Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [roof]

For questions regarding the roof of a home or other structure in general, including roofing types, installation, maintenance and repair, upgrades, venting, and potential problems.

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How to prevent heavy rainwater from jumping the gutter?

During heavy rain, the water collects from my second floor roof and runs onto the first floor roof as it should. The problem is that since all this water is now concentrated from the second floor downspout, the heavy volume causes it to race down…
Ryan
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Is it safe to remove the bottom chords of a series of garage roof trusses?

See attached picture. Looks like an 8x10 cut-out. He wants to lift cars up so he can walk under them. Is this safe? Doesn't removing the joists affect structural integrity?
Lynn Baker
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How can I get roof rain runoff into pond with an aboveground wall?

I'd like to collect rain water and have it run through a filter and then into a pond. The problem is, I can't simply run a pipe underground. \\ |\\ <-- house roof | \\ | | pond | <--house …
Village
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Does this downspout design make sense?

I've recently started smelling a musty smell in my upstairs bedroom. The bedroom closet just happens to be where the downspout from the main roof drains onto the roof for my garage and creates a kind of corner in the roof. As I have been looking…
philmonroe
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How can I monitor my roof to detect roof leaks before they cause damage?

A lot of questions have been asked about how to locate a leak in a roof, but you can only locate a leak that you know exists, and the first noticeable sign that there is anything wrong might be drywall damage in your living space. By this point, the…
interfect
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What is the safe/correct way to work on gutters? From a ladder or from the roof?

I am very comfortable working on the gutters (usually just cleaning them) from one story up by just sitting on the roof. I do this on my own home over the garage and at my parents one-story home. I noticed some debris in the gutters on my 'big roof'…
Freiheit
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Rafters separating from ceiling

I recently bought a house and discovered that the rafters in the attic are separating from the ceiling. The roof does not seem to be sagging, and only the rafters on one side of the attic are separating. The rafters on the other side are fine. Does…
Ace Ender
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What is this balloon with "eyes" printed on it, hanging from the eave on this house?

I have seen this, or something very similar on various houses in the city I live in. It is rare enough to be remarkable, but common enough to make me think it is a "thing". Any ideas?
zeeple
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Is there supposed to be a gap between the wall and the roof?

We bought a new house last year. Going up to the loft we noticed there is a considerable gap (5-6 cm) between the roof and the wall, like this: Is it supposed to be like that? It's freezing up there but I'm more concerned about animals entering the…
algiogia
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What are the pros and cons of steel vs. aluminum metal roofing?

I'm considering a new roof for my suburban home. The home is about fourteen years old and the shingles are in so-so shape. We have had two leaks already and I've been told that means it is a good time to consider replacing the roof. Rather than…
Chris W. Rea
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What is better for a roof, plywood or OSB?

While watching the builders next door do their thing, I became curious with their technique to install plywood on edges neighboring the next townhouse, and OSB for the rest (which for these narrow interior units is a single panel in the middle, but…
BMitch
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What are the pros and cons of installing a roof heating cable?

Had some roof work done last year after mother nature abused my house by way of an errant tree branch. I had always suspected my roof had poor ventilation, most notably when I wound up with a 200 lb chunk of ice going from roof to ground (about 20…
user45
16
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2 answers

How do I use an extension ladder to get onto my roof?

I have a two storey house and need to get onto the roof to apply some heat paint on my furnace exhaust pipe before winter. It looks about 20-22' from the ground to the edge my eaves, so to be safe I figure I need a 28' extension ladder. The ground…
shufler
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Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?

I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for sale on the housing market. All the outer walls of…
user169255
14
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6 answers

To rake or not to rake snow off of roof

First time owning a house with a roof that can be raked, It is a shingled roof. The question is - Should I be doing it? We live in Northeast (it's snowing as we speak) and icicles do form on the roof in several places. I assumed I need to rake the…
user129995
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