Drive through a newer Conroe-area subdivision and look up. Many two-story homes have roofs broken into lots of sections: a gable over the garage, another over the front door, a lower roof over a porch, and the main roof above them all. Builders use these shapes to make houses on the same street look different. Every place where two sections meet, though, is a place where water has to be guided carefully, and that's where most leaks on these homes start.
The Weak Spots
| Spot | What it is | Why it leaks |
|---|---|---|
| Valleys | The channel where two roof slopes meet | Carries a lot of water; wears faster; debris collects |
| Wall joints | Where a lower roof runs into an upstairs wall | Depends on step flashing, which is easy to skip or install poorly |
| Kick-out points | Where a roof edge ends against a wall | Without a small diverter, water runs into the wall |
| Short slopes over windows | Small decorative roofs | Low pitch, many cuts, easy to rush |
| Upper roof draining onto lower roof | Water from above lands on one spot below | Wears the lower shingles in a line |
Why It Shows Up Inside Far From the Cause
On a two-story house, water that gets in at an upstairs wall can run down inside the wall and appear on a first-floor ceiling, or around a window, several feet away. That's why a roofer starts by looking at where the roof sections meet above the stain, not just straight above it.
The Kick-Out Diverter
Where the bottom edge of a roof ends against a wall, a small piece of bent metal called a kick-out diverter steers water into the gutter instead of down the wall. When it's missing, water soaks the wall below that corner. It's a small part, and it's often left out. If you see staining on siding or brick below a roof corner, mention it.
What a Good Repair or Reroof Includes
- new step flashing at every wall joint, not reused metal
- kick-out diverters wherever a roof edge meets a wall
- self-adhering membrane under every valley
- a valley method suited to the roof (open metal or closed-cut shingles)
- a check of where upper roofs drain onto lower ones
Questions
Why does my leak only show up in certain storms?
Wind direction matters. Rain blown against one wall can get behind its flashing, while rain from another direction doesn't.
Is a roof with lots of valleys more expensive to replace?
Usually, yes. More cuts, more flashing and more labor go into each square.
Can valleys be fixed without a new roof?
Often. A roofer can rebuild a worn valley or reflash a wall joint as a repair.
Around Conroe
These rooflines are common in Grand Central Park, Woodforest and The Woodlands. Repairs are covered on roof repair. Builders and roofers in Texas follow the state's adopted residential building code; consumer guidance on contractor issues is at the Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
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