Wind Blown Rain & Ice Dam Membrane Roofing Manufacturers

All of the roof membranes are virtually the same. There are differences in the thickness of the modified asphalt. It can be significant. Some products are 25 mils thick while others can be 40 mils or more. To further confound you, some products are made for different parts of the country. Not every membrane can be installed in the desert Southwest for example. Some cannot be applied to metal roofing or beneath metal roofing. Some thinner ones do not protect against severe ice damming situations.

If you are doing the roofing yourself, another consideration comes into play. The plastic cover sheet can be slippery! Some membranes have special skid resistant surfaces. Look for those so you don't fall!

Sunlight can cause real problems with some membranes. This I don't understand. Don't ask me why the manufacturers can't employ decent ultraviolet blocking ingredients in all of their plastic cover sheets. Some products can be exposed to sunlight for only several days while others can be exposed for several months. It just doesn't make sense to me!

My recommendation to you is to go with as thick a material as you can afford. The more asphalt, the more protection you have around the nail shanks. Check out the following manufacturers and read their product literature. Invest the time reading it, and you will reap HUGE dividends.

Roofing Literature

Would you like to obtain excellent pamphlets, booklets, and other literature on asphalt roofing? If so, you need to contact:

Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association

Two of their many publications are outstanding. Do whatever is necessary to obtain a copy of the following two publications.

• Residential Asphalt Roofing Manual
  
• Good Application Makes a Good Roof Better (FREE!)

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This gutter guard has been undergoing testing for ten months. The maple tree seeds are collecting in this test because the guard was NOT installed correctly by the company. It should be in the same plane as the shingles. See illustration below. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Important Author’s Note Update: Since this column was written, I have discovered at least two other gutter guards that sport the micro-mesh filtration screen. Testing of these Micro-mesh guards began early Spring of 2008. The results of the test are in! After 10-years of testing various types, a winner has been declared! Click for the gutter guard I installed on my house - Gutter Guard Test Results.

I am somewhat fortunate. My house has a special low pitched ledge that I built for the exclusive purpose of servicing my gutters. I have a Victorian house that has approximately 550 feet of total gutter footage. I can access my gutters from the roof fairly easily and safely. There are only two places where it gets a little hairy. I make sure I don't have a head cold when up on the roof. Why? Because a head cold can really mess up your balance. Be careful on your roof!

Here's a quick cross section showing how the gutter guard - in green - is in the same plane as the roofing material. The drawing is not to scale. I used to make drawings like this sitting at customers' kitchen tables. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Four Times a Year

I have to clean my gutters at least four times a year. It usually takes 1 hour each time. In the late fall, it is miserable work. My hands become numb from handling the cold, wet leaves. You can imagine how I have been interested in the advertised claims of the gutter guard products over the past five years. However, I was always put off by the enormous cost for my roof. I simply couldn't justify a $2,000 plus expense with other things to do around my house. Plus, as I said, I could get to my gutters fairly easily.

During the past two years, I received numerous phone calls and letters about gutter covers. People wanted to know if they worked. I decided to test them for myself after seeing them in a home show in early 1995. I must tell you that I entered the test with negative feelings. I surely would not make a good scientist!

My negative feelings were based upon my home show experience. I saw a nifty setup with water flowing down a roof into a gutter protected by a gutter screen. It was like magic how the water flowed into the gutter. But I knew that my large pine trees could easily defeat the slit where the water went into the gutter. I tested the gutter cover at the home show with tiny "leaves" made from paper. The gutter cover failed.

Testing Criteria

Certain gutter covers are permanently attached to your gutters. I immediately ruled these out from my testing. Why? Because I could see that pine needles and maple tree flower buds would easily get into the gutters. How would you then clean the gutters in 3 - 4 years?

I decided to test gutter screens to see if the holes or slits would trap leaves by their stems. All of the guards worked well. I found only one leaf that got trapped by its stem. That impressed me.

Small Debris and Flow Rates

My testing showed me that stuff - small tree stuff - gets into gutters. This can cause a big problem. Many gutters do not have sufficient pitch that allows them to readily carry this debris to the downspout. A decent pitch is 1/8 inch per foot. If you install this kind of pitch on a gutter, you will readily run out of gutter or facia board, trust me!

If gutters don't have decent pitch, small debris is often left in the bottom of the gutter to collect. The water flowing down to the downspout doesn't really have enough energy to carry the debris with it. In my case, I had a bunch of mush in my gutters. The gutter covers allowed small roof debris to enter and then the water couldn't transport it to the downspout. It was and is a mess!

Plan to Clean

If you live in an area where the trees do not drop springtime debris like buds, flowers, needles, etc., then you are in great shape. You will enjoy gutter guards. If you live in an area like me that has spring time debris, you will eventually have to deal with your gutter covers.

I suggest that you consider a model that allows you to lift it easily and inspect/wash the gutters. Because the debris within the gutter will be small in size, it should readily flow into the downspout without clogging it or the ground level piping. All you will have to do is lift every other gutter cover to rinse down the debris. It should be a breeze if you have a good ladder.

Cleaning Tips

Most ladder / gutter cleaning accidents happen for two reasons. The first is when people set a ladder that can slide along the gutter. The feet of the ladder must be set level. If the ladder is at a slight left or right angle as you climb it, it can quickly slide. Remember as you add weight to the top of the ladder, it acts like an out of balance sledge hammer held in the air! The ladder is the handle and you are the hammer falling towards the ground!

Overreaching is the second problem. Don't lean your body out beyond the ladder. This upsets the balance of you and the ladder. If you insist on reaching further down the gutter to clean, make a push stick. This is just a broom handle with a little block on the end. The block acts like a ram to push leaves and debris farther down the gutter. You can then move the ladder to get this debris or push it even farther. Be safe and take your time!

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Important Author’s Note Update: Since this column was written, I have discovered at least two other gutter guards that sport the micro-mesh filtration screen. Testing of these Micro-mesh guards began early Spring of 2008. The results of the test are in! After 10-years of testing various types, a winner has been declared! Click for the gutter guard I installed on my house - Gutter Guard Test Results.

Gutter Protection Test Results

OK, so call me a doubting Thomas. Certain building products I can not test scientifically. For example I can't do wind tests on windows. I don't have a lab to do water absorption testing on wood sealants. However, gutter guards are within my capabilities. You simply install them and log the results. The other stuff you have to "trust" manufacturer's claims or get independent results.

I took a chance with my testing. I decided that I would not test any product that required permanent installation to my aluminum gutters. This automatically knocked several major brand aluminum gutter guards out of the picture. The reason I didn't want to test them was based upon my hypothesis that the guards would allow some debris into the gutters. If this was the case, then it would be virtually impossible - or at least highly impractical to clean the gutters at a future time. When I rolled the dice it came up "7". All of the products allowed debris to enter the gutters!

I have listed below the three products I tested. There are many more gutter guards out there. In fact, I suspect that there could be up to 100 fabricators, many located in just a small regional area. I feel that you should look for the characteristics I described in my "Winners" section. Stay away from the losers.........

Hi, it's me Tim Carter. Do you want a bid on the same gutter guards I used on my home? Click Here If you do fill out the form at the MasterShield page, they pay me a very small commission.

LOSERS

• Benjamin Obdyke
  This gutter guard was a nightmare from the get go. It was difficult to install because of its "accordion" design. This vinyl gutter guard had parallel rows of pleats. At the bottom of the pleats were slits that allowed water to enter the gutters. The accordion design made it very difficult to slide the products up under the gutters. These devices got clogged quickly with the spring debris from by maple and pin oak trees.

• Nameless Product
  Here is a product I bought at a home center store. This simple vinyl gutter guard had numerous rows of holes in it. The holes were 7/16 inch in diameter. The front of the product had jaws that were at first unrecognizable as such. They were designed so that the device could clamp on the top lip of the gutter. I found it impossible to spread the jaws by hand. Debris was caught by these jaws and eventually caused the guards to sag into the gutter. These guards were the worst performer.

WINNER

• Amerimax Home Products
  This simple vinyl gutter guard that I purchased at a home center store looked like the loser product with holes in it at first. However it was very different. It had elongated diamond shaped knockouts in it. These knockouts block all but the smallest debris from getting into the gutters but are wide enough to allow you to direct a hose spray into the gutter to flush the mush out every other year. The diamond knockouts were 1/4 inch wide by 1/2 inch long. Open front jaws allowed this flexible guard to quickly and snugly attach to the front gutter lip. It was the shortest gutter guard in the group - only 3 feet long. I found this a huge plus while installing the product. Read the label when installing as it has an up side and a down side. If you can find this one, buy it! Why? This is the overall winning product.

If you do want to limit your gutter cleaning experiences to the spring and summer, then install gutter guards. They all do a great job of keeping big leaves out of gutters.

Gutter Guard Manufacturers

• Crane Plastics

• Gutter Armor
• Gutter Helmet
• Gutter Topper
• WaterLoov
• Leaf Relief

Hi, it's me Tim Carter. Do you want a bid on the same gutter guards I used on my home? Click Here If you do fill out the form at the MasterShield page, they pay me a very small commission.

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Purchasing Asphalt Shingles

Perhaps the most important thing to look for when shopping for shingles is a passing grade on an independent test. The folks at the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) have developed a test for asphalt shingles. The test checks the composition, dimensions and performance of asphalt shingles. One of the key issues is tear resistance from wind and mechanical forces. This is important as you don't want your shingles to tear away from the nails in a wind storm. This test is ASTM D3462, "Standard Specification for Asphalt Shingles Made from Glass Felt and Surfaced with Mineral Granules".

Do not buy any shingle that has not passed this test - plain and simple. This information is readily available in written form from the manufacturers. Those that test, will readily give you the proof. Those that don't, will readily give you excuses.

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Locating a roof leak can be a really big undertaking. I have spent days trying to find leaks. On one job, it actually turned out that the roof wasn't leaking at all. The water was actually entering a massive brick chimney. It flowed down inside the chimney and eventually surfaced at some roof rafters. It then traveled along the rafters towards some skylights. Both the homeowner and I were very frustrated. Once we sealed the chimney with a high quality siloxane water repellent, the mysterious roof leak disappeared.

High School Physics

Roof coverings work in conjunction with gravity. Without the pull of gravity dragging water down the roof, most coverings would readily admit water into your house. Keeping this fact in mind will allow you to locate many roof leaks. Always look sideways, diagonally or up-roof from an inside leak location for the source of the leak.

Using a garden hose and a sprinkler will also help you. Always start from the lowest possible leak location and work upwards. NEVER point the hose up-roof! Try to simulate rain from above. Don't use an unrealistic flow of water. It may take upwards of five to 10 minutes for a leak to expose itself, so be patient.

The Most Probable Cause

Close to 90 percent of all roof leaks happen at flashings. Flashings are transitional roofing materials. They connect a roof to something that is not a roof. You will find flashings at chimneys, valleys, where a roof bumps into a wall, skylights, plumbing stacks, etc. When I am called to find a roof leak I always study the flashings before I spend any time looking in the field of shingles.

The reason flashings cause so many problems is that many roofers are like a lost ball in the high weeds when it comes to installing them. They simply do not have a clue how to do it. I have seen metal flashings installed with caulk. I have seen aluminum flashing used in masonry work. Some roofers actually use massive quantities of roofing cement smeared all over the flashings. All of these practices are wrong.

Low Slope = High Leak Potential

Many modern houses have low slope roofs - say four or five in 12 pitch. These roofs are highly susceptible to leaks from wind blown rain. If you have the opportunity to increase the pitch or slope of your roof, do so.

Repairing Roof Leaks

You would be surprised how simple it is to fix many roof leaks. Often it takes a simple piece of metal flashing. You may have to slide it over a hole and up and under the shingle above. Possibly a counterflashing has rusted. Perhaps a solder joint has cracked.

Do not even consider using roofing cement as a permanent roof patching compound. Did you know that it is not even supposed to be exposed to sunlight? Yes, UV rays break it down! Roofing cement is supposed to glue two pieces of shingle or rolled roofing together. It is not "roof icing" as I call it.

Caulk is another temporary roofing material. Don't be tempted to use this material. It works great on interior woodwork and tile, but not roofing materials. Roofs move a lot. Properly installed metal flashings account for this movement.

Look at your roof and flashing systems. Note how they resemble feathers on a bird or fish scales. The shingle above overlaps the flashing or shingle below. If you identify a leak location, form a piece of metal to cover the leak. Then slide the metal up and under the shingles above the hole. In many instances - assuming you are working with small pieces of metal - they will friction fit. There is no need for nails to hold the metal in place.

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Ten Most Common Roof Leak Locations

Roof leaks are a nuisance for many homeowners. They can be difficult to diagnose - that is a fact. To make matters worse, different weather conditions will produce leaks in different locations.

The vast majority of roof coverings operate using the principal of gravity. This can be a big help in locating a leak source. However, horizontal roof boards can trick you. A leak may actually be eight to 10 feet sideways from where you see the wet ceiling or spot in the attic.

Finding the source of some leaks is easy. Others will require detective work and possibly a garden hose and an inside spotter. If you don't feel comfortable on a roof, you will have to find an honest roofer to assist you. Sometimes this can be as hard as finding the smallest leak! Here are some tips that may help you find a pesky roof leak:

The Field of Shingles

If your roof is older, it is possible that the leak is within the roof field. This means the expanse of shingles, slate, shakes, whatever. If your roof is asphalt, then you can walk around with ease. Other materials such as slate, concrete tile or clay tile may not be so forgiving.

You can crack roofing if you walk on it, so be careful. With regular shingles, look at the tops of the vertical knockouts. Look for missing colored granules. Look for cracks. Possibly a nail has backed itself out of the roof sheathing. Simply take your time and hunt.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors that will help you find leaks in your roof.

Valleys

A valley is a line where two roof planes intersect. Here in Cincinnati we use a metal flashing in the valleys. Some areas use rolled roofing. Other places simply lace the shingles together. Valleys can be big problems if you do not trim the shingles correctly.

When you trim a shingle for a valley you end up with a chisel point on the end of the shingle. If a second cut is not made to make this point like an arrow point, then water can travel along the top of the shingle and find its way inside your house. The shingle wrapper tells you how to make this simple second cut.

Head Wall Flashings

Some roofs stop at a vertical wall. A metal flashing must be in place to direct water streaming down the wall away from the stopping point of the shingles. This flashing may be behind wood siding or in front of a brick wall. The flashing should extend over the shingles at least three inches.

If the wall is brick or other masonry, the flashing must bend and extend one inch into a mortar joint. Tar, caulk or roofing cement should never be used in conjunction with these materials. If you see them, it is a sign that someone tried to patch a leak!

Wall Step Flashing

Some roof leaks happen at step flashings. You find these flashings where a roof climbs alongside a vertical wall. As each row of shingles is laid, a step flashing is installed over the shingle next to the wall. Part of the flashing turns up on the wall and the other portion gets covered by the next row of shingles.

Look for rust or holes in these flashings. In reality, if all is well, you will be able to see only the smallest portion of these flashings.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors that will help you find leaks in your roof.

Chimneys

These devils are the source of many a leak. Chimneys contain four different types of flashing. All must be right or you will have a leak. Plus, the counterflashing that goes into the brick mortar joint must be right.

A hairline crack above the flashing can allow vast amounts of water to run behind the flashings. Look for soldered corners of flashing that might have broken or have holes. Do not use caulk to repair these flashings!

Plumbing Vent Flashings

Newer vent flashings are a concern of mine. Many of these incorporate a rubber seal with an aluminum flashing. The rubber can fail in as little as 10 to 15 years. Look for cracked rubber around the plumbing pipe.

The flashing should dive up and under the shingles that extend up roof from the middle of the plumbing vent. The bottom half of the flashing should be exposed and actually cover the shingles.

Furnace or B-Vent Flashing

These flashings are basically identical to plumbing vent flashings. However, they sometimes have a metal storm collar. These simply fit tightly around the vertical pipe that exits the roof. If they become loose, the storm collars can cause leaks.

Ice Dam Leaks

Ice dam leaks plague people in the snow belt. These leaks can happen even if everything on your roof is just fine! Ice dams block the natural flow of water down a roof. The water begins to back up under flashings, shingles, tar paper, etc.

Once water begins to flow into the house, it can drip for days. The only means of prevention is to install membranes under the roofing. The membranes won't stop the ice but will stop water leaks if installed properly.

Wind Blown Rain Leaks

Wind driven rain can also be a major problem. Once again, you could actually have a good roof and wind will drive water up and under your roofing materials. The only lines of defense are tar paper and the ice dam membranes.

If you have metal valleys, you may want to hem the edges. This means that the hidden edges of the valley actual have a 180 degree bend. This creates a channel that directs wind blown rain back to the bottom of the valley.

Roofing cement under shingles on the edges of roofs that face the wind are also a good idea. Don't underestimate the power of a 70 mph sustained wind-driven rain.

Non-Roof Leaks !

Sometimes you think you have a roof leak when in fact the roof is fine. Attic condensation is a prime example. High humidity can cause condensation and "rain" to fall in your attic. It can also make the underside of the roof sheathing look wet. You think you have a leak instead.

Chimney crowns can develop cracks. The inside surface of the chimney gets discolored or the plaster bubbles. You think a roof leak is the cause.

Siding can be missing above a roof. This can cause water to enter behind head flashings. Be a good gumshoe and snoop around for the leaks!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors that will help you find leaks in your roof.

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Major Players in Membranes

The following companies are the major players in the EPDM and membrane roofing. You can call them for information about their products, however it may be a waste of time. Why? This market is really geared to the professional roofing contractor, and NOT to the consumer. The information you will receive may be quite technical and dry. I can assure you it will contain language that is very chemically oriented. The better choice may be just to ask for local roofing suppliers who sell the products. Contact your local distributor for easier to understand facts and costs.

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Tips on Locating Flat Roof Leaks

Flat roof leak roofs can be a devil to locate. The reason is that water can enter one spot and not really express itself inside until it is far away from the leak. The same thing can happen on sloped roofs, however, you can usually discount all the roof area below the area where you see the leak.

Why? Because water doesn't generally flow uphill from the leak location. Flat roofs allow the leak to travel in any direction from the leak point. That is why they are tough to locate.......

Free & Fast Bids

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Start With a Dry Roof

If you have a flat roof that leaks, get up on it when it is dry and cool. You want to look for trouble spots that generally are the primary source of leaks.

I always start at flashings. Flashings are transitional roofing materials. A flashing connects a roofing membrane to something that is not a roof. For example, If a plumbing stack or chimney pops up through the roof, it will be surrounded by a flashing. Often the flashing materials are metal.

Look for cracks. Look to see if the flashing overlaps the roofing material such that downward falling water will be deflected away from the chimney, wall or plumbing pipe.

Check the edge of the roof. Often flashings are used at these points as well. See if they are secure. Look for little cracks, openings, or breaks in seams in these flashings.

Dry Mini Lake Beds

Often water will pond in low spots in a flat roof. You will see evidence of these areas on a flat roof. Look for concentric rings of dirt as the puddles dry out. Look here for tiny holes or splits in the roof.

Seams - A High Priority

Any seam in the roofing material is a natural spot for a leak. Look closely at all seams. Do you see cracks or holes of any type? Is there a place where you can lift a small edge of a seam?

Testing For Leaks

You can test for leaks using a hose. But you have to be patient and you need to work backwards away from gutters or center drains. It can take hours, as you need to let the water run slowly over areas you think are trouble spots. Remember, it can take 10 minutes or more for the water to begin dripping inside. Start near a drain and let the water slowly run.

Periodically, adjust the hose so water flows across dry portions of the roof. You will need tremendous patience, especially if all portions of the roof appear tight.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who can come check your roof for leaks.

Related Articles: Newer Rubber Roofs, Membrane Roofing Types, Membrane Roofing, Manufacturers

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