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Old 05-15-2013, 02:00 PM
 
9 posts, read 12,919 times
Reputation: 10

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Just bought a home like a month ago, and today we noticed water leak in the front room and when I walk out the entry door and look up, I see that flashing at roof valleys or maybe roof overhangs may be the issue. We are new home buyer and are not familiar with all the roofing terminologies.

Is it normal for such leaks to happen? I understand that wind assisted rains may have caused it, but it did not look like it was that bad, so in other words do I have to keep fixing roof leaks even for minor wind blown rains?

Home is 15 yrs old in Avery ranch, previous owner mentioned about leaks but they were all fixed and home inspection guy mentioned there were no active leaks. Does the home insurance cover these kinds of fix? I am not even sure how much it will cost? Can someone please recommend any good repair guy?

Thank you.
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:35 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,559,521 times
Reputation: 4001
Quote:
Originally Posted by mst0181 View Post
Just bought a home like a month ago, and today we noticed water leak in the front room and when I walk out the entry door and look up, I see that flashing at roof valleys or maybe roof overhangs may be the issue. We are new home buyer and are not familiar with all the roofing terminologies.

Is it normal for such leaks to happen? I understand that wind assisted rains may have caused it, but it did not look like it was that bad, so in other words do I have to keep fixing roof leaks even for minor wind blown rains?

Home is 15 yrs old in Avery ranch, previous owner mentioned about leaks but they were all fixed and home inspection guy mentioned there were no active leaks. Does the home insurance cover these kinds of fix? I am not even sure how much it will cost? Can someone please recommend any good repair guy?

Thank you.
A number of things ....
While we've had some pretty good winds in the last couple of storms, it was nothing out of the ordinary in our part of Avery Ranch. In other words, there must have been a failure or damage in addition to the rains for you to have leaks that had never shown up before.

Home inspectors aren't known for their propensity to climb on a roof. However, if you can see damage in the flashing, etc., the inspector should have been able to inspect that area.

Your insurance company will be VERY interested in stopping the leaks, especially since it's cheaper and easier to fix a roof vs replacing drywall and addressing migrating water damage and possible mold. I don't know if your 'home warranty' would cover roof damage...I'd sure be looking carefully at that policy.

If you have a 15 year-old home in Avery Ranch, it must be the second oldest only to the "Springs House" built in the 1800s(Everything I've read shows 2001 as the first year of construction). Depending on the neighborhood, your roof may have been replaced as a result of our occasional hail storms, so it may be much 'younger' than 15 years.

Additionally, I'd look for a real roofing professional, not just a handy-man. If indeed there were leaks that were 'fixed', I'd try to find the repair folks. Piecemeal repairs of roofing may not be the best way to go.

Good luck!
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Austin
7,244 posts, read 21,818,804 times
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Your insurance will probably cover it, but not until after your deductible is met. For a minor leak, you probably don't want your insurance company involved. Call a roofer (or two or three) to get an estimate, and if they see an issue more expensive than your deductible, then bring in the insurance. Otherwise, just fix it out of pocket. No, leaks are not "common" or people would have nasty, moldy, smelly houses all the time. Roofs are supposed to prevent leaks.
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:41 PM
 
8,007 posts, read 10,434,906 times
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Did you get a home warranty?
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Austin
7,244 posts, read 21,818,804 times
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Home Warranties don't cover roof issues.
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Dallas
31,292 posts, read 20,753,051 times
Reputation: 9330
No, it is not normal to have roof leaks.

As I recall, your contract to buy the house requires that the seller disclose all prior leaks. You might check to see if that's there.

And you might want to contact the seller to get the name of the repair company that did the work. Maybe they have a warranty.
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:59 PM
 
9 posts, read 12,919 times
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Yes 10scoachrick, it is a "Springs House" built in 1997s. Owner mentioned roof work was done 5yrs ago, and just prior to placing it on market and few shingles replaced due to 2/26 winds but assured us all leaks were fixed and there were no active leaks. Inspector did mention that flashing at roof valley in the front was sealed with caulk, so I am thinking though he could not determine the leak before, maybe it started leaking now.

I will look into some professional roofing companies on craigslist, unless someone can recommend some trustworthy guys....
I hope insurance covers it, i have a 500$ deductable....will also look into the home warranty. Thanks.
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Old 05-15-2013, 04:03 PM
 
9 posts, read 12,919 times
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Good suggestion Roadking2003. Let me check with my realtor if he can get in touch with the seller and get me the repair company contact, although I remember asking before for all the receipts of repair and seller apparently did not have any, so I highly doubt if I will get any response now....and I do have a email of sellers response saying there were no active leaks
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