Can anyone offer suggestions on how to locate and fix a stubborn leak in my front porch roof that only occurs during heavy rainfalls?
Asked by Elvera Groothuis 
4 months ago
Last Updated: July 26, 2024
Hey, I could really use some help! My front porch roof leaks whenever it rains hard, and I can’t figure out where it’s coming from. I’ve checked the roof and gutters, but I’m stumped. Any suggestions on how to find and fix the leak before it gets worse? Thanks in advance!
I had a leak near my dormers. It didn’t make its way inside the house, just followed the path of the flashing. I had a professional roofer fix it, but it started to leak again during heavy rain. Right after my warranty expired. My dormers are in the same position as yours.
Inspect the dormer above for issues like flashing, windows, caulking, and exposed nail heads on the last course of shingles. It is likely that the dormer is causing the problem. Best of luck with finding the issue.
A heavy rainstorm typically brings strong winds, causing shingles to lift up when the wind blows hard or the rain comes at an angle.
Hey there, what did you do to solve the issue? Did you use roofing adhesive under the loose shingles at the front edge?
No, it’s best to hire roofers to redo it properly. Opting for a quick fix will end up costing more in the long run. et it done right the first time. It’s better to invest upfront than to spend money and then learn your lesson the hard way.
I also faced a similar issue. The description is a bit tough to decipher, but it echoes what I mentioned.
Oh, you’re dealing with a slate roof. That’s a whole different ball game. The OP has architectural shingles – they’re made with asphalt. Each shingle has a strip of adhesive on the back – once installed, when the sun warms up the shingle, the adhesive softens and sticks to the shingle below. This is to prevent the issue you mentioned, where wind could lift the shingles during storms. I’m not too familiar with slates to know how they stay in place.
Mentioned the wind, which made me consider checking the fronts of your shingles. Make sure they are securely stuck to the ones below. If they pull up due to age, apply roofing sealant to keep them down during windy conditions.
Make sure you find a really good roofer to take a look at the issue. If the caulking on the dormers is done properly, then it’s probably the flashing on the dormer where it meets the roof. There are a bunch of dormer videos online, but they all have different methods for flashing. Most of them use caulking or sealant to keep the water out, but that caulking will eventually start to leak. The top roofers create custom corner flashings for the dormer to fit the slope, and they seal it without caulking. In very old houses, there might be lead flashing that wraps continuously around the corner as well.