Drip edge gap at top of gable. Problem?

[Katherine Abernathy]

Instead of putting a mitred piece of drip edge at the top of our gables, the guys working on our house just overlapped by a little bit the drip edge from the left rake and the drip edge from the right rake, leaving a small gap.

Our fascia and molding under the drip edge are PVC, so they won't rot. Is this, therefore, merely an aesthetic concern--or is there a functional problem with the water that will enter that little opening?

Thanks.

Katherine

[wayne soper]

if you can see the plywood roofing underlayment it's wrong. Even without mitering the drip edge you can over lap them and have no gap.
So what you are saying is that they installed both short at the gable top, which is wrong.
Sounds like you took the cheaper of the estimates or your family friend is not the roofer he says he is

[Katherine Abernathy]

Thanks Wayne. How about these two drip edge situations--just aesthetic or also functional?

1. Lower part of drip edge is bent out and gaping in some sections
2. The ledge-like extension is bent way down.

Unfortunately, no, this has not been low cost. Same company has done other parts of the job (windows, etc.) quite well.

Sophie

[Gunnar Alquist]

Katherine,

I am unable to visualize what you are referring to. Pictures would help. If you have concerns, you really should talk to your roofing contractor and ask to review the installation instructions with him/her.

[Katherine Abernathy]

Unfortunately, I cannot send pictures at this time.

Sophie

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

"Katherine Abernathy",

Just curious why you closed your original post with "Katherine" and your two subsequent posts with "Sophie". Please explain, "inquiring minds" want to know.

Thanks.

[wayne soper]

Whoever you are, My best advice to you is to hire a local roofer, or home inspector to access the job done by your contractor and give you a report in writing. Which you can then give to your contractor and have him make appropriate repairs.
Especially without pictures, we cannot give you definate answers.

[Katherine Abernathy]

THIS IS A TEST

[Brandon Whitmore]

THIS IS A TEST

Huh??

[Katherine Abernathy]

I apologize about the name confusion and the THIS IS A TEST post. My formal name is Katherine but some call me Sophie. I’ll sign these Katherine. The “this is a test” post was the work of a friend who was trying to help me figure out how to post photos.

To get photos, I needed a strong zoom lens, which I have now rented.

Wayne, I hired both a local roofer and a home inspector, each with the highest reputation. I asked each for a roof assessment. What I got from each was very incomplete and unreliable. For example, they both missed a 1 ½ inch gap between fascia and roof deck all along an eave where there is not yet any flashing, covered now only by drooping shingles (I learned about this gap later when I hired a guy to climb up there and measure the extent of shingle overhang beyond drip edge all around the house). I have since discovered, of course, that this gap is also easily seen from inside the attic. They also both missed a shingle with a piece torn out of it, exposing the bare (not covered with grit) area of the shingle below. There’s more.

I did not research roofing before the new roof was installed; just trusted. The contractor is also of the highest reputation, and other work has been excellent. He is very nice and responsive. His roofing subcontractor is also a nice guy, trained by his dad as many roofers are; his workers go out with no supervision. Dad’s training not always consistent with Certainteed’s instructions. For example, Dad and many others around here believe big shingle overhang is ideal (Neither the roofer who did the assessment nor the house inspector had any objection to shingles that are in most places 1 ½ inch beyond drip edge). Certainteed representatives mention blow-off vulnerability, damage from getting knocked, and a crack eventually forming where shingles droop. This does happen in our southern heat.

Bottom line, going to the general contractor at this point would replay my error of just trusting when the roof was done in the first place. I came to realize that I need to know specifically what is on this house, what should be on this house, and what is merely an aesthetic problem vs. what is problematic functionally and really must be changed. I need to be informed and organized before I go back to the general contractor. I need to be able to tell him specifically what I want.

Katherine

[chris mcintyre]

IMO, the small gap that you mentioned in your first post is not going to affect the structural integrity of your house, but it could be a sign of a roofing contractor that is in a hurry or has no problem skimping on the details.

You may already have this, here is the installation instructions from Certainteed for their laminated shingles (which I assume you are most likely using)

http://www.certainteed.com/resources/landmarkinstall.pdf

If not you can find the installation instructions for your shingles here...

CertainTeed*Roofing - Installation Instructions (http://www.certainteed.com/resource/roofing/installation-instructions)

The instructions show the drip edge for the eaves and gable ends as well as how the felt should lap, also the recommendation for overhang.




I need to be informed and organized before I go back to the general contractor. I need to be able to tell him specifically what I want.





I would give him a copy of the installation instructions and tell him you want the shingles installed per manufactures instructions. Should you have tell him this? probably not, but if he is as reputable a builder as you say he is he will make it right.

[Katherine Abernathy]

Thanks, Chris, for the links, and I like your suggestion. In fact, the contractor’s website and salesmen emphasize as a selling point that their workmen have been trained by the manufacturers and follow manufacturers’ instructions. I just found out that the statewide North Carolina building code requires that installers follow manufacturers’ instructions. I still need to become knowledgeable myself, however, because, for instance, a man in the building code dept expressed to me the sincere belief that Certainteed’s instructions of ½ inch overhang beyond drip edge & ¾ inch overhang if no drip edge were merely MINIMUM distances and, like the roofers, he thinks more is better.

I hired a computer guru to help me post photographs. Turns out pictures were an unusable size. He installed a free software program called ImageConvert that makes a copy of your original photo then converts that copy into a photo in the size you need.

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=20322&stc=1&d=1290017304

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=20323&stc=1&d=1290017571

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=20325&stc=1&d=1290017962



http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=20327&stc=1&d=1290018390http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachment.php?attachmentid=20324&stc=1&d=1290017759

[Jess Alvarez]

This must be the "new" standard of workmanship ... I would be ashamed to try to pass this work on as accepatable ... just sayin'. It's crap work. I would have them redo it properly or not get paid.

[Brandon Whitmore]

After a quick glance, I am not seeing any functional issues with the installations (caulk the barge rafter joint at the ridge). Quality of workmanship is another story......

[Katherine Abernathy]

Thank you Brandon and Jess. I'll post some more threads tomorrow with pictures.

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

I disagree with the posters who indicate no functional problems. First bird or bat to rest will tear it down. First (albeit rare perhaps) freezing rain and you'll have issues. Big wind and they'll be trouble.

This entire situation regarding the capping not even applied is total crap work and will not function as intended. The vast majority isn't even fastened. First big wind and will whip and pull down (as evidenced already in several damaged areas).

The eave is what - tacked with painters (blue) tape? Open soffits not yet screened?

Apparently someone has failed to do their job - and without training nor supervision by one who knew/knows how to.

Site brake work some of which applied upside down!

Most needs to be removed and done correctly (can't re-use). Most of the PVC and trim is then half-assed not even really capped! Where is the structural required behind it? What the heck, this isn't just shoddy work, it isn't work, its an abomination! Worse than a "Three-Stooges" mess!

Encourage others to fully open each picture and expand it - this is a MESS There isn't ONE THING right about this disaster, and CAULK will NOT cure it (who said that?!?)!!!

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachments/roofing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/20322d1290017305-drip-edge-gap-top-gable-problem-029.jpg

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachments/roofing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/20327d1290018391-drip-edge-gap-top-gable-problem-123.jpg

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachments/roofing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/20325d1290017963-drip-edge-gap-top-gable-problem-008.jpg