the certifier, and I knew that it had some great properties and would fit the client’s desired finish. I am also concerned about the issues you raised and had already formulated some back up plans, including additional flashing on the roof and waterproof rendering. The condensation build up in the cavity is still a concern and I predict it may still be a problem in the future, although there are some construction details that would minimise it. The client seems not to care about any of this. I have spoken to them and they are happy for you to visit there again.
Thanks for your feedback Bruce,
I am always open to learning.
I assume the site you refer to is in Regents Park?
It is not too far for me to pop over.
Jack
Hey Jack,
I’m reaching out about a significant issue with one of the six box gutters installed on my recently built home. One of the outlets to the box gutter is leaking, and as shown in the attached photo, water has entered the wall cavity and made its way into the downstairs laundry, causing damage to the laundry cabinetry.
Upon reviewing the design and installation, I’ve identified several concerns:
Given these issues, I would appreciate your recommendations on how to rectify this. Specifically, I’m looking for a solution that addresses both the immediate leak and the underlying design flaws to prevent future occurrences.
Thank you.
Hi Tasso,
I would suggest eliminating the downpipe and blank off the nozzle penetration.
Then remove the stop end of the box gutter and extend the end of the box gutter through the wall (full width).
This also means removing the rain head to allow the new extended end of the box gutter to protrude past the wall. Seal the bottom, sides and top (cap the box gutter) of the box gutter protrusion to the wall.
Re-install the rain head with the overflow holes 100mm below the level of the box gutter invert.
Jack
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