Roof Leak Vent Repair

Jane Theobald has a roof leak around her pot or turtle vents. She needs to repair them before it rains again in Omaha, NE. She also has some professional advice for me. Here it is:

"I have water leaking in from the peak of my roof. The turtle or pot vents are installed really weird and I think this is the problem.

How would you suggest fixing the problem? Thanks much. (I am a psychiatrist.... therefore the needed therapy....)."

Here's Dr. Jane's pot or turtle vents. Those upturned shingles are creating a spot where wind-driven rain can gain access to the underside of the vent flashing with relative ease. Photo credit: Someone holding a smart phone camera

Editor's Note: Dr. Jane's suggestion that I need intensive weekly therapy is based on one of the questions a person must answer when submitting a question to me at the Ask Tim page.

Dr. Jane, I have to agree the vents are not installed correctly. The shingles on the high side of the vents should be laying flat on the top edge of the vent flashing. Watch the video just below and I show you how the shingles should look when the vent is installed the right way.

The fix is easy. the vents simply need to be repositioned down the roof about 4 inches from where they are now. This distance, based on your photo, should allow the bottom of the tilted shingle to lay flat and be about 1 inch above where the slope starts on the pot vent.

I would also trim the shingles along the sides of the vents so there's about a 3/8-inch gap between the shingles and the sides of the metal. When the shingles are tight like I see in your photo, it can cause capillary attraction to happen and water is drawn under the shingles and onto the edges of the flashing.

You should probably be aware that you're not alone in feeling I need intensive therapy. Many folks select that answer when they submit a question to me.

If you were to subscribe to my FREE and funny, at least I try to make it funny, newsletter, you'd be on the phone with some NH psychiatrists trying to get me into their offices.