Couldn't post in the Home Ownership Woes thread for some reason. Just discovered a water stain in my garage. No idea how long it has been there. There's no bathroom anywhere above it. Need help identifying what it might be. My only guess is a roof leak. Any other thoughts? Any good roofers in the Holly Springs area?

1/20/2015 10:08:10 PM

got any roof vents over it (what is in the background)?

Could be some flashing that needs to be replaced.

1/20/2015 10:12:18 PM

There's a hot water heater near there but I don't know why that would be leaking. The roof above it is a joint where metal roofing meets shingles.

1/20/2015 10:15:26 PM

Gas hot water heater? It should have an exhaust out of the roof...

1/20/2015 10:19:49 PM

No its electric

1/20/2015 10:20:48 PM

AC Unit in the attic?

My drip tray under my AC handler filled up with water when my drain tube got clogged, causing it to overflow and stain my ceiling.

[Edited on January 21, 2015 at 3:38 PM. Reason : .]

1/21/2015 3:38:06 PM

can you get to the space above this?

1/21/2015 4:10:06 PM

Quote :

"The roof above it is a joint where metal roofing meets shingles."

If there's not a vent penetration in the roof above it, my guess would be something wrong with the flashing or sealant in this spot. Material transitions on roofs are typical spots to start looking for a leak. Sometimes there's not anything really wrong and a good wind-blown rain will drive water where it wasn't designed to flow.

You could start by cutting out the drywall and seeing what you can see above the area, maybe some wet wood sheathing or insulation. Remember that leaks aren't necessarily right above the spot where the water shows up.

1/21/2015 4:46:25 PM

No I can't access the area above the leak without just cutting the drywall. I don't think it has to do with AC because it's not near there. My guess is a roof leak, although there may be some plumbing in the area that I don't know about. I looked out onto that section of roof yesterday and didn't see anything blatantly obvious, but then again I don't have much experience with roofing.

1/21/2015 5:19:55 PM

This is the only thing that looked suspicious to me. It's against the house at an apex where the garage roof meets the metal roofing of the front porch. It looks like it has come up a little and there is some glue missing.. But doesn't seem like water could get up under there?




[Edited on January 21, 2015 at 5:33 PM. Reason : . ]

[Edited on January 21, 2015 at 5:34 PM. Reason : . ]

1/21/2015 5:32:47 PM

Do you live in Durham near Southpoint? Looks just like the houses in my hood haha

1/21/2015 7:09:28 PM

Haha no its in Holly Springs

1/21/2015 7:19:14 PM

Honestly I would cut the wet drywall out and see what I could see from down below. Or just ignore it and see if it gets worse. That roof corner is an intersection of 3 different materials on 3 different planes that someone had to tie together to keep dry. If some leaves got in there to dam up the water flow or a good strong wind blew during a storm, water definitely could've gotten behind the flashing.

If you want to be proactive, cut the drywall out. Get someone to watch the underside of the roof while you spray a hose outside. Flood test the heck out it, from different angles to simulate wind, and see if you can find the problem.

1/21/2015 8:49:09 PM