Flashing leak at a wall
The most common thaw leak. Meltwater runs down the wall and under the flashing where the roof meets the house. The flashing is re-set and the counter-flashing is checked.
Serving Ferry County
Winter Leak Repair in Republic, WA
Finding and sealing the joint where thaw water enters a roof in Republic and the surrounding Ferry County towns.
- Snow load and ice on roofs
- Wind and wildfire-season damage
- Rural homes across Ferry County
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Winter Leak Repair
Winter Leak Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
A leak that shows up during a thaw in Republic is usually meltwater that has been sitting on the roof and finding a joint. The repair traces that joint, rather than sealing the stain on the ceiling below it.
A stain on the ceiling that appears in a thaw and fades when the weather turns cold is almost always meltwater. The snow has been sitting on the roof, the sun or the warm attic has melted it from below, and the water has run down the deck until it found a joint. The stain is the last place the water is seen, not the place it got in.
Across Republic and the towns around it, a winter thaw can come in a day, and the water that runs during it has the whole deck to find a way. That is why a leak from a thaw is often at a joint that was fine in the autumn and is under stress now.
- Service area
- Republic & Ferry County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Warning signs
Signs you need winter leak repair
Do not go onto a snowy or icy roof to look at a leak. Look from inside the attic with a light, from the ground, or from a ladder placed on firm ground at the eave. A fall is a more serious problem than a stain.
- A ceiling stain that grows during a thaw and dries out in the cold
- Water at the top floor near an outside wall or a chimney
- Drips from a light fitting or a vent during a warm spell
- Wet insulation in the attic under a joint
- Staining on the wall where the roof meets it
Our process
How our winter leak repair visit works
Read the attic first
The leak is traced from the inside. The attic is checked for wet insulation, dark staining on the deck and water tracks along the rafters. The point the water comes down from is the first clue, not the point it drops onto the ceiling.
Check the joints above that point
The joints above the wet area are checked: flashing at walls, the valleys, the vent boots and the ridge. Each joint is examined for lifted edges, cracked sealant and nails pushed up through the deck.
Repair the joint, not the stain
The failed joint is repaired to the standard it should have had. A vent boot is replaced, flashing is re-set and the sealant is renewed where it has failed. The stain on the ceiling is left until the roof is dry.
Test the repair and record it
Where the weather allows, the repaired area is checked with a light spray or left to the next thaw. The owner gets a record of what was found and what was done.
Why a thaw finds the weak joint
The thaw delivers more water in a shorter time than the joint was built to shed.
A normal rain runs off a roof over hours. A thaw can deliver the melt from a foot of snow in a day, and the water arrives at the joints faster than the gutter and the flashing can clear it. A joint that held through a rain can fail in a thaw.
The weak point is usually a joint that was already marginal: a flashing set a little high, a sealant that has cracked in the cold or a nail that has pushed up through the shingle. The thaw is the test that shows it.
- A thaw delivers melt faster than rain
- A marginal joint fails first
- The leak shows up at the stain, not at the joint
Reading the attic evidence
The attic records where the water came through, even after the ceiling has dried.
Dark staining on the underside of the deck follows the path of the water. It usually runs down a rafter from the joint, so the stain nearest the roof is the joint itself. Wet insulation is heavier and darker than the dry insulation around it, and the crew marks the edge of the wet area.
A frozen spot on the deck in the cold attic is also a clue. Ice on the underside shows where meltwater has been getting in and freezing, and it is recorded with a photograph before the crew moves anything.
- Staining runs down the rafter from the joint
- Wet insulation marked at its edge
- Ice on the deck photographed before disturbing it
The repair that holds through the next thaw
A repair that will hold is sealed to the deck and not to the shingle surface alone.
Sealant laid on top of a failed flashing covers the symptom for one season. The flashing is lifted, the deck under it is checked for softness, and the flashing is re-set with fasteners into sound wood. Sealant is used as a secondary seal, not the main one.
Where the deck is soft, the section is replaced before the flashing goes back. The owner is shown the area and told what was done, so the next thaw can be compared with the record.
- Flashing lifted and re-set into sound wood
- Soft deck replaced before re-flashing
- Sealant used as a secondary seal
Keeping the leak from coming back
The owner can reduce thaw leaks by keeping the roof clear of heavy wet snow.
Heavy snow left on a roof for weeks loads the joints and holds the melt against them. Raking the lower part of the roof from the ground after a heavy fall, with a tool that does not touch the shingles, reduces the weight at the eave. The crew does not recommend climbing onto a snowy roof to do it.
A ceiling stain that appears in a thaw should be noted with the date and the weather. The record helps the crew find the joint faster on the next visit, and it helps with any later claim.
- Rake the lower roof from the ground
- Note the date and weather of any stain
- Report the stain before it grows
The vent boot and the plumbing stack
A plumbing stack through the roof is a common leak in a cold season, and it is checked on each visit.
A plumbing stack or vent pipe through the roof is held by a rubber boot or a flashing collar. In cold weather the rubber cracks and shrinks, and the gap at the pipe lets meltwater run down the stack. The leak can appear in the ceiling near the bathroom or the kitchen and be mistaken for a plumbing fault.
The crew checks the boot for cracks, the collar for lifting and the fastening at the flange. A replacement boot is sized to the pipe, and the flange is re-fixed into sound deck before the boot goes on.
- Boot checked for cracks in the cold
- Collar and flange checked for lift
- Boot sized to the pipe
Telling a roof leak from a plumbing leak
A leak that follows the thaw and not the water use is usually the roof.
A leak that appears only after a thaw, or after snow has been sitting on the roof for days, points to the roof. A leak that comes only when a tap or a toilet is used points to the plumbing. The crew asks the owner for the pattern before it starts, because the two problems need different trades.
Where the pattern is unclear, the crew checks the attic first, since water from the roof leaves a stain on the rafters that a plumbing leak does not.
- Leak after thaw points to the roof
- Leak on use points to plumbing
- Attic staining decides when unclear
Options
Types and options for winter leak repair
Valley leak
A valley carries the most water on a roof. Where it leaks in a thaw, the valley metal or the shingle weave is checked for gaps and for debris holding water back.
Vent boot leak
A vent pipe or a plumbing stack through the roof has a rubber collar that cracks in the cold. The collar is replaced, and the flange under it is checked for lifting.
Ferry County
Why winter leak repair is different in Ferry County
Thaws in this part of the state can bring a foot or more of melt into a day or two, so the leak from a thaw is a different problem from a summer rain leak.
The attic is often the coldest and most useful place to read the evidence, because the water freezes where it is trapped and the stain shows clearly on the cold deck.
Where a house sits on a rise or near open ground, the wind pushes the melt sideways into the joints on the windward wall, which is where the flashing is checked first.
Still stuck? We pick up 24/7.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent winter leak repair, send the form and we'll call you back.
Where we work
Winter Leak Repair across Ferry County
- Winter Leak Repair in Republic
- Winter Leak Repair in Malo
- Winter Leak Repair in Wauconda
- Winter Leak Repair in Curlew
- Winter Leak Repair in Danville
- Winter Leak Repair in Boyds
- Winter Leak Repair in Orient
- Winter Leak Repair in Inchelium
- Winter Leak Repair in Marcus
- Winter Leak Repair in Tonasket
- Winter Leak Repair in Kettle Falls
- Winter Leak Repair in Laurier
- Winter Leak Repair in Rice
- Winter Leak Repair in Evans
- Winter Leak Repair in Oroville
- Winter Leak Repair in Nespelem
- Winter Leak Repair in Gifford
- Winter Leak Repair in Colville
- Winter Leak Repair in Omak
- Winter Leak Repair in Riverside
- Winter Leak Repair in Addy
- Winter Leak Repair in Keller
- Winter Leak Repair in Coulee Dam
- Winter Leak Repair in Okanogan
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Ice Dam and Meltwater Repair
Clearing and preventing ice dams in Republic and Ferry County by fixing the eave, the ice barrier and the warm air leaking into the attic.
Flashing and Chimney Repair
Repairing the flashing, the counter-flashing and the cap at chimneys and stovepipes across Republic and Ferry County.
Shingle Roof Repair
Replacing cracked and lifted asphalt shingles across Republic and Ferry County, with the courses around each repair checked.
Roof Decking Repair
Finding and replacing soft or cracked roof sheathing across Republic and Ferry County after a heavy winter.
Guides
Read before you book
What does ice barrier underlayment do on a roof?
Ice barrier underlayment is a layer laid under the covering at the eave and in the valleys, to keep meltwater that gets under the shingles from entering the house.
FAQ
Winter Leak Repair FAQs
Should I put a bucket under the drip?
Yes, to protect the floor and the ceiling below, and note the date. The bucket is a temporary measure and does not stop the water from getting into the house.
Can the leak wait until spring?
A leak that is small and not growing can often wait for a dry spell, but the stain should be recorded and the area watched. A leak that is growing in a cold week should be checked at once.
Will the leak be fixed the same day?
Often the joint can be re-sealed the same day, but a soft deck or a cold, icy roof may need a dry day. The crew tells you what it found and what the next step is.