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About Todd E. Miller
Expertise
I am available to answer any questions pertaining to residential (or other sloped) metal roofing. I have knowledge of most available products but I like to approach projects from a "needs" basis and analyze them individually. Additionally, I can answer most questions about building ventilation.

Experience
I have worked for a manufacturer of residential metal roofing since 1980. I currently serve as President and have been involved with a wide variety of projects of all types across the world.

Organizations
I am a board member for Metal Construction Association, Metal Roofing Alliance, the local United Way, our church, and our son's school.

Publications
Over the years, I have had articles appear in several trade journals including RSI, Remodeling, and Qualified Remodeler.

Education/Credentials
I have a B.A. in Communications and have also completed three years of training with the E-Myth Academy.

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Roofing > New metal standing seam roof but leaking around vent pipe

Roofing - New metal standing seam roof but leaking around vent pipe

Expert: Todd E. Miller - 10/29/2009

Question
Is more caulking an adequate repair when a leak develops around a vent pipe in a new meal roof?

After exceptionally heavy rain a few days ago so much water splashed down the outer sides of the PVC vent pipe in the attic kneewall that it leaked though the recessed bathroom fan installation beside the vent and also got the surrounding floor wet for about 6 inches beyond that hole. (We don't know if there may have been water previously during lighter rain, but not enough to come through the fan into the bathroom so that we would notice it.) The roofer came and said he found a pinhole in the caulking, which he repaired.

This does not sound adequate to us. The costly roof was installed a few months ago, at our expense, to replace a metal tile one previously installed by the same company. It leaked around the eaves and valleys and nobody could figure out why, so we gave this company the benefit of the doubt and trusted their solid reputation to try again with a different metal type.

Having spent so much money and endured so much water damage before, we're now fed up to have this happen to the newest roof. It seems to us that if so much water came through around the vent pipe, the problem must be more than a pinhole in the caulking, and we're guessing that something has been installed incorrectly, whether on top of or under the metal roofing around the vent pipe.

Is a vent pipe in a metal roof meant to have more than a layer of caulking to stop leaks?

Answer
Yes, in my opinion, underlayment should have been sealed around the pipe and the pipe should have been sealed both above and below the roof and a pinhole in the sealant should not have allowed in that much water.

However, all that said, I am doing this sight unseen and I suppose anything is possible.

Do you have any way to send me photos of the pipe and the roof? My email is todd@asktoddmiller.com

All Best.

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