Quote:
Originally Posted by al76slc
Thank you all for the help - it is remarkable how much knowledge is available here. Zeus especially - that was quite a post.
I did check with my building inspector, and he made some of the points mentioned here, including recommending removing the shingles. He was indifferent to whether we put new sheathing over the old, or took off the old. His only concern was that if it is an older house (which it's not), be careful of overtaxing the rafters.
We currently have a ridge vent running the length of the roof. Have these been improved on in the last 25 years, that we should think of replacing it?
We also have many skylights - so I was thinking that we should do something special around them. Up to now there have been some small manageable leaks from them, but I don't want to tempt fate.
Interestingly, he said if we remove/replace the sheathing or add a new layer, we will need a building permit. I suppose it's not a big deal and hopefully we won't be re-assessed.
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Np, you are welcome!
I'm not a big fan of ridge vents, I find them problematic and prone to leaking. They have a large (long) surface area to seal, and this can be lifted by ice, etc. I would generally seal the area off (add new sheating and cap with shingles) and install a high-quality, high-flow roof vent instead. Mind you, we have nasty winters here with lots of snow and freeze/thaws...so your mileage may differ. They are probably fine in areas with little to no snow.
Skylights are always fun, especially if they were not installed correctly. The key is installation, and the flashing in particular. I like Velux skylights for this reason - excellent flashing kits. You need to install the flashing exactly as described.
If your skylights are leaking and old, you can consider replacements if your budget allows. Alternately, you may be able to either reuse and reinstall the original flashing, or purchase a new flashing kit for the existing skylight and then simply reinstall when doing the roof. If the skylight itself was in good condition, I would go this route (new flashing kit).