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The house is 3 years old. I noticed that when it rains, some water drips from below this gutter instead of going down the spout. Got up there with a cup of water and here is what is happening:
You can see from the picture that gutter seam cement has been used to create a channel between the flashing and the shingles just above the gutter to divert water into the gutter. At the very top of this seam there is a hole (incomplete seal with the gutter cement). This causes water to channel underneath the gutter cement but on top of the flashing. So the water ends up dribbling out behind the gutter. AFAICT there is no water penetration into the house but there is a weep hole under there and the water kind of flows around it. Also the whole area underneath the gutter and flashing is sloppy. Not that this ideal but it is probably what is common around here (N. Texas) for builder grade work.
I have seen some really nice professional setups linked from this forum demonstrating the proper way to do these roofline/wall intersects. I'm kind of looking for a quick fix at this point until sometime down the line when the roof has to be replaced.
Some options:
1) Place a dab of gutter seam cement into the hole. This should channel most of the water over the top like was the apparent intent of the installer. The problem with this scenario is that it could cause some water to be diverted back underneath the shingles. However, if you look at the picture shot from below, it looks like there is sufficient flashing to cover this (note the jagged outline of the flashing that I believe indicates it's sufficiently wide on the roof side) unless the water is just driven like crazy in that direction which seems unlikely given the orientation of the wall.
2) Slather some sort of sealant (suggestions welcome) all the way up this roofline/wall intersect to create a better channel.
3) Cut out the crappy gutter seam cement in the channel and insert a piece of flashing underneath the existing flashing making sure the new piece dumps into the gutter. You can see the jagged edge of the flashing in the shot from below.
BTW, the roof area feeding this gutter is about 25 sq/ft. It's a small room that juts out from the house and has its own roof /\. There is no water fed to this area from the above 2nd story roof. The wooden material making up the soffit areas is Hardieboard. Also, this whole area is not visible from any point around the house so the solution doesn't have to look pretty.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by eltbee; 11-05-2009 at 11:07 AM..
Reason: it's -> its
From your description of the current configurations it is an unfortunate design but your suggestion number 3 is the best bet for the time being. The base flashing should be extended at least a couple of inches beyond the eave to dump into the gutter as you suggest. Also, the drip edge flashing should be brought from behind the gutter and positioned over the gutter. When you have the roof replaced the next time you can see about changing the flashing arrangements. Any other action, i.e. kickout flashings, more sealant, etc., would only risk potential further damages.
Thanks Emmanuel and Mike for the tips. Mike: I found this link from your search particularly useful.
Interesting that most of the examples of kick-outs and wall/roof intersects deals with siding/stucco on the wall where it's easier to incorporate/retrofit the flashing into the wall/moisture barrier. In this case with the brick wall already being fixed and not possible to integrate directly (like this) I guess it will always require the counter-flashing + sealant hack like I have now? Maybe my option 3 would be just as difficult as incorporating a kick-out? In other words I would have to pull off the counter-flashing anyway to get underneath the vertical section of the existing flashing. I guess the counter flashing + sealant I have now will be a constant source of concern/maintenance since it runs all the way up the roofline. I may need professional help after all.
What type of sealant would they have used to seal along the counter-flashing anyway?
A kickout flashing on that roof construction would not work very well unless you hand fashion it and add a steep downward angle to channel it into the gutter. From the looks of the positioning of that gutter section, the angle of the fascia and drip edge, that roof section does not terminate in a horizontal eave, instead it appears to be more of a rake. Using a standard purchased kickout flashing would angle the water discharge back up, towards the bottom of the shingles and potentially overshoot the gutter section. That can continually wash the fascia board and, depending on how much rain occurs, shoot water back at the shingle/decking interface.
Not sure what kind of sealant they are using there but I would prefer the NPC Solar Seal brand, 900. I use (used) that on West/South facing areas. I say "used" because I've had it in place for over 8 years now and it is still going strong in this Texas sun. Most standard, exterior sealers seem to require touch-ups/replacements after a couple of years when exposed to this sun. It's not cheap and can be a bear to work with, but it lasts a long time.
The purchased flashing was just for information purposes.
Any qualified handyman or roofer can fashion a suitable kickout flashing that will work quite well.
Several photo examples here.
The installation of the kickout under the existing counter flashing should not be too challenging.
It is unfortunate that there is not a proper step flashing installation, however.
But it should be possible to get a kickout up under the flashing.
The sealant would be nearly moot with a good roofing job.
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